Israel plans to bomb Iran, former CIA officials warn
By Niko Schvarz
From the Uruguayan newspaper La República
Former officials of the U.S. Army secret services, members of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS), warned in a memo to Barack Obama that Israel is preparing an attack on Iran this month and ask that the president denounce the attack publicly to avoid a war of unpredictable consequences.
The document states that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu plans a surprise attack, with the idea of forcing the U.S. to provide full support of his army to the military campaign. The officials base their allegation on comments made by the prime minister to the effect that the U.S. will not stand in Israel’s way and that 80 percent of Americans support Israel. We should recall that the Israeli military authorities have said plainly that they have discussed a possible attack on Iran, and that American and Israeli warships, equipped with nuclear weapons, are moving close to the area.
The memo adds: “We hope that your advisers have told you that Israel’s main objective is a regime change, not Iranian nuclear weapons,” and stressed that the possibility that Israel could trigger this aggression is becoming more real and closer, before a possible resumption of talks between Iran and the international community in September on the exchange of enriched uranium. The latter is “a false maneuver” in the eyes of the government of Israel, which would be willing to launch the attack to prevent any agreement to that effect.
The letter bears the following signatures (number in parentheses indicates the writer’s years of expertise in the intelligence services): Phil Giraldi, a former member of the CIA (20 years), Larry Johnson, former member of the CIA (24); W. Patrick Lang, a colonel in the Special Forces and the Defense Intelligence Agency (30), Ray McGovern, U.S. Army Intelligence and CIA (30), Coleen Rowley, FBI (24), Ann Wright, U.S. Army Reserve (29) and the Foreign Office of the State Department (16).
The Chief of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces, Adm. Michael Mullen, said on TV on Aug. 3 that “a plan of attack on Iran is ready to be executed.” Then he added that it would be carried out only “if Iran produces nuclear weapons,” but he had already let the cat out of the bag. The admiral said he was “extremely concerned” about the consequences of an armed attack of this nature could bring to a region so incredibly unstable. But he said he was confident that the sanctions would make Iran abandon its uranium enrichment program.
And here’s the important thing: if that happens, “the military options are on the table and stay there. I hope we do not have to use them, but they are important and well known.” As there is no reason for Iran to abandon its peaceful nuclear program, what remains standing is the threat of war uttered by the Yankee military chief.
His statement was issued in response to Iran’s refusal to release three American tourists (Shane Bauer, Sarah and Josh Fatal Shourd, 27, 31 and 27 years old, respectively) who were caught entering the country illegally from the mountains of northern Iraq. President Obama also called for their freedom, arguing that they are not spies but “have the open mind and adventurous spirit that represent the best of America and the human spirit.” Iran says they must face justice.
The Iranian issue was also raised by President Lula at the 39th summit of presidents of the Mercosur in San Juan, Argentina, on Aug. 3. At the meeting, positive steps were taken in terms of the elimination of the dual foreign tariff and the establishment of a customs code, the use of FOCEM (Mercosur Fund for Structural Convergence) funds for multiple projects, and the bloc’s agreement with Egypt.
There were also important international pronouncements, advocating the end of the embargo against Cuba, against the anti-immigrant law in Arizona (SB-1070), in favor of Argentina’s sovereignty over the Malvinas [Falklands] and a rejection of the Israeli aggression against the humanitarian flotilla in Gaza.
In this context, Lula summarized his efforts toward a peaceful settlement with Iran, which involved talks with the president of Iran, with Sarkozy, Angela Merkel and Gordon Brown, Abbas and Netanyahu. Lula welcomed Israeli president Shimon Peres, the president of Syria and Iran to Brazil, then traveled to Iran. On this basis, an agreement was conceived that was signed by Brazil, Turkey and Iran and corresponded to the points made by President Obama as a basis for negotiation with guarantees for all. But that deal was shelved by a majority in the Security Council, which for the fourth time stepped on the dangerous path of sanctions against Iran.
And that’s what today places the issue of nuclear war in the foreground, as a serious warning to the world.
