VIPS to Trump:  Intel on Iran Could be CATASTROPHIC

As drums beat again for war — this time on Iran—-the VIPS’ warning is again being disregarded as it was before the Iraq debacle and this time VIPS fear the consequences will be all-caps CATASTROPHIC. 


August 1, 2018


MEMORANDUM FOR: The President

FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)

SUBJECT: 
Intelligence on Iran Fails the Smell Test

Mr. President:

As the George W. Bush administration revved up to attack Iraq 15 years ago, we could see no compelling reason for war.  We decided, though, to give President Bush the benefit of the doubt on the chance he had been sandbagged by Vice President Dick Cheney and others.  We chose to allow for the possibility that he actually believed the “intelligence” that Colin Powell presented to the UN as providing “irrefutable and undeniable” proof of WMD in Iraq and a “sinister nexus” between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda.

To us in VIPS it was clear, however, that the “intelligence” Powell adduced was bogus.  Thus, that same afternoon (Feb. 5, 2003) we prepared and sent to President Bush a Memorandum like this one, urging him to seek counsel beyond the “circle of those advisers clearly bent on a war for which we see no compelling reason and from which we believe the unintended consequences are likely to be catastrophic.”

We take no satisfaction at having been correct — though disregarded — in predicting the political and humanitarian disaster in Iraq. Most Americans have been told the intelligence was “mistaken.” It was not; it was out-and-out fraud, in which, sadly, some of our former colleagues took part.

Five years after Powell’s speech, the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee minced few words in announcing the main bipartisan finding of a five-year investigation. He said:  “In making the case for war, the Administration repeatedly presented intelligence as fact when in reality it was unsubstantiated, contradicted, or even non-existent.  As a result, the American people were led to believe that the threat from Iraq was much greater than actually existed.”

Iran Now in Gunsight

As drums beat again for a military attack — this time on Iran, we Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity and other experienced, objective analysts are, by all appearances, being disregarded again.  And, this time, we fear the consequences will be all-caps CATASTROPHIC — in comparison with the catastrophe of Iraq.

In memoranda to you over the past year and a half we have pointed out that (1) Iran’s current support for international terrorism is far short of what it was decades ago; and (2) that you are being played by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims about Iran: they are based on intelligence exposed as fraudulent several years ago.  Tellingly, Netanyahu waited for your new national security adviser to be in place for three weeks before performing his April 30 slide show alleging that Iran has a covert nuclear weapons program.  On the chance that our analysis of Netanyahu’s show-and-tell failed to reach you, please know that the Israeli prime minister was recycling information from proven forgeries, which we reported in a Memorandum to you early last spring.

If our Memorandum of May 7 fell through some cracks in the West Wing, here are its main findings:

The evidence displayed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 30 in what he called his “Iranian atomic archive” showed blatant signs of fabrication. That evidence is linked to documents presented by the Bush Administration more than a decade earlier as “proof” of a covert Iran nuclear weapons program. Those documents were clearly fabricated, as well.

In our May 7, 2018 Memorandum we also asserted: “We can prove that the actual documents originally came not from Iran but from Israel. Moreover, the documents were never authenticated by the CIA or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

Iran: Almost Targeted in 2008

There was a close brush with war with Iran a decade ago.  Bush and Cheney, in close consultation with Israel, were planning to attack Iran in 2008, their last year in office.  Fortunately, an honest National Intelligence Estimate of November 2007 concluded that Iran had stopped working on a nuclear weapon in 2003, and that key judgment was made public.  Abruptly, that NIE stuck an iron rod into the wheels of the juggernaut then speeding downhill to war.

The key judgment that Iran had stopped work on a nuclear weapon was the result of the painstakingly deliberative process that was customarily used, back in the day, to produce an NIE. After that process — which took a full year —  the Nov. 2007 NIE was was approved unanimously by all U.S. intelligence agencies.

(In other words, it was decidedly NOT a rump “assessment” like the one cobbled together in a couple of weeks by “handpicked” analysts from three selected, agenda-laden agencies regarding Russian meddling. We refer, of course, to the evidence-impoverished and deceptively labeled “Intelligence Community Assessment” that the directors of the FBI, CIA, and NSA gave you on January 6, 2017. The Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department intelligence bureau were among the other 13 agencies excluded from that “Intelligence Community Assessment.”)

As for the Bush/Cheney plans for attacking Iran in 2008, President George W. Bush, in his autobiography, Decision Points, recorded his chagrin at what he called the NIE’s “eye-popping” intelligence finding debunking the conventional wisdom that Iran was on the verge of getting a nuclear weapon.  Bush added plaintively, “How could I possibly explain using the military to destroy the nuclear facilities of a country the intelligence community said had no active nuclear weapons program?”

