NO WAR ON IRAN!

HANDS OFF IRAN!
US Targets Iran for a New War in the Middle East

By Ali Yerevani

On August 28, US President George Bush declared that the US would “confront Tehran’s murderous activities” in Iraq. In his report to the US Senate on Monday September 10, General David Petraeus, the commander of 163,000 US troops in Iraq claimed “there is very clear evidence of Iranian involvement in attacks on US forces in Iraq”. US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice (who always feels she shouldn’t get behind in the race to blame every problem in Iraq on Iran), in response to Petraeus’ report, stated that although security has improved in Iraq, Iran is to blame for slowing the pace of security improvements since Iran has always been a “troublesome neighbor”. Clearly, the US government and its failed military machine in the quagmire of Iraq is looking for a scapegoat to blame for the fact that it has completely failed in all its objectives (whether said or unsaid). Iran is a convenient target not only for their failure in Iraq, but for the preparation to attack Iran for another war and destruction in the Middle East.

It is unfortunate and saddening that once again, George Bush and the United States ruling elite have decided to roll ahead their bloodthirsty war machine. They have gone first to Afghanistan, second to Iraq and now to Iran to consolidate this era of war and occupation in order to re-establish their hegemony over the Middle East. Since October 2006, the US has been carrying out a massive military buildup in the Persian Gulf - with 50 warships, many submarines, two aircraft carriers with more than 100 warplanes, stationed batteries of Patriot anti-missile systems, more than 6000 troops in naval groups and heavy bombing warplanes stationed in the Diego Garcia air base. In addition to military and political provocations, US troops in Iraq in at least five accounts have attacked Iranian diplomatic offices and arrested or kidnapped Iranian diplomats in the hope of provoking the Iranian government for a confrontation. There are still five Iranian diplomats held in US military prisons without sufficient evidence or due legal process. All evidence indicates that the US is marching to war with taking broad military aggression against the people of Iran.

Once again the US bloodsucking rulers, who have killed 700,000 innocent people in Iraq so far, and who have completely destroyed civil society and normal life for innocent Iraqi and Afghan people, have decided to start the third phase of the war in the Middle East. The US government is preparing to start another savage and criminal war in the Middle East, this time in Iran, in the interest of US corporations, and of plundering and pillaging the people of the Middle East for their oil and the entirety of their wealth.

Now it is the duty and human obligation of all peace-loving, progressive, Iranian or non-Iranian, in Canada, the US and all around the world, to wholeheartedly oppose this coming war on the people of Iran. Needless to say, we must defend the Iranian people regardless of the character, nature, and practice of the Iranian government. The point of defending the Iranian people against US military aggression UNCONDITIONALLY is that the political condition in Iran, and whatever tyrannical government rules Iran, is not an excuse for any foreign imperialist country to invade or attack Iran. Iran is a sovereign country and the self-determination of the Iranian people must be defended under any circumstances. To put it simply, changing or overthrowing the Iranian government is the business of the Iranian people, who have three revolutions and dozens of mass movements in their history since 1891. Undoubtedly the heroic Iranian people are capable of carrying through this important task if they wish. The people of the world have not forgotten how the brave Iranian people in February 1979 overthrew 2,500 years of monarchy and kicked out US imperialism from their country. Having said that, all in all we must understand the main reason that the US is attacking Iran is to attempt to roll back history and restore its hegemony in the Middle East that was lost with the 1979 Iranian revolution.