Greenwald on 15 British captured by Iran
As usual, Greenwald has an excellent article. It's worth waiting through the Salon.com ad. Some highlights:
One reason we should get out of Iraq is because our being creates numerous opportunities for this sort of thing to happen:
Greenwald is also talking about how the neocon warmongers are using this incident to push for an escalation with Iran. That is of course, highly predictable and sad. We should be trying to avoid war with Iran. What would "winning" such a war even look like?
One reason we should get out of Iraq is because our being creates numerous opportunities for this sort of thing to happen:
The ongoing presence of 150,000 troops in the middle of Iraq, under the direction of this administration, entails grave risk of escalation beyond Iraq, whether deliberately or unintentionally -- a fact that is almost completely ignored in our "debate" over whether to withdraw troops. The seizure this week of 15 British sailors by Iran illustrates how grave those risks are.The only third-party opinion as to whether the 15 British were in Iranian waters or not actually supports Iran's side of the story:
The Iraqi military commander of the country's territorial waters cast doubt on claims the Britons were in Iraqi waters.
"We were informed by Iraqi fishermen after they had returned from sea that there were British gunboats in an area that is out of Iraqi control," Brig. Gen. Hakim Jassim told AP Television News in the southern city of Basra. "We don't know why they were there. And these British troops were besieged by unknown gunboats, I don't know from where," he said.
Of course, I don't think the British government, the Iranian government, or the Iraqi government are particularly trustworthy in this situation. All could have reasons to lie. Greenwald notes that its a pretty sad state of affairs when Britain pits its word against Iran and you have to wonder who is telling the truth.
Greenwald is also talking about how the neocon warmongers are using this incident to push for an escalation with Iran. That is of course, highly predictable and sad. We should be trying to avoid war with Iran. What would "winning" such a war even look like?
Comments
A total disaster, talking about civilian casualties of course...
They're pushing, no doubt, the neocon warmongers want another war, it's so simple. After all the lies told to fire up a war against Iraq I cannot take this '15 British incident' seriously.
'Hostage Crisis' Or End Game?
http://tinyurl.com/2x37ss
In yet another amazing coincidence of the type to which most people have become immune since September 11th 2001, 15 British marines were captured by Iranian soldiers in the Persian Gulf, just one day before the UN security council was to meet to decide whether to impose further immoral sanctions on 80 million Iranians (2) Of course, the timing of the capture of the British marines could have been a coincidence and the direct result - a slam dunk on the sanctions vote - just a piece of uncanny bad luck for Ahmadinejad.
[...]
Neocon Michael Ledeen stated:
First and foremost, we must bring down the terror regimes, beginning with the Big Three: Iran, Iraq, and Syria. And then we have to come to grips with Saudi Arabia. ... Once the tyrants in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia have been brought down, we will remain engaged. ...We have to ensure the fulfillment of the democratic revolution. ... Stability is an unworthy American mission, and a misleading concept to boot. We do not want stability in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and even Saudi Arabia; we want things to change. The real issue is not whether, but how to destabilize.
Creative destruction is our middle name, both within our society and abroad. We tear down the old order every day, from business to science, literature, art, architecture, and cinema to politics and the law. Our enemies have always hated this whirlwind of energy and creativity which menaces their traditions (whatever they may be) and shames them for their inability to keep pace. ... [W]e must destroy them to advance our historic mission.