Mr. President, we do not know whether a fresh National Intelligence Estimate has been produced on Iran and nuclear weapons — or, if one has been produced, whether it is as honest as the NIE of Nov. 2007, which helped prevent the launch of another unnecessary war the following year.  We stand on our record.  In sum, if you believe that there is credible evidence that Iran has an active secret nuclear weapons program, we believe you have been misled.  And if you base decisions on misleading “intelligence” on Iran, the inevitable result will be a great deal worse than the Bush/Cheney debacle in Iraq.

For the Steering Group

Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

William Binney, former NSA Technical Director for World Geopolitical & Military Analysis; Co-founder of NSA’s Signals Intelligence Automation Research Center (ret.)

Sen. Richard H. Black, 13th District of Virginia; Colonel US Army (ret.); former Chief, Criminal Law Division, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Pentagon (associate VIPS)

Marshal Carter-Tripp, Foreign Service Officer (ret.) and Division Director, State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research

Kathleen Christison, Senior Analyst on Middle East, CIA (ret.)

Bogdan Dzakovic, former Team Leader of Federal Air Marshals and Red Team, FAA Security (ret.) (associate VIPS)

Philip Giraldi, CIA, Operations Officer (ret.)

Larry C. Johnson, former CIA and State Department Counter-terrorism officer

Michael S. Kearns, Captain, USAF (ret.); Wing Commander, RAAF (ret.); Intelligence Officer & ex-Master SERE Instructor

Linda Lewis, WMD preparedness policy analyst, USDA (ret.) (associate VIPS)

Edward Loomis, NSA Cryptologic Computer Scientist (ret.)

David MacMichael, Capt., USMC (ret.); former Senior Estimates Officer, National Intelligence Council

Ray McGovern, former US Army Infantry/Intelligence Officer & CIA analyst; CIA Presidential briefer (ret.)

Elizabeth Murray, former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East, National Intelligence Council & CIA political analyst (ret.)

Todd E. Pierce, MAJ, US Army Judge Advocate (ret.)

Scott Ritter, former MAJ., USMC; former UN Weapons Inspector, Iraq

Coleen Rowley, FBI Special Agent and former Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel (ret.)

Sarah G. Wilton, Intelligence Officer, DIA (ret.); Commander, US Naval Reserve (ret.)

Robert Wing, former Foreign Service Officer (associate VIPS)

Ann Wright, Colonel, US Army (ret.); Foreign Service Officer (resigned in opposition to the war on Iraq)

174 comments for “VIPS to Trump:  Intel on Iran Could be CATASTROPHIC

  1. Alvin
    August 14, 2018 at 06:23

    Iran is a hard target, unlike Iraq was. The Israeli lobby will have a tough time selling this one. Iraq exposed the globalist agenda as Americans that thought cheap oil would be the result of incursion were cruelly shocked to see that we are just as exploited as any other colony. And with the sissy military of the post Obama era, where even the borders can’t be secured, it’s inconceivable to invade Mexico let alone Iran. Still, Defense contracts are lucrative and all the taxpayer needs to buy is the sizzle, so while I”m sure that many contracts will be let out, no former Infantrymen can imagine an actual campaign

  2. August 8, 2018 at 17:52

    How can you publicize your concerns, to hopefully enlighten the American people?

    • August 9, 2018 at 17:29

      Thanks Margaret. This IS THE PROBLEM. I have been talking about the Military-Industrial-Congressional-Intelligence-MEDIA (MICIM) complex. The MEDIA part has grown exponentially in recent years. I cannot shake the thought that our inability to come up with imaginative ways to break into Establishment media is “not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

      Gosh. How many very imaginative folks do we have sharing thoughts right here in our Comments section.

      HERE’S A GIANT “SOS.”

      Ray

  3. anastasia
    August 6, 2018 at 11:37

    Bolton and his gang are squealing like pigs about the sanctions, their effect on Iran’s economy, and “protests” in Iran. They are all gearing up for war.

  4. August 5, 2018 at 15:34

    Article of interest below.
    —————————————————-
    AngloZionist Attack Options Against Iran
    THE SAKER • AUGUST 3,
    http://www.unz.com/tsaker/anglozionist-attack-options-against-iran/

    • backwardsevolution
      August 5, 2018 at 18:41

      Stephen J. – great article, full of important information. Thanks for posting.

  5. Anonymot
    August 5, 2018 at 09:56

    It’s encouraging that there are people who have made 160 intelligent comments on an excellent article. It is discouraging that there are only Enough people to make 160 intelligent comments on an excellent and important article while there are thousands of Hillary Hystericals who throw standard answers at standard sop in the NYT and other MSM media forms.

