by Stephen Lendman

America ravages the world one country at a time or in multiples. Post-9/11 alone, millions died. Vast destruction was caused. Human misery caused is incalculable.

Now Syria and Iran are targeted. Disagreement only is on timing, not intent. Neocon Senator John McCain wants Syria bombed. In spring 2007, on a "Straight Talk" campaign tour stop, he responded to a question singing:

"Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran," then lied, saying:

"Iran is dedicated to the destruction of Israel. That alone should concern us but now they are trying for nuclear capabilities. I totally support the President (Bush) when he says we will not allow Iran to destroy Israel."

In 2008, presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton threatened war on Iran, saying:

"I want the Iranians to know that if I'm president, we will attack Iran. In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them."

In other words, she threatened to murder over 70 million people. At the same time, she as well as top Washington and Israeli officials know Iran menaces no one, and hasn't attacked another country in over 200 years.

Yet aggressive war's planned for regime change, no matter the potentially catastrophic consequences.

AIPAC lobbies aggressively for war on Iran. Tops on its agenda is advocacy for "S. Res. 380: A resolution to express the sense of the Senate regarding the importance of preventing the Government of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability."

The so-called Casey/Lieberman/Graham resolution has 44 sponsors. At issue is lowering the threshold for war on Iran. Occupy AIPAC calls it "a blank check for war."

If enacted into law by both Houses and signed by Obama, presidents henceforth could use it as an authorization for war based solely on Washington wanting it preemptively without justification.

In September 2001, Congress approved the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) for "the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States."

Of course, those attacked had nothing to do with 9/11. But you'd never know it from scandalous major media scoundrel reports, commentaries and editorials.

"War on terror" authority facilitated permanent wars. Scoundrel journalism cheerleads them. Presidents now wage them at their discretion. S. Res. 380 makes it easier. Specifically naming Iran, it's easily replicated against Syria or any other US target.

The Emergency Committee for Israel (ECI)

ECI fabricates claims about alleged Israeli security risks. Tops is lying about Iran's "pursuit of a nuclear weapon and its support of terrorist groups."

Founded by William Kristol, a rabid war advocate director of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), its board also includes Gary Bauer (a Christian Zionist war on terror extremist), and Rachel Abrams, wife of convicted Iran-Contra criminal Elliott Abrams.

Last year, she wrote about Gilad Shalit's release on her Bad Rachel blog as follows:

"....round up his captors, the slaughtering, death-worshiping, innocent-butchering, child-sacrificing savages who dip their hands in blood and use women … as shields, hiding behind their burkas and cradles like the unmanned animals they are, and throw them not into your prisons … but into the sea, to float there, food for sharks, stargazers, and whatever other oceanic carnivores God has put there for the purpose.”

On March 1, ECI ran a spurious full-page New York Times hate ad. Targeting the Center for American Progress, Media Matters, and by implication other like-minded groups, it falsely accused them of anti-Semitism for criticizing Israeli policy.

AIPAC's Annual Gathering of the Faithful

On March 4, AIPAC's annual conference convened in Washington. Obama and Netanyahu spoke. So did top Republican and Democrat officials. In lock step, they subserviently pledged fealty to Israel.

They also repeated fabricated claims about Iran's nuclear ambitions, its threat to Israel, and need to confront it aggressively. Thousands of attendees heard Obama vow to protect Israel against any threat. He also said Washington won't tolerate Iran acquiring nuclear weapons even though he knows Tehran spurns having them.

Netanyahu claimed "Iran's nuclear program continues to march forward. My friends, Israel was waited and waited for the international community to resolve this issue. We've waited for diplomacy to work. We've waited for sanctions to work. None of us can afford to wait much longer. As prime minister of Israel, I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation."

He barely stopped short of declaring war against a nation he know poses no threat to Israel or any other nation.

Senator Joe Lieberman was even blunter saying:

“The president has said he doesn’t bluff and neither can we in Congress. The Iranian regime must hear a message from us and we must state it loud and clear: Either you peacefully negotiate an end to your illicit nuclear activities or they will be ended for you by military attack.”

In response, attendees leapt to their feet and applauded.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R. KY) matched Lieberman, saying:

“If Iran at any time begins to enrich the uranium to weapons grade or decides to go forward with a weapons program, then the United States will use overwhelming force to end that program.”

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said if all else fails, Washington will "act against Iran."

Other speakers echoed similar comments. The conference wreaked hawkish hate. Lawless rogues infest it annually. Their policies threaten humanity.

AIPAC's Destructive Agenda

Calling itself "America's Pro-Israel Lobby," virtually no one in Congress confronts it. Doing so is a career-ender. As a result, it has virtual veto power over war and peace, trade and investment, multi-billion dollar arms sales, enormous handouts to Israel, and all Middle East policies affecting the Jewish state under Democrat and Republican administrations alike.

Deferentially, politicians, presidents, their hangers-on, media scoundrels and others genuflect dutifully to its influence and the government it represents.

On its web site, AIPAC spuriously calls Iran "the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and is racing toward a nuclear weapons capability. Through its proxy armies of Hizballah in Southern Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip and insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Iranian regime is supporting terrorists carrying out daily attacks on American troops and Israeli civilians."

Its talking points include the following:

"Iran must stop its nuclear weapons program.

American policy must unabashedly seek to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability. A nuclear-armed Iran is an existential threat to Israel and would arm the world's leading sponsor of terrorism with the ultimate weapon.

Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism.

Iran finances, arms and trains terrorist groups operating around the world. It is the leading sponsor of Hamas and Hizballah, and is also arming insurgents fighting U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Stop the human rights violations.

In the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian presidential election which falsely awarded Mahmoud Ahmaninejad a second term, Iran's Revolutionary Guard quelled popular protests by arresting civil leaders, beating and killing peaceful protesters and cutting off internet and mobile access to its citizens."

It falsely claims Iran's "approaching a nuclear weapons capability....The United States must make clear that Iran will not be permitted to achieve a nuclear weapons capability."

It stresses all options must be used to prevent it. It barely stops short of demanding a declaration of war to assure it.

AIPAC's a menacing influence. It's also an illegal unregistered foreign agent. Yet political Washington bows to its will even when US interests are harmed. Attacking Iran endangers everyone.

Yet deranged leaders are too unconcerned to care. Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad. Rogue Washington and Israeli officials qualify.

A Final Comment

On March 4, Haaretz writer Gideon Levy took aim at Israel's inordinate power to influence US policy, saying:

On March 5, "an elephant and an ant" met in Washington. "But wait," he asked? Who's the dominant power, and who's the patron?

"A new chapter is being written in the history of nations. Never before has a small country dictated to a superpower; never before has the chirp of the cricket sounded like a roar; never has the elephant resembled the ant - and vice versa."

"No Roman province dared tell Julius Caesar what to do, no tribe ever dreamed of forcing Genghis Khan to act in accordance with its own tribal interests. Only Israel does this. On Monday, when Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the White House, it will be hard to tell which one is the real leader of the world."

Israel teaches size doesn't matter. One day going along will go too far. Iran's a red line not to be crossed.

Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade" comes to mind, saying:

"Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred." In the bloody 19th century Crimean War, few returned.

When policy becomes insanity, the cost exceeds what any responsible leader should pay. The potential one today is survival if Iran's attacked, especially with nuclear weapons, whether or not other world powers get involved.

Yet Israel and AIPAC demand Obama risk it. Imagine what's at stake if he agrees. Odds are, in fact, he will or give Israel the green light to go it alone or act jointly with Washington. Bet on it.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.