“The possession of nuclear weapons by any state is a constant stimulus to other states to acquire them.”

Canberra Commission

After the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iran remains the strongest regional powerhouse. Thus the Bush administration has started the same 'weapons and terrorist' game with Iran, in its attempt to enforce chaos, ‘regime change’ and destruction there.

From a historical perspective, American attempts to influence events in Tehran are no different from the past policies of great powers that viewed Iran as a strategic asset and a valuable prize for their imperial ambitions. In turn, Iran's current self-assertiveness stems from its threat perceptions involving an increasingly belligerent, nuclear-armed Israel and the heavy-handed presence of the US in its proximity. Once again, Iran finds itself in the eye of the storm.

The current ‘international coalition against terror’ is a largely cabal of the richest countries in the world. Between them, they manufacture and sell almost all of the world's weapons; they possess the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction - chemical, biological and nuclear. They have fought the most wars, account for most of the genocide, subjection, ethnic cleansing and human rights violations in modern history, and have sponsored, armed and financed untold numbers of dictators and despots. Between them, they have worshipped, almost deified, the cult of violence and war.

It was reported many years ago that America has devised plans to use nuclear weapons against certain countries. According to a study on Western nuclear policies published by the Berlin Information-center for Transatlantic Security (BITS) and the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), the option to conduct nuclear strikes against "nonstate actors" is contained in the Joint Chief of Staff's 'Doctrine for Joint Theater Nuclear Operations' (http://www.bits.de/public/pressreleases/pr170898.htm). This 1996 document states that "nonstate actors", which are in possession of weapons of mass destruction and their "facilities and operations centers" are "likely targets" for the use of nuclear weapons. Under Bush's command, the US military is expected to expand the use of nuclear weapons in future wars, according to press reports which have been confirmed by the Pentagon and White House.

The Los Angeles Times (March 9, 2002) outlined the Bush Plan, which “calls for the potential use of nuclear weapons against at least seven nations, including China, Russia, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Libya and Syria; says nuclear weapons could be used in a number of situations, including in the event of surprising military developments; suggests that the US may use nuclear weapons in a Middle East conflict or in a conflict between China and Taiwan; and articulates plans to build smaller nuclear weapons for use in certain battlefield situations.”

The Sunday Herald (Scotland) http://www.sundayherald.com/32522 on 30 March 2003 reported that “British and American coalition forces are using depleted uranium (DU) shells in the war against Iraq and deliberately flouting a United Nations resolution which classifies the munitions as illegal weapons of mass destruction.”

DU has been blamed for the effects of Gulf war syndrome – typified by chronic muscle and joint pain, fatigue and memory loss among 200,000 US soldiers – after the 1991 conflict. It is also cited as the most likely cause of the 'increased number of birth deformities and cancer in Iraq' following the first Gulf war.

Note that since 1945, the US has spent more than $5 trillion on nuclear weapons, and together with Israel, as revealed by a BBC documentary "Israel's secret weapon", continues to develop newer, deadlier munitions. Those countries which possess nuclear weapons today include America, Britain, France, China, Israel, India, and Pakistan.

Given the flagrant double standards that continue to be applied in the Middle East, one has to ask the following logical questions: Why should Israel's identity as a "Jewish state" be affirmed and reaffirmed by every American official who visits the region, whereas the Islamic character of Iran's government is repudiated and vilified on every occasion? Why should Israel's nuclear warheads not stir up worldwide anxiety, whereas Iran's nuclear ambitions are a cause of great concern among Western capitals?

Perhaps US leaders see themselves as priests of a divine mission to rid the world of its demons. The American administration is embedded with men who believe in the unilateral use of America's military power, unrestrained by the United Nations or international law, to subdue or threaten all those who put up any resistance to Israel.

For many years now, Palestinians have been aspiring to establish a Palestinian state on the territories occupied by Israel since 1948. Despite the declaration of a unilateral Palestinian ceasefire with Israel, and the frequent meetings between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, the "road map" for peace is in serious trouble. As the Bush administration does nothing to check Israel - and simultaneously piles pressure on the deeply unpopular Mr Abbas, whose appointment as Palestinian prime minister it engineered - it is only a matter of time before the situation explodes in a new and sustained round of violence.

Mr. Bush either doesn't understand or doesn't care how America's hypocritical foreign policy behavior is fuelling anti-American rage throughout the world. We must confront the reality that the world cannot enjoy peace, democracy and security until America and its lackeys freeze their own production of nuclear weapons and stop their aggressive military invasions.

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