    I often wonder what was really going through the mind of the band leader who played on as the Titanic slowly filled with bilge. But there’s still ink in my baton.

    Thank you all for playing on. I’d love to give more, but my little business filled with the banking bilge of the 2008 compartiment.

  6. August 5, 2018 at 09:53

    Thank you, Mr. McGovern for this article. I am a researcher in theoretical physics and have over thirty-five years rewritten some of what we do in the body of physics. To do so, however, required moving through many steps, or gestalts. Being polite never helped anyone in embracing these changes. One of the changes for example, is that acceleration does not exist. Pieces of discrete or single velocity sections of movement, come together in a way that we see ever increasing changes or what we see as acceleration. No one will ever understand or feel this. No. We build a body of understanding surrounding the issue.

    This country is forever grateful for your work to stand up against disinformation. Your actions like some in our great histories perhaps, are never easy. And, when it is time to exercise such independent thought, we never know it. We never fully realize just what impact we are having. And yet we may. Our pushback is a clue to our importance.

    Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your efforts.
    Sincerely,
    Mark

  7. August 4, 2018 at 17:20

    excellent,very true,thank you for honest view.

  8. Tim
    August 4, 2018 at 08:01

    The sections near the introduction about narrative theories, and Phase 3 portion, pasted below, are important:

    The concerning part is that in the research they are using (TMS) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to try to change (disrupt) test subjects narrative, perception about the way they view things. This could likely mean that they will be able to use TMS conveyed by a signal/wave form attuned to the brain in larger populations — such as in the Middle East or wherever else there are terrorists. The same technology could be used against dissidents whom the the State does not like anywhere or at home.

    “In Phase 3, we will selectively alter aspects of narrative structure and brain functioning
    via Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to induce or disrupt selective features of narrative
    processing, to provide the strongest possible inferences about the operation of the Narrative
    Comprehension Network. Nodes selected will be those that (a) can be accessed and safely
    manipulated via TMS, and (b) occupy the most critical positions in the network, and (c) are
    associated with the strongest effects in Phases I and II. This will help establish causal effects of
    the network identified.
    Overall, this research program will provide important insights into the emergence or support
    of political violence and help clarify the role of strategic communication in mitigating it
    (addressing TA 1 Sub-goal Two, to determine how narratives influence political violence). We
    will accomplish these goals by integrating insights from a number of disciplines represented by
    our research team.”

  9. Steve
    August 3, 2018 at 21:25

    What is striking is the lack intelligent understanding of war’s function in diplomacy, which is of last resort, after all measured diplomatic efforts have been exhausted. Impatience has no place in reasonable negotiation, nor does intractable posturing, because nobody is 100% correct, EVER.

    • IsThatAllThereIs
      August 4, 2018 at 16:33

      “What is striking is the lack intelligent understanding of war’s function in diplomacy, which is of last resort”

      Framing conditions output.

      Alternative framing includes but is not limited to:

      Why is “war” in its various forms apparently the first resort of some?

      All assumptions including subsumed assumptions are always strategic weaknesses.

  10. August 3, 2018 at 21:03

    Oh, and Dave, i did see Anderson Cooper interview of Max Boot and Prof. Stephen Cohen, and everybody should watch that (you posted). Cohen “booted” both of them, and that was posted on a number of websites. Cooper and Boot tried to gang up on Steve Cohen but he gave it to them, quite the whammy since he speaks Russian, has lived in Russia and is a prof emeritus of Russian studies! Cooper had to gulp “Well, we’ll have to leave it at that.” i laughed.

    • Skip Scott
      August 4, 2018 at 08:17

      Cohen obviously won the debate for anyone who isn’t completely sheep-dipped in MSM propaganda and is thereby immune to rational argument. Max Boot and Anderson Cooper are shameless shills for empire. They are pure evil. You can especially see it in Max Boot’s eyes.

  11. August 3, 2018 at 19:57

    Yes, absolutely, Dave and Back, your comments so good, and Stephen’s “Message from the Bunker” scary satire such great food for thought. It’s unfortunate too few Americans know what the US has done to Iran and can therefore be played by arrogant ignoramuses like Pompeo, very simplistic but in a position of power. And of course, down the road imperial hubris can change power centers depending on the rise and fall of history.

    At this point, seems to me the Asian way of negotiating that Xi shows is based on many centuries of totally different philosophy from Western thinking. Dave brought up the greatest point, that The Enlightment is dead, if I read it right. All that matters now is power and money. But Putin and Russians are in resurgence of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Xi comes from Chinese Communism mixed with state capitalism, and US plus other Five Eyes nations are ruled by corporate power.

