U.S. 'hypocrisy' on Iran makes war more likely
Published: Tuesday, April 10, 2007
When it comes to hypocrisy, the United States takes the cake. It takes the soup, the salad and the main course, too, for that matter.
Consider this: a few months ago, Saddam
Hussein was hanged for killing 148 Iraqis who had plotted to kill him back in July 1983. A heinous crime for sure, but what was the U.S. response when the crime actually took place? A few months after the slaughter, Donald Rumsfeld was in Baghdad, presenting Saddam with a set of golden spurs from Ronald Reagan. After that, the U.S. established diplomatic relations with Iraq and started selling it helicopters, toxic chemicals and pathogens.
These are the same helicopters Saddam used to gas the Kurds in his own country and the Iranians, with the aid of satellite photos supplied by the United States.
Now the U.S. is getting ready to invade Iran. The motive? You guessed it: weapons of mass
destruction.
The U.S. says Iran is developing an atomic bomb. But 30 years ago. the U.S. was working on a plan to build a nuclear industry in Iran, including giving it control over large quantities of plutonium and enriched uranium -- the means to develop a nuclear bomb.
That was, of course, back when the Shah was in control in Iran. He was another human rights
violator who came to power when the U.S. backed a coup to overthrow the democratic Mossadegh government.
The hypocrisy goes on. Back in 2003, Iran made a proposal intended to resolve the differences
between the U.S. and Iran. In it, Iran agreed to abide by United Nations nuclear safeguards. The Bush administration refused it.
A year later, the European Union and Iran reached an agreement. Iran agreed to suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for assurances that the U.S. and Israel would not attack Iran.
Under U.S. pressure, Europe backed down and Iran renewed uranium enrichment.
Again in 2003, Mohamed El-Baradei, head of the International Atomic Agency, proposed that all production and processing of weapons-usable material be under international control. To date,only one country has agreed. You guessed it, Iran.
Now we are on the brink of World War III and it doesn't seem to be an issue with any of the
political parties in Ottawa or with the Canadian public, for that matter.
One thing for sure: if we have another world war, it will be our last.
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