Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Loose cannon Pompeo’s war of words on Iran

By Stephen Lendman

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan are seen past American and Israeli flags as they step off a plane at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020. (AFP photo)
If words could kill, loose cannon Mike Pompeo’s remarks would be considered WMDs.

The Big Lie about an Iranian threat has been around for decades.

Ignored is that Washington’s only threats are invented, none real — what’s been geopolitically clear since WW II ended.

In stark contrast, hardliners from both right wings of the US war party threaten everyone everywhere.

US imperial aims, by diabolical means used to advance them, represent an unparalleled threat to humanity.

Iran is the region’s leading proponent of peace and stability. Its ruling authorities pursue cooperative relations with other countries, confrontation with none.

Longstanding US plans for regime change are all about its sovereign independence.

Nations free from its imperial control aren’t tolerated.

In the Middle East, they’re an obstacle to US and Israeli hegemonic aims.

In Iran’s case, longstanding US hostility toward the country is also about wanting control of its vast hydrocarbon resources.

Trump regime hardliners escalated war on Iran by other means beyond where their predecessors went.

A previous article discussed possible US aggression against Iran during what may be Trump’s final weeks in office.

While he continued inherited hot wars in Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen — and waged greater than ever wars by other means against targeted countries — he did not initiate new aggression on his watch.

With two months of his tenure remaining if legal challenges to brazen election fraud fail, will he go at the 11th hour where he hasn’t gone before?

Would he risk embroiling the Middle East in greater than ever conflict since WW II ended during what may be his final days in office?

Would he want to be remembered for launching what could develop into catastrophic war as his parting shot as US president and commander-in-chief?

Would he risk more greatly tainting his record in office than already?

I believe possible Trump regime hot war on Iran before January 20 is highly unlikely.

At the same time, war of words on the Islamic Republic and piling on more illegal sanctions will continue over the next two months and beyond.

As long as Iran refuses to subordinate its sovereign rights to US interests — what no nation should do — it’ll remain a prime target for regime change.

That’s how the scourge of imperialism works, permitting no nations to remain free from its iron grip.

On Monday, Pompeo concludes visits with officials in France, Turkey, Georgia, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

Before leaving Israel, he was interviewed by the Jerusalem Post.

Asked if all Trump regime options remain on the table against Iran, he said:

“Of course. The (Trump regime) has been clear on that for its entire four years.”

“There is no reason that would change today or tomorrow.”

Defying reality, he falsely claimed maximum pressure success.

It achieved nothing beyond inflicting hardships on ordinary Iranians.

Trump regime Middle East policies overall made the US more of a pariah state than already.

Iran today is stronger politically and militarily than when Trump took office — its latter strength solely for defense, not offense.

Its geopolitical agenda is polar opposite how the US operates on the world stage — waging peace and stability in stark contrast to Washington’s war on humanity.

Pompeo’s public addresses, interviews, and other remarks are characterized by bravado, hate-mongering, Big Lies, and mass deception.

US foreign policy with him at State has been one of the darkest chapters in the nation’s history.

Last week, the CIA-connected Washington Post slammed his “legacy of incompetence,” adding:

It “peaked with his failed Iran policy.”

“His latest move(s) — visiting an illegal Israeli settlement and Occupied Golan — were “as mean-spirited as…misguided.”

His intention to further sanction Iran weekly through January 20 is “perfectly consistent with (his) track record of staging poorly conceived publicity stunts rather than undertaking any actual diplomacy with the government in Iran.”

He and the Trump regime overall have been all sticks and no carrots geopolitically.

Its maximum pressure “damage(d) the Iranian people themselves” — including by “disrupt(ing) the import of medicine(s) and food.”

The Trump regime’s “maximum pressure (has been) a total bust.”

Pompeo’s interview with the Jerusalem Post was characterized by a litany of bald-faced Big Lies and absence of hard truths.

He lied saying Iran “foment(s) (regional) harm” — a US, NATO, Israeli specialty, not how Tehran operates anywhere.

Claiming Trump regime actions against Iran “isolate(d)” the country is belied by reality.

He lied calling Trump’s geopolitical agenda a “vision of peace” — an anathema notion in Washington.

He lied accusing Iran of being “prime actor who is causing instability in the Middle East (sic).”

He’s spearheading an effort to try preventing the US from returning to the JCPOA if Biden/Harris replace Trump on January 20.

He reinvented the Trump regime’s Middle East agenda, saying:

“Continuation of the things we’ve been doing leads to a very increased likelihood of a safer, more prosperous (region), and that our friends in Israel will be safer and more secure as a result of that as well (sic).”

Pretending concern for Palestinian rights ignored nearly four years of Trump regime trampling on them.

Trump’s domestic and geopolitical agendas have been virtual wrecking balls for ordinary people at home and abroad.

They’ve been a gift that keeps on giving for wealth, power and privileged interests at the expense of most people everywhere.

Trump will be remembered as a bombastic businessman, geopolitical know-nothing, reality TV president.

Pompeo will be remembered as a thug masquerading as a diplomat.

The last four years will be remembered as one of America’s darkest chapters.

What’s coming will likely be worse, domestically and geopolitically — no matter which wing of US duopoly rule controls the White House and/or Congress.

Stephen Lendman, born in 1934 in Boston, started writing on major world and national issues began in summer 2005. In early 2007, radio hosting followed. Lendman now hosts the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network three times weekly. Distinguished guests are featured. Listen live or archived. Major world and national issues are discussed. Lendman is a 2008 Project Censored winner and 2011 Mexican Journalists Club international journalism award recipient.

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