    Mixed in with all this that i rarely see considered is that we are biological organisms on a finite planet that right now is undergoing some massive changes. We are having major weather events, drought, fires, floods, sinkholes, etc, many events catastrophic for the local victims. The climate change meme misses the massive impact, much even unknown, of the Sun, driver of our entire planet. Politicians, economists, all these Beltway bubble folks are focused solely on politics (and war) while we have not only social breakdown but major, major ecological challenges to deal with. Fukushima is not even discussed, unbelievable.

    I believe we are truly in uncharted waters and we must stop the arrogant and ignorant neocons who would lead us to disaster if they aren’t brought to heel. I don’t think this time, though, the rest of the world will say “Yessir” like they did in the catastrophic invasion of Iraq. I am meditating on other nations stopping the Axis of Evil, now the USA–Saudi Arabia–Israel. We will all have to help push Sisyphus’ rock up the steep hill for Peace. Thank goodness for the sanity of Senator Rand Paul, who is going to Russia for a diplomatic discussion.

    • backwardsevolution
      August 3, 2018 at 23:38

      Jessika – good post. Fukushima – yes, we don’t even hear about that anymore, but it’s still an ongoing disaster. If you were to try to meditate on all of these serious crises, we’d probably never hear from you again – they’re endless! But good on you for doing it, anyway.

      Re the finite planet: yes, this is what I worry about. This One Belt Road would certainly open up the whole of the Middle East, China, the rest of South Asia, India, Pakistan, Africa. Africa’s population alone is expected to reach 4 billion – yes, that’s 4 billion – by the year 2100. That’s just Africa. I can’t imagine India and the rest of the countries mentioned.

      If they all are brought up to our standard of living, well, there won’t be a stick of grass or a four-leaf clover left on the planet. And what’s it going to do to the world temperature?

      We are playing with fire here. One side wants to use their military to start wars and possibly end all life. The other side wants to build a road, for what I don’t know – so we can all have a few more trinkets? Where is this all going?

      The way I look at it is that the rest of the world shouldn’t be trying to emulate us because we’re not so great; we are ruining the planet. And the whole world should be reducing their population, not increasing it. It’s just like being in a crowded elevator – the heat goes up!

      • Skip Scott
        August 4, 2018 at 08:25

        One of the great ironies is that the poorest countries are generally the ones with the fastest growing populations. And our style of capitalism is unsustainable since it is predicated on endless growth on a finite planet. That said, I think we stand a better chance at survival by making the more moral choice for peace and cooperation. As human consciousness expands, so do our possibilities; and the first step to expanding human consciousness is to work for peace.

  12. August 3, 2018 at 17:23

    Stephen, that “Message from the Bunker” ought to go to Trump –also, please send it to Zero Hedge as they have many readers, and send it to Michel Chossudovsky at Global Research, Justin Raimondo at Antiwar.com, Glen Ford and Bruce Dixon at Black Agenda Report, Paul Craig Roberts. Just some i thought might circulate it. Please do that, needs to get out widely circulated.

  13. August 3, 2018 at 15:53

    Perhaps this might come true!
    ——————————————————–
    February 25, 2012
    An Imaginary Message from the Bunker

    “It would be our policy to use nuclear weapons wherever we felt it necessary to protect our forces and achieve our objectives.”
    Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Testimony to House Appropriations Committee, 1961

    Hello out there. How are you all doing after the Big Blast? Well I hope! This message is from your Leader and other world leaders protecting your freedom. The latest news from our satellites and the space platform is not good. It appears there are huge fires all over the earth. Numerous cities have been destroyed and the oceans are boiling hot. Nuclear war has its consequences. Anyway not to worry, as far as we can gather from our intelligence info the enemy has been destroyed and freedom still reigns supreme.

    Unfortunately millions upon millions are dead others who survived are contaminated and will die eventually. Here in the bunker we are in constant contact with the space platform who tells us what they see. Meantime, say a prayer for those on the space platform they are totally prisoners up there in the sky, because there is no way we can bring them back at this time. Our infrastructure for doing that has been destroyed. They are now heroes in space destined to be up there forever, a monument to man’s insanity, oops I mean bravery. Talking about bravery, any of you still alive out there in the contaminated earth, pat yourselves on the back for standing tall for freedom and democracy. You are the salt of the earth amongst its ashes.

    Some of you still alive are perhaps wondering how we pass our time in the bunker. We have it fitted out just like home. We have a huge selection of movies, plenty of food and our chefs to cook it. It’s not exactly a blast down here, but we survive. But hey, that nuclear blast was bright and immensely powerful and set off a huge chain reaction around the planet. Thank goodness we were in the bunker. The really important people are here in the bunker. These are ones whose expertise will be needed to put it all back together when we can safely venture outside into the world once more. We also have a psychiatrist with us down here in case any mental disorders occur. We try to think of everything in this little world of ours.

