In covering the story of Iran's role in Iraq, far too many reporters have passed on blatant propaganda without the slightest effort to point out its inconsistency with documented facts, much less to try to uncover the truth. But a story by Pamela Hess of Associated Press distributed Aug. 15 sets a new standard for abetting official disinformation. ››read more

Georgia is one of Iran's "near neighbors" and as a result of geographical proximity and important political and geostrategic considerations, the current Russia-Georgia conflict is closely watched by Tehran, itself under threat of military action by the US and or Israel, which may now feel less constrained about attacking Iran in light of Russia's war with Georgia. ››read more

BeemanThe United States is in a huge foreign policy muddle in the Middle East. It wants to dominate and control Iran but requires the support of the world community to accomplish its aims. Diplomacy and sanctions require only a low level of support. On the other hand, to launch a military attack or green-light one by Israel, the United States needs far more backing. ››read more

Though the national sentiment favors wrapping up the Iraq War, there exists a small but powerful movement for starting a new military conflict with Iran. The bipartisan drumbeats for aggression reverberate throughout the corridors of Congress. House Resolution 362 and Senate Resolution 580, for example, call on the United States to prevent Iran from "acquiring a nuclear weapons capability through all appropriate economic, political, and diplomatic means." ››read more

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: American and European sanctions on Iran haven't stopped Hasan Safdari from exporting electronic equipment to his homeland across the Persian Gulf from this small U.S. ally. But they have forced the Iranian trader to change the way he does business. ››read more

RobertsRoberts: The National Endowment for Democracy is a neoconservative organization funded by the United States government and its purpose is to buy and rig elections in the former constituent parts of the Soviet empire. ››read more

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention Will Propose a Platform Emphasizing Diplomacy, Not War ››read more

Turkey hopes to finalize the planned energy deals with Iran within a month after the sides failed to agree on the deals during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit last week. ››read more

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iran rejected on Friday Western allegations that its central bank and other financial institutions were trying to skirt U.N. sanctions by covering their tracks, and threatened to seek compensation. ››read more

Turkish President Abdullah Gul urged his Iranian counterpart to accept the new incentives package of the Western countries and warned on a possible U.S. military operation, Hurriyet daily reported on Saturday. ››read more

The al-Maliki regime is a Shiite-dominated government that views its Sunni Arab neighbors– who have generally opposed Shiite rule in Iraq – with intense distrust and looks to Iran for support against them. The Bush administration, on the other hand, has forged closer relations with Sunni regimes against Iran. The short-term Shiite dependence on the US occupation to establish Shiite control of the state apparatus is giving way to a more fundamental distrust toward US power in Iraq and the region. ››read more

PourkesaliRussia's crossing of an international boundary must certainly be censured as it is outside the norms of civilized behavior and clearly a challenge to the core principles of the international law and the UN Charter. But its condemnation must take into account Georgia's past provocations in denying the people of South Ossetia their most basic rights. ››read more

Ali Fathollah-NejadThe question currently occupying the minds of journalists, politicians and think tanks from Washington to Los Angeles is whether or not the final five months of the Bush administration will see an armed American strike against Iran. Ali Fathollah-Nejad looks for some answers ››read more

AfrasiabiRhode Island peace activists say a resolution co-sponsored by US Representatives James Langevin and Patrick Kennedy could lead to war with Iran.........Afrasiabi discounts Iran as a nuclear threat, saying the International Atomic Energy Agency would quickly detect any movement of plutonium for military use.
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Fierce American criticism of Russia's military action in Georgia is almost certain to jeopardize a very different US strategic objective: stepping up pressure on Iran with another layer of United Nations sanctions. ››read more

Still at the centre of the threat scenario is the alleged statement of Iran’s president of 26/10/2005 saying Iran wanted to wipe Israel off the map, wanted to raze Israel to the ground (with the atom bomb). We have often proven that this alleged statement originates from a falsification and that Iran’s president has actually given expression to his expectation that the regime occupying Jerusalem - the Zionist regime as he often calls it - will disappear. To insinuate that the Iranian president wanted to destroy Israel – and thus the Jews – is – and that cannot be emphasised enough – as though you wanted to assert that the demand for the end of the Apartheid regime was the same as demanding the destruction of South Africa. ››read more

BTC pipelineWhile many have written about the causes and consequences of the war, little emphasis has been put on the role that the U.S. government's failed policy toward Iran has played in this rapidly developing situation.

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Hiroshima 1945The neocons would love to attack Iran, and have Iran retaliate. They could use any retaliation as an excuse to nuke Iran. The neocons are dying to use nuclear weapons. They’d love it if our aircraft carriers in the Gulf were sunk, because we could turn around and nuke Iran. I think that’s the scenario of Dick Cheney, the Weekly Standard, Bill O’Reilly, and others. ››read more

The US yesterday warned Turkey not to strike an energy deal with Iran that undermined diplomatic efforts to halt Tehran's nuclear programme, on the eve of a visit to Ankara by Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, the Iranian president. ››read more

Russia's war with Georgia and the infuriated reaction in the West to what US President George W. Bush calls Moscow's "disproportionate response" could make it harder to enlist Russian help on the Iranian issue, according to Israeli diplomatic officials and academics. ››read more