Discussed in the last Open Thread there are rumours of an Israeli/US american air attack on Iranian infrastructure. The last days there have been several leaks to the press by “sources” who claim that the 9/11 commission finds links between Iran and Al Qaeda.
(When hearing this, one should keep in mind that Iran is of Persian ethnics and Shia muslim belive, while Al Qaeda is an Arab national movement with extreme Sunni muslim background. Any report of cooperation between these hereditary enemies should be taken with some huge grains of salt.)
Today Washingon Posts reports in U.S. Faces a Crossroads on Iran Policy:
Since May, Congress has been moving — with little notice — toward a joint resolution calling for punitive action against Iran if it does not fully reveal details of its nuclear arms program. In language similar to the prewar resolution on Iraq, a recent House resolution authorized the use of “all appropriate means” to deter, dissuade and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weaponry — terminology often used to approve preemptive military force. Reflecting the growing anxiety on Capitol Hill about Iran, it passed 376 to 3.
Who can move the house to repeat the same error they did on Iraq – giving Bush a free hand?
In the column The October Suprise? William Lind claims:
It is a safe bet that Israel is planning a strike on known Iranian nuclear facilities, and that such a strike will take place. The question is when.
If Israel plans to act this year, the Bush Administration may see a political opportunity it cannot pass up. At the very least it is likely to endorse the Israeli action, and it may well participate. So long as the neo-cons remain in power, Washington is little more than a suburb of Tel Aviv.
Strong language, but true?
Maybe there are some traces in the propaganda war behind this.
Executive Director Reza Bulorchi of the US Alliance for Democratic Iran has published some influental articles in the Wall Street Journal, The National Interest, Frontpage Magazin, National Review and other places of distinct political direction – all demanding more or less openly US intervention for a democratic Iran. He often co-authers with Nir Boms, who also writes pieces on Lebanon and Syria. Frontpagemag names Nir Boms as a fellow of the The Foundation for the Defense of Democracy. That groups mission is:
Non-profit and non-partisan, FDD promotes informed debate about policies and positions that will most effectively eradicate the scourge of international terrorism.
In addition, FDD works to improve education about democracies, and to help promote democracy in troubled regions around the globe.
Some names of members of FDD sound familar: Forbes, Kemp, Kirkpatrick, Gingrich, Woolsey, Krauthammer, B. Kristol, Z.Miller, Perle, Adelman, Toensing, etc.
The American Conservative explains the story behind FDD. It evolved out of the Educational Initiative, Inc. which had the task
to offer Israel the kind of PR that the Israeli government seemed unable to provide itself.
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Its nearly $3 million annual budget comes from 27 major donors, most of whom are members of ´the Study Group´ .. a semi-formal organization of major Jewish philanthropists
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Dalck Feith, father of Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith, also gave $100,000.
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On March 9, 2001, three days before Emet’s articles of incorporation were filed in New York, the Forward reported that ´A[n Israeli] Foreign Ministry source leaked news of the initiative -called ‘Emet,’ or ‘truth,’ in Hebrew- to Israel Radio, portraying the effort as a Foreign Ministry project that the Americans were trying to co-opt.
According to the article Nir Bohms was even the first hire of the Educational Initiative. Nils Boms is also analyst in a group Middle East On Target. There one of his career steps mentioned is
a position at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC as the Academic Liaison, serving as an educator, specialist and guest lecturer on Israeli and Middle Eastern affairs.
Other sources name him as “former public affairs officer of the Israeli Embassy”.
Suburb of Tel Aviv?