    Did I tell you we have been in contact with other leaders in other bunkers,’ some have reported in, but from others sadly nothing. Perhaps, they never survived. Oh well, there had to be some collateral damage. We will have a minutes silence for those leaders who never made it. But hey, that’s what leaders are for. Captains go down with their ships and some leaders go down in their bunkers. Does that make sense? Anyway, I’m sure you know what I mean.

    Meantime, I ask all you people still alive and terribly burned and contaminated not to lose hope. Everything happens for a reason, and there is no greater reason in this world than saving democracy. Without democracy there is nothing worth living for and that is why I hit the send button. Watching it all here in the bunker on our closed circuit TV was missile heaven. I have never seen so many missiles flying across the sky. It was a heart warming display of man’s ingenuity. I have to admit watching all those missiles of freedom blast off was a proud moment. The bunker was a madhouse for a moment. Everybody cheered, and applauded some gave high fives, punched the air and shouted “yes.” Though one lone voice was heard to say, “What have we done?” There is always a doubter amongst the enthusiastic! Still, we know the system worked well. And we gave the enemy hell. We won the battle for freedom and that is surely what counts. I’ll close for now, have a nice day, if you can, keep the faith, don’t worry and remember your leader is here in the bunker and in control.
    https://graysinfo.blogspot.com/2012/02/imaginary-message-from-bunker.html

    • backwardsevolution
      August 3, 2018 at 16:35

      Stephen J. – that was excellent!!!!!

      “Though one lone voice was heard to say, ‘What have we done?’ There is always a doubter amongst the enthusiastic!”

      Priceless, and considering the psychos who are running things, probably pretty accurate too. Thanks, Stephen.

    • Abbybwood
      August 3, 2018 at 21:50

      I have two words for the “survivors”:

      Nuclear winter.

  14. Waterbuffalo
    August 3, 2018 at 00:48

    Thank God there are still a few rational, sane people left in Washington.
    I had given up hope!

  15. Tim
    August 2, 2018 at 23:01

    I don’t mean to complain, but I just posted another comment about this article and it was on topic, not derisive, and was supportive, but I think it was deleted. I wish I at least knew why, because I’ve seen extremely rude comments that are not substantive, not on topic remain.

    My comments were in regard to F.G. and Sanford’s comments which I think are excellent! The other comment was of a document related to the study of narratives (beliefs people’s beliefs, myths, religion) and how the military and Intel have studied narratives extensively. I then went onto give the name of the document (which was taken down off the net as it was posted by a whistleblower): Source of my info:”156562352-Toward-Narrative-Disruptors-and-Inductors-Mapping-the-Narrative-Comprehension-Network-and-its-Persuasive-Effectsas we should give our sources: It has a bearing on how the MIC control information by trying to change people’s narrative so they will be obedient and follow the Ruler’s game plan. I really think folks here would do well to study it so they know what’s coming.

    • J. Decker
      August 3, 2018 at 00:38

      Yikes Tim!
      128 page document….come on…speaking for myself I don’t have the spare time to go through this to find what you are referencing. Sorry.

      Jack

    • Skip Scott
      August 3, 2018 at 08:08

      Tim-

      I have had some glitches posting here as well. Don’t take it personally. When you make a lengthy comment, use the “copy” function before posting, in case the comment doesn’t go through. Then you won’t have to retype the whole thing, and you can just try reposting it. If you get a comment saying it is “awaiting moderation”, that is different. Then I just hold off. Sometimes it takes as long as most of a day, but then it will finally appear, unless it violates CN’s comment policy.

      BTW thanks for the reference. Very informative.

      • Tim
        August 3, 2018 at 10:07

        Skip Scott:

        Thanks for the advice! Yes, I need to be more patient.

  16. Rong Cao
    August 2, 2018 at 22:28

    The war with Iran will be the last war the US would fight in the Middle East. The US does not even care whether it would win this war, because it would not given its performance in Afghanistan and Iraq. The main purpose is to destabilize Iran and impose a regime change that will form a new government that will be friendly to Israel. And along this process, the military-industrial complex together with the Wall Street bankers that hold those stocks will make a killing.

    After this long war with Iran, the American Empire will become history, which is a good thing for Russia which it has imposed many sanctions and China which it has started the trade wars. So we can see the US foreign policies are riddled with unbelievable contradictions.

