by Michael Binyon and Bronwen Maddox
THE US will mount a concerted attempt to overturn the regime in Iran if
President Bush is elected for a second term.
It would work strenuously to foment a revolt against the ruling theocracy by
Iran's "hugely dissatisfied" population, a senior official has told The
Times.
The United States would not use military force, as in Iraq, but "if Bush is
re-elected there will be much more intervention in the internal affairs of
Iran", declared the official, . . .
He hinted at a possible military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities,
saying that there was a window of opportunity for destroying Iran's main
nuclear complex at Bushehr next year that would close if Russia delivered
crucial fuel rods. . . .
At present the US relies on about a dozen Farsi satellite television and
radio channels in the San Fernando Valley, California. They beam pirate
broadcasts to the estimated seven million Iranians with illegal satellite
dishes.
Last year Washington also set up a Persian-language Voice of America
programme that is broacast into Iraq. The internet offers another channel
for US propaganda, . . .
FULL TEXT
Enver Masud, "U.S. Violating Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty," The Wisdom Fund, March 11, 2003
[The CIA's acting director says eight of the 9/11 hijackers passed through
Iran, but there is no evidence Tehran was connected with the attacks in
2001.--"9/11 hijackers
'transited Iran'," BBC News, July 19, 2004]
Ellis Shuman, "Report: Israel ready for pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear
facility," Israel Insider, July 19, 2004
[The Bush administration is now under fire daily for the debacles in Iraq
and Afghanistan. It also faces criticism for its failings in preparing for
and reacting to the tragedy of Sept. 11. Consequently it has adopted a
tried-and-true ploy of muddying the waters to deflect negative press: Blame
Iran for everything.--William O. Beeman, "The Hawks and the Doves Are Aflutter Over U.S. Iran
Policy," Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2004]
Eric Margolis, "Iran new U.S. whipping boy: Those who deceived America
into attacking Iraq may be at it again," Toronto Sun, July 25, 2004
Scott Peterson, "Why the US
granted 'protected' status to Iranian terrorists," The Christian Science
Monitor, July 29, 2004
Simon Tisdall, "Diplomacy
sidelined as US targets Iran," Guardian, August 10, 2004
George Jahn, "Nuclear Tests Vindicate Iran So
Far," Associated Press, August 10, 2004
Laura King, "Israel May Have Iran in Its Sights," Los Angeles Times,
August 22, 2004
[Bush announced his own National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass
Destruction in late 2002, and developed from it the Proliferation Security
Initiative of 2003--Gordon Prather, "So Much for
Non-Proliferation," CounterPunch, October 23, 2004]