No US/Israeli War on Iran!

Posted by admin on March 25, 2012 under Antiwar, CCDS Today, Iran, Militarism | Be the First to Comment

 

Statement of the National Coordinating Committee of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, March 24, 2012

March 20, 2012 marks nine years since the US invasion of Iraq. US troops have left that country but thousands of State Department security personnel and military contractors remain. The situation in the Middle East remains tense, dangerous and volatile, with many factors pointing towards greater conflict in Syria, Palestine and elsewhere.

US policy continues to be driven by those seeking to secure oil interests and strategic hegemony in the region. They now aim at regime change in Iran, a regional power and the world’s second largest oil exporter.

The loudest voices for war call for a US/Israeli military attack on Iran’s nuclear installations.  Prominent in war agitation are the Israeli government, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), US rightwingers and neocons, and Republican presidential candidates vying with one another to get the most pro-Israel votes.  These hawks argue that a military strike would be quick and limited and set back the alleged Iranian nuclear weapons program, saving Israel from the supposed existential threat. 

Many US (and Israeli) military analysts, however, warn of possible Iranian retaliation widening into a costly and potentially vast regional war — as Iran is a much bigger and resourceful country than Iraq.  Such a war would deal a grievous blow to the peoples concerned, to progressive movements and immediately eliminate any thoughts of cutting the US military budget and funding social programs.

The Obama administration has stated it has no current plans to attack Iran but maintains a posture of threats and intimidation by insisting "all options are on the table." Israel’s intentions are murky; Israel may calculate that a military strike would inevitably draw US support, especially in an election year.  Moreover, the US strategy already in place of tough economic sanctions is causing suffering among the Iranian people and portends possible confrontation ahead. 

Assassination of Iranian scientists and agitation for regime change are acts of war.  A large US naval presence patrolling the Persian Gulf may lead to an unplanned incident that could spiral out of control.  The Iranian leadership may over-react to these numerous provocations.  Thus there is a very real danger of US involvement in another major Middle Eastern war even if the Obama administration would like to avoid it.

CCDS calls for dialogue and diplomacy to settle international problems: not war or sanctions against Iran; and US military aid to Israel should end.  The UN-approved nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East points the way to security for all nations.  In such a zone, no country, including Israel, could possess nuclear weapons and the US would not be allowed to bring such weapons into the region on naval forces.  Every Middle East country except Israel favors a nuclear free zone.  CCDS calls upon its members and friends to support this initiative and the UFPJ pledge of resistance to stop a war on Iran, see www.unitedforpeace.org

[Special thanks to Duncan McFarland and our CCDS Peace and Solidarity Committee for working on this.]