    • Dunderhead
      August 3, 2018 at 19:44

      I think there were maybe heading toward an end game on that in regards to China and Russia

  17. August 2, 2018 at 21:58

    Stephen J, your poem is excellent, again!

    Too many really good posts here, but since Elaine Sandchaz addressed me (in triplicate, no less, very lecturing mode), I’ll address you in return. Firstly, what’s this business about people no longer concerned about ‘sky gods’? The USA contingent of evangelical Christians are dedicated to a ‘sky god’ and many are big supporters of Israel. And as for your point about Russia and China not supporting Iran, what is the basis for your expert opinion? China is intent on its Belt-and-Road Initiative to link business centers all the way from Asia through the Middle East and on to Africa, and Russia is an ally especially through the BRICS group. Both countries know Iran is strategically located, both countries know the US will oppose their plans any way possible.

    It’s a new chapter postscript to Zbigniew Brezinzski’s “Grand Chessboard” since he exited last year; his thesis was “Who controls Eurasia controls the world”. I was reading Asia Times online a couple weeks ago, and an author wrote: “The business of China is business. The business of the US is war.”

    • Dave P.
      August 3, 2018 at 15:42

      Jessika, your comments are well informed. Persian civilization is three thousand years old. I don’t like those Ayatollahs either who are in charge there now. But their rise is because of what U.S. and U.K. did in overthrowing democratically elected prime minister in 1953 and installing Shah there.

      I think Russians and Chinese don’t like Ayatollahs and their Philosophy. However Iran is Russia’s neighbor and a buffer for their own safety. Considering its vulnerabilities, the current government is the best Iran can have right now. At least it has some kind of democracy, the only one in the Middle East. Give them some time. Iranians are western oriented people. I am certain if West had adopted different policies towards Iran, by this time there would have been more changes in Iran, away from theocracy. Being an ancient civilization with 80 million people now, Iran can never again be a vassal state of The West.

      With a history of five centuries of plunder of the Countries all over the Globe, The West can not act otherwise. Its objective still remains complete domination of the World. Of course, in this conflict with Iran, the West’s objective is to surround Russia and China too. And I don’t see any hope for peace in the World.

      Trump is just playing the game to save his own neck. These NeoCons in the Government, in Congress, in Think Tanks, and elsewhere in Media and Academia are literally insane people. May be you have already watched it but I will post the links to these two talk show hosts Carl Tuckerson with NeoCons Max Boot, and Colonel Ralph Peters; and Anderson Cooper with Max Boot and Professor Steven Cohen.

      Here is the link to the videos:

      This video is Anderson cooper with Max Boot and Professor Steve Cohen few days ago.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RToPP-n6YU

      The following video is Tucker Carlson with Colonel Ralph Peters, CNN Analyst and Max Boot.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HjVipLZYns

      The NeoCons like Max boot have dual citizenship, have never sent their sons to fight in these endless wars in Middle East and beyond, the wars which they have sponsored. They are enemies of peace in this World. These are the people who are the real problem in this country and in the World.

      Zbigniew Brezinzski’s also belonged to this group of NeoCon types.

      • backwardsevolution
        August 3, 2018 at 17:12

        Dave P. – good post. “Persian civilization is three thousand years old. I don’t like those Ayatollahs either who are in charge there now. But their rise is because of what U.S. and U.K. did in overthrowing democratically elected prime minister in 1953 and installing Shah there.”

        Yes, and they’re trying to incite another overthrow of the Iranian government by double-crossing the more moderate leader, President Hussan Rouhani, with the ripping up of the nuclear agreement. This is getting the religious leaders all stirred up, and the sanctions are crippling the country, causing inflation and currency devaluation. Probably some U.S. NGO’s in there stirring stuff up too.

        If the West is not allowed to control and loot your country, you will pay! Just look at the sanctions, frozen assets and other measures that have been leveled against Iran for decades now. It’s even got its own Wiki page:

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanctions_against_Iran

        I think the West is hoping that the religious fanatics again seize control of the country because this will then give them an excuse for going in.

        • Dave P.
          August 3, 2018 at 19:03

          Ultimately these sanctions are going to affect The West too. I don’t think there is going to be any War with Iran. If they start it foolishly, there are going to be fifteen to twenty million refugees from Iran and neighboring countries running towards Europe. Sanctions are going to have the same effect. The West has effectively impeded Iran’s economic progress for four decades now. And the population of Iran has more than doubled during this time. Young people with no jobs are like a volcano; it will erupt one day, and Europe has to be prepared for that.

          U.S. has Global Empire now. But the Empires have their own logic, Empires have subjects, and it has porous or no frontiers. So forget about the Cultures and Civilizations in The West now. Why don’t the politicians explain to the people in plain language all this.

