by Stephen Lendman

America is unique. No nation ever waged perpetual war throughout its entire history. It's done so at home and abroad.

It exterminated its native people. It treats its most disadvantaged with contempt. It wages war on humanity worldwide.

Permanent war is official US policy. Obama exceeds the worst of George Bush. He tramples on fundamental freedoms.

He heads a ruthless police state apparatus. Mass surveillance became institutionalized on his watch.

Core constitutional and international law protections don't matter. Multiple direct and proxy wars rage.

Obama has more death and destruction in mind. Pretexts are invented to pursue the unthinkable.

The killing of UK citizen David Haines is the latest.

"We will work with the United Kingdom and a broad coalition of nations from the region and around the world to bring the perpetrators of this outrageous act to justice, and to degrade and destroy this threat to the people of our countries, the region and the world," said Obama.

He's using the killings of US journalist James Foley and Steven Sotloff as well Haines' to enlist public support for more war.

"We continue to face a terrorist threat," he said. The only ones are those America invents.

ISIS/ISIL/the Islamic State (IS) is "unique," claims Obama. "If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond (the) region, including to the United States."

Big Lies reflect official US policy. They repeat with disturbing regularity. They do so on issues mattering most.

On Monday, Homeland Security officials issued a statement. It lied claiming "credible intelligence to suggest that there is an active plot by ISIL to attempt to cross the southern border" through Mexico.

During the 1980s Contra wars, Reagan claimed Nicaraguan Sandinistas threatened Texas.

He failed to get Mexican President Miguel de la Madrid to agree. He said if he did 70 million Mexicans would die laughing.

During the 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry claimed Islamic extremists planned entering America through Mexico.

Weeks earlier, Perry repeated the Big Lie, saying:

"(I)ndividuals from ISIS or other terrorist (groups) could be" entering America now. "I think it's a real possibility that they may have already" done so.

In late August, the right-wing Judicial Watch group claimed IS was active in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, saying:

"High-level federal law enforcement, intelligence and other sources have confirmed to Judicial Watch that a warning bulletin for an imminent terrorist attack on the border has been issued."

"Agents across a number of Homeland Security, Justice and Defense agencies have all been placed on alert and instructed to aggressively work all possible leads and sources concerning this imminent terrorist threat."

US intelligence officials lied. They claimed "radio talk and chatter indicating" an imminent border terrorist attack.

An unnamed "high-level source" said it's "coming very soon." According to Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton:

"President Obama or his administration should acknowledge this dire threat on the border."

FBI officials claim no knowledge of a planned attack. No evidence suggests one.

Nonexistent threats are hyped. Fear-mongering is longstanding US policy.

So are Big Lies. They facilitate America's imperial agenda.

Propaganda wars precede hot ones. Deception, managed news misinformation and Big Lies launch them.

America's killing machine is humanity's greatest threat. Presidents wage one war after another. They do so at their discretion. They do it extrajudicially.

Obama exceeds the worst of his predecessors. He considers perpetual war against invented enemies Washington's divine right. He calls it "American leadership at its best."

He deplores rule of law principles. He trashes democratic values. Throughout his tenure, he waged war on freedom. He's done so at home and abroad.

He declared open-ended Middle East war. He acted in violation of core international and constitutional law.

On Monday, 26 nations met in Paris. They included rogue NATO members, Australia, Japan, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Gulf states.

John Kerry addressed them, saying:

"(E)verybody has (an) urgency to move on ISIL." He stopped short of predicting "everything automatically com(ing) together."

At the same time, he said "let me make it clear. There is much more to this than just a strike."

"We have the capacity and we have the people prepared to do it."

"We're not asking every country to play a military role." Many aren't willing to do so.

Others are reluctant. Few if any want war on Syria.

Kerry claims "no doubt (about) the capability and the contributions (needed) to succeed."

According to the Los Angeles Times:

Polls show "most Americans…have little confidence (his) plan will succeed…" (H)is remarks didn't change their opinion" about him.

