Does anyone remember all the lies that they were told by President Bush and the \u201cmainstream media\u201d about the grave threat to America from weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? These lies were repeated endlessly in the print and TV media despite the reports from the weapons inspectors, who had been sent to Iraq, that no such weapons existed.<\/p>\n
The weapons inspectors did an honest job in Iraq and told the truth, but the mainstream media did not emphasize their findings. Instead, the media served as a Ministry of Propaganda, beating the war drums for the US government.<\/p>\n
Now the whole process is repeating itself. This time the target is Iran.<\/p>\n
As there is no real case against Iran, Obama took a script from Bush\u2019s playbook and fabricated one.<\/p>\n
First the facts: As a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty, Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities are open to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which carefully monitors Iran\u2019s nuclear energy program to make certain that no material is diverted to nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
The IAEA has monitored Iran\u2019s nuclear energy program and has announced repeatedly that it has found no diversion of nuclear material to a weapons program. All 16 US intelligence agencies have affirmed and reaffirmed that Iran abandoned interest in nuclear weapons years ago.<\/p>\n
In keeping with the safeguard agreement that the IAEA be informed before an enrichment facility comes online, Iran informed the IAEA on September 21 that it had a new nuclear facility under construction. By informing the IAEA, Iran fulfilled its obligations under the safeguards agreement. The IAEA will inspect the facility and monitor the nuclear material produced to make sure it is not diverted to a weapons program.<\/p>\n
Under the safeguards agreement that Iran has with the IAEA, a nuclear facility is not secret unless Iran completes and operates the facility without informing the IAEA.<\/p>\n
Despite these unequivocal facts, Obama announced on September 25 that Iran has been caught with a \u201csecret nuclear facility\u201d with which to produce a bomb that would threaten the world.<\/p>\n
The Obama regime\u2019s claim that Iran is not in compliance with the safeguards agreement is disinformation. Between the end of 2004 and early 2007, Iran voluntarily complied with an additional protocol (Code 3.1) that was never ratified and never became a legal part of the safeguards agreement. The additional protocol would have required Iran to notify the IAEA prior to beginning construction of a new facility, whereas the safeguards agreement in force requires notification prior to completion of a new facility. Iran ceased its voluntary compliance with the unratified additional protocol in March 2007, most likely because of the American and Israeli misrepresentations of Iran\u2019s existing facilities and military threats against them.<\/p>\n
By accusing Iran of having a secret \u201cnuclear weapons program\u201d and demanding that Iran \u201ccome clean\u201d about the nonexistent program, adding that he does not rule out a military attack on Iran, Obama mimics the discredited Bush regime\u2019s use of nonexistent Iraqi \u201cweapons of mass destruction\u201d to set up Iraq for invasion.<\/p>\n
The US media, even the \u201cliberal\u201d National Public Radio, quickly fell in with the Obama lie machine. Steven Thomma of the McClatchy Newspapers declared the non-operational facility under construction, which Iran reported to the IAEA, to be \u201ca secret nuclear facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomma, reported incorrectly that the world didn\u2019t learn of Iran\u2019s \u201csecret\u201d facility, the one that Iran reported to the IAEA the previous Monday, until Obama announced it in a joint appearance in Pittsburgh the following Friday with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkoszy.<\/p>\n
Obviously, Thomma has no command over the facts, a routine inadequacy of \u201cmainstream media\u201d reporters. The new facility was revealed when Iran voluntarily reported the facility to the IAEA on September 21.<\/p>\n
Ali Akbar Dareini, an Associated Press writer, reported, incorrectly, over AP: \u201cThe presence of a second uranium-enrichment site that could potentially produce material for a nuclear weapon has provided one of the strongest indications yet that Iran has something to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dareini goes on to write that \u201cthe existence of the secret site was first revealed by Western intelligence officials and diplomats on Friday.\u201d Dareini is mistaken. We learned of the facility when the IAEA announced that Iran had reported the facility the previous Monday in keeping with the safeguards agreement.<\/p>\n
Dareini\u2019s untruthful report of \u201ca secret underground uranium enrichment facility whose existence has been hidden from international inspectors for years\u201d helped to heighten the orchestrated alarm.<\/p>\n
There you have it. The president of the United States and his European puppets are doing what they do best–lying through their teeth. The US \u201cmainstream media\u201d repeats the lies as if they were facts. The US \u201cmedia\u201d is again making itself an accomplice to wars based on fabrications. Apparently, the media\u2019s main interest is to please the US government and hopefully obtain a taxpayer bailout of its failing print operations.<\/p>\n
Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a rare man of principle who has not sold his integrity to the US and Israeli governments, refuted in his report (September 7, 2009) the baseless \u201caccusations that information has been withheld from the Board of Governors about Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. I am dismayed by the allegations of some Member states, which have been fed to the media, that information has been withheld from the Board. These allegations are politically motivated and totally baseless. Such attempts to influence the work of the Secretariat and undermine its independence and objectivity are in violation of Article VII.F. of the IAEA Statute and should cease forthwith.\u201d<\/p>\n
As there is no legal basis for action against Iran, the Obama regime is creating another hoax, like the non-existent \u201cIraqi weapons of mass destruction.\u201d The hoax is that a facility, reported to the IAEA by Iran, is a secret facility for making nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
Just as the factual reports from the weapons inspectors in Iraq were ignored by the Bush Regime, the factual reports from the IAEA are ignored by the Obama Regime. Like the Bush Regime, the Middle East policy of the Obama Regime is based in lies and deception.<\/p>\n
Who is the worst enemy of the American people, Iran or the government in Washington and the media whores who serve it?<\/p>\n
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions. He can be reached at: PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
\u00a0Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Under the safeguards agreement that Iran has with the IAEA, a nuclear facility is not secret unless Iran completes and operates the facility without informing the IAEA.<\/p>\n Despite these unequivocal facts, Obama announced on September 25 that Iran has been caught with a \u201csecret nuclear facility\u201d with which to produce a bomb that would threaten the world. Continue reading