          It is amazing to note that Thomas Paine’s “Age of Reason” and other books like those were written more than two centuries ago and disseminated here. And here we are now; the age of Reason in The West is over. When you watch senators like Lindsey Graham, and Mark Warner in committee hearings or on Talk Shows, I wonder about the the sanity of these people. The politicians in Europe are not much better either. And with all this Russian Hysteria whipped up in the Country for a long time now, they have messed up the minds of most of the population. And it is not over yet.

          I liked that funny video of Candace Owens about Sovieta Rx pill, it is hilarious. It has been posted before, but I will post it again.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7M4y8jEn_s

          • Dunderhead
            August 3, 2018 at 20:14

            I don’t see Iran getting walked over either, the Russians would no they’d be next and with the new hypersonic Systems if they’re not already online, one would also have to imagine if only for their own safety the Russians will have to sell some version of Vista to the Chinese, I guess if Bill Clinton can sell ICBM technology to the Chinese why can’t Vladimir Putin end game is postponed I guess, thanks for the video it was a laugh.

          • backwardsevolution
            August 3, 2018 at 23:17

            Dave P. – that was a very funny video. Thanks for posting that. We all need a good laugh.

            “Empires have subjects, and it has porous or no frontiers. So forget about the Cultures and Civilizations in The West now. Why don’t the politicians explain to the people in plain language all this.”

            What do you mean by “forget about the cultures and civilizations in the West now”? Do you mean the U.S. is now like the Roman Empire, stretched here, there and everywhere? That Western Civilization is no more?

            What do you mean by “it has porous or no frontiers”? No borders? One-World Government? Barbarians (outsiders) will come in?

            I don’t think there will be a war either, Dave. Unfortunately, sanctions will bring Iran to its knees, given enough time. Same with Russia. Everybody is being pulled back in line, told to stand up straight and at attention. China is being cut off and tariff’d.

          • Dave P.
            August 4, 2018 at 02:43

            backwarsevolution –

            You may have misunderstood me. For most of the humanity on Earth, there is no such thing as barbarians or civilized, now or ever it was. Syrians, Persians, Chinese, Indian subcontinent . . . all these are very ancient civilizations with very smart populations.

            I don’t blame the refugees fleeing to Europe, and to U.S.. The West has created this problem in the first place with all these wars and destabilizing and plundering of those Nations, which still goes on.

            While Trump is making all these noises about immigration, our government and NGO’s are still busy destabilizing the Nations and helping in regime changes in Central and South American Nations which refuse to become vassal states. Trump is surrounded by hostile forces all around him just like Russia is surrounded by NATO bases and troops. He has to keep his base. He knows inside what the problems are but powerless to do anything about it.

            I am for sensible immigration policy. Both Parties, Democrats and Republicans are united in waging all these wars and destabilizing those Nations; they are responsible for creating these problems. The only reason Democrats want all this immigration is for votes and cheap labor to work on the farms, low paid jobs, and for the rich and well off to work in their homes too – it is not that these latte sipping Democrats on East and West Coasts love these people, far from it.

            I don’t think The West is going to succeed in subduing Iran, Russia, and China. U.S. , and Europe too, has too many fractures appearing with in their own societies, which is slowly weakening them.

            Also, I don’t think The West can keep China down forever, try as they might. The Chinese are very hard working and enterprising people. Their phenomenal rise in a couple of decades is unparalleled in human history. The people in their neighborhood in India understand it better.

          • backwardsevolution
            August 4, 2018 at 07:56

            Dave P. – and I think maybe you misunderstood me, and that is my fault. We tend to sometimes lose what we mean when we try to write things down in words. I only used the term “barbarians” to denote “outsiders”, which are the terms you sometimes hear used to describe what happened to the Roman Empire. When you used the word “empire”, that made me think of Rome. It expanded too far and too wide, got greedy, and got diluted by “outsiders” who perhaps did not bear the same allegiance to Rome as the original inhabitants did. Rome gutted and destroyed itself; no one else did it. This is just history repeating again.

            Of course I agree there were many very intelligent empires before the West ever came along; I know that. Yes, the Chinese, Indians, Persians are just as intelligent as the people in the West; I know that too.

            “The Chinese are very hard working and enterprising people. Their phenomenal rise in a couple of decades is unparalleled in human history.” Yes, it is, but my point was that, although the Chinese have worked hard, they would not have done it in a “couple of decades” without immense help from the West and Western technology. Without the West’s help and developing all on their own, it would have taken them many, many decades to do it. It is almost as if they have been chosen to be the next in line. Maybe they were.

