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The central battlefield in the global resource war
By Mike Whitney
03/17/06 "ICH"
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It’s impossible to understand the goals of the Bush administration
without looking at a map. The entire Middle East and Central Asia is
referred to in military parlance as CENTCOM; the central battlefield
in the global resource war. This region extends from Sudan in the
south to Kazakhstan to the north; from Egypt in the west to Pakistan
in the east. This is where the vast majority of the world’s
remaining resources lie and it will continue to be the primary area
of focus for American foreign policy throughout the century.
Once we observe the sharp black outline of America’s newest
battlefield, the illusions of the “war on terror” are quickly
dispelled. This is the geographic reality of the present conflict.
The war on terror is merely public relations fluff.
A careful look at the region illustrates the crucial importance of
integrating Iran into the overall plan. American industry must
dominate this area if it hopes to maintain its edge on competitors
in China and Europe. Iran and Syria are the unfortunate obstacles to
that plan. Most of the other countries are either clients of the
United States or are willing to comply without major resistance.
Sudan may be the exception to this rule, but a strategy is already
materializing (pushed by Ambassador John Bolton) at the UN to send
in “Peacekeepers” who will carry out Washington’s orders. This will
place Sudan’s oil and natural gas reserves under western control and
divide the resources among the former colonial powers. Those who
believe that “humanitarian intervention” in Sudan will reduce the
suffering of the people in Darfur are sadly mistaken. We only need
to look at the “liberation” of Iraq or the “Marshall Plan” in
Afghanistan to realize that no attempt will be made to establish
security in the hinterland. “Humanitarian intervention” is a tragic
ruse invoked to disguise aggression and exploitation. We should not
expect genuine aid from the international community or the many
“lofty-sounding” institutions (World Bank, International Monetary
Fund) that advance the exclusive interests of private industry.
The Bush master-plan cannot fully succeed without affecting regime
change in Tehran and integrating Iran into the schema for regional
domination. Iran has nearly 10% of the world’s remaining oil as well
as natural gas reserves that are second only to Russia’s. Iran
occupies an area that is critical to future pipeline routes that
will link East to West; feeding the new giants of energy consumption
in China and India. The Bush administration has no intention of
allowing that wealth and power to fall into the hands of the
Mullahs.
The present standoff over Iran’s imaginary nuclear weapons-programs
is merely a device for Washington to demonize Iran before taking
military action. As IAEA Chief Mohammad ElBaradei has said
repeatedly, there is “no evidence of a nuclear weapons program or
the diversion of nuclear weapons material”. Nevertheless, the
administration has skillfully manipulated public opinion by
providing a steady stream of misleading accusations which has
weakened resistance for another war. The UN has played a vital role
in this charade by fostering the belief that there is great
uncertainty about Iran’s nuclear activities, when in fact there is
not.
The astonishing success of commercial media in co-opting public
opinion for Washington’s wars of aggression has exceeded all
expectations. On any day, it is possible to find between 500 to
2,500 articles written on the topic of Iran (from different sources
Reuters, AP, NY Times, Washington Post, ABC etc) written from the
very same perspective, invoking the same talking points, language,
buzz-words and quotes, and creating the same impression that Iran is
in “noncompliance” with its treaty obligations. Without question,
the corporate propaganda system is the most impressive weapon in the
Pentagon’s arsenal. It’s clear that the administration would be
incapable of pursuing its current war-strategy without the combined
efforts of the corporate media.
An attack on Iran involves great risk and there is the real prospect
that escalation might lead to nuclear war. As the increasingly
inflammatory rhetoric indicates, however, the plan is going forward
and will not be derailed by the reluctance of Congress, the
thousands of protestors on the streets, or the ineffective braying
at United Nations.
Those who dismiss the likelihood of an attack on Iran as “madness”,
fail to appreciate the true nature of fanaticism. The Bush
administration is less guided by reason than it is by moral
rectitude; neither plays any role in their decision-making process.
The bombing of Iran could take place some time as early as in the
next two weeks or, as Condoleezza Rice likes to say, “At a time of
our choosing.”
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