"The skepticism reflects the months of sagging public confidence in the president, particularly when it comes to foreign affairs."

On Monday, House Republicans unveiled an alternative to his request to arm anti-Assad fighters. It includes considerable congressional oversight.

Pentagon officials must inform Congress of plans to arm Syrian opposition groups at least 15 days in advance.

Follow-up reports are required every 90 days to determine if military strategy is working.

A provision states "nothing in this section shall be construed to constitute a specific statutory authorization for the introduction of US armed forces into hostilities or into situations wherein hostilities are clearly indicated by the circumstances."

According to >Pew Research,

At the same time, doubt accompanies support. Fewer than 20% believe military action will make America safer from so-called terrorist attacks.

About one-third said Obama's plan increases chances they'll occur. Around 70% believe it won't degrade or eliminate them.

Obama's September 10 declaration of war on IS failed to enlist popular support. About 53% of Americans said his speech made no difference.

Pew Research's poll shows his approval rating at about 40%.

On September 16, Fars News headlined "Paris Show: Fighting Terrorism by Arming Terrorists," saying:

The Paris security conference "looked more like a political spectacle…(It) was made all the more difficult when Iraqi President Fouad Massoum voiced regret over Iran's absence…"

It "snubbed the Paris show. (Iranian officials) see…Washington's decision to extend airstrikes into Syria 'a plot to achieve the long-treasured neocon goal of military presence and regime change in Damascus."

Conference participants "failed to recognize what it would really take to fight terrorism and/or change the political dynamics of sectarianism in both Iraq and Syria."

Iran recommends addressing regional issues diplomatically instead of forming a "Coalition of the Killing."

It urged international negotiations to resolve Syria's conflict politically.

It proposed embargoing arms to so-called anti-Assad " 'moderate' terrorist" groups, "including the medieval butchers of ISIL."

Paris participants ignored what's most important. They agreed to arm "imaginary (anti-Assad) 'moderate opposition rebels.' "

Tehran calls this policy madness. Most militants Washington supports "openly align themselves with ISIL…"

Claims that coalition of the willing members plan to arm " 'only the non-Islamist rebels' is utter nonsense…"

On September 15, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called US claims about fighting IS "baseless." They're "lies," he said.

America's Iraq ambassador tried arranging a meeting with Iran to discuss IS. Khamenei opposed it, saying:

"During the early days of ISIL attacks in Iraq, the US ambassador through a message to our envoy in Baghdad requested a meeting to discuss the ISIL."

"Our ambassador in Iraq sent that request to Tehran. Some of our officials did not have any opposition to such meeting."

"But I opposed it and told the officials that we would not cooperate with the Americans regarding ISIL, because their intentions and actions are ugly, and how could we, under those circumstances, cooperate with them."

"The US Secretary of State also had personally asked (Iranian Foreign Minister) Dr. Zarif that the two countries should cooperate on ISIL, but Dr. Zarif had rejected his request."

US officials "are now telling a lie that they did not invite Iran to the (anti-ISIL) coalition."

"The truth is that Iran from the very beginning had announced its opposition to the coalition."

Iranian President Hassan Rohani stressed collective measures to fight terrorism.

At the same time, he called the US-led coalition "satirical." Member states support IS and other terrorist groups they claim to be fighting.

General Mohammad-Ali Jafari heads Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC). He believe's US-led military action against Syria will fail.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran's policy is to support Syria and this US action is from a bullying position and is condemned and if it does so it will regret it," he said.

"We doubt (their) serious objective is to annihilate ISIL," he added.

Washington declared war on the same group it supports. Obama's objective is toppling the "current ruling government in Syria," Jafari stressed.

Washington and Israel created the IS monster. Jafari believes its aim to turn Muslims against each other. It's to sabotage anti-Zionist resistance.

Washington, rogue NATO members, Israel, and regional partners support Takfiri terrorist groups.

It's part of Obama's war on humanity. He risks the unthinkable in the process. World peace hangs by a thread.

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

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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