            Immigration is fine, but time is also necessary to allow for assimilation, and that’s not what is happening now. Of course the people from Central and South America are lovely people and they love their families just like we do and want the best for them. It is just the “numbers”, Dave.

            Yes, I agree that the West are totally responsible for the refugees flooding into Europe. If the Middle East is built up again, most of these people will return back home. Home is home, after all.

            Our monkeying around in Africa and Central and South America is causing people to migrate too, but here I see something else going on. I see them being prodded, assisted and urged to migrate by the likes of George Soros and other NGO’s. The business community wants cheap labor, and the politicians want future voters. But what is George Soros and people like him up to? I don’t think they’re doing it out of benevolence.

            My worry is that this is being done as a policy by the world’s elites, and they’re using the United Nations to bring it about, as the United Nations now have a program strictly targeting “migration”. It’s something they’re presently pushing hard for, and some say it’s all part of their plan for a “One World Government”. In the past, whenever I heard that term, I always thought it ridiculous, implausible, but now I’m not so sure. THAT is what I wouldn’t want to live under, Dave.

    • backwardsevolution
      August 3, 2018 at 18:49

      Jessika – Elaine is just new and she doesn’t recognize your insightful posts yet. I’d like to think there’d come a day when hate no longer exists, but that would undoubtedly bring problems too. In an “everybody gets a ribbon” world, innovation and self-reliance drop off, or so they say. Balance is key.

      “The business of China is business. The business of the US is war.” That’s a good line. The U.S. used to be all about business too. But we must remember, considering the leaders that float to the top, that if China were to become the top of the heap at some point in the future and push the U.S. aside, their business would most likely be war too. They’d also want to maintain their position. It’s not pretty, but it is what has happened throughout the whole of history. They’d maybe be even less benevolent than the U.S. has been, if that’s possible.

      The smiling faces on the countries that “just want to do business” can turn into angry faces once they get the upper hand. Like anyone with less power, they bow and defer right now, biding their time. I’m not saying they WOULD 100% be like this, but the chances are great they would be just the same, if not worse. History again.

      When the U.S. went into China, the deal was that the elites from both countries would become immensely rich, which is exactly what has happened. The peasants, not so much. China was to provide cheap labor and no environmental controls, but they were not to get too uppity. After all, China would be nowhere still if not for the U.S. telecommunication/military technology that has been given/sold to them by the West. I’m not saying they’re not bright, just that it would have taken them decades to get up to speed if the West hadn’t aided and abetted them.

      In a world of declining resources, if China seized top position, who do you think would be getting those resources? Not you or I. China is still a communist country, and the Chinese elites like it that way. I wonder if they would be different if they gained control of the world.

      Just thinking out loud, Jessika.

  18. JWalters
    August 2, 2018 at 21:01

    I encourage CN commenters to post comments at mainstream media sites with links to this article. People living in the MSM bubble need to find out there is much they aren’t being told, and where they can go to fill in the picture.

  19. Dunderhead
    August 2, 2018 at 20:04

    Well I don’t mean to jinx it but I just don’t see the neocons pulling the wool over on this one, it’s too soon, the entire countries a open wound, and the last thing the Europeans want to see is more instability, the great part about this is 50 years Down the line when thay look back on how the empire finally slipped away the clowns at the helm where the neocons.

  20. Z54
    August 2, 2018 at 20:02

    You guys should have sent him a comic book, he doesn’t like to read!

  21. Halima
    August 2, 2018 at 19:58

    scary, we are at hands of warmongers , want to see if they send their children to war
    They disregard other people life under the lies of saving us , Netanyahu should get a medal

  22. G Hogarth
    August 2, 2018 at 18:41

    Thank to ‘all hands’ at VIPS for this memorandum to the President.

    Sadly, President Trump refuses to ( or cannot, or will not ) read. Anything ! See the book: ” The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump”. It is available on line or at your library.

    Please get your message through to him another way.

    Good work and good luck.

  23. August 2, 2018 at 16:03

    Love you guys.
    So good to see Professional people doing Professional work
    God Speed!

  24. Tom F
    August 2, 2018 at 15:45

    Yes, you are quite right and we should show these sad people a little understanding.

  25. Michael Rohde
    August 2, 2018 at 15:17

    I ‘d say “here we go, de ja vu all over again” but that line has already been taken. Although Yogi Berra and Casey Stengel would probably be better National Security Advisers than the current team trump has advising him. He might as well hire the mossad. At what point do we acknowledge we are losing our sovereignty to these foreigners who are purchasing us piece by piece through Congressional “contributions” that become law or staff our bureaucracies to the point of control. It could just as well be the Arabs in the oil business or the angels of death that run our defense industries for tremendous personal gain. At the end of the day it seems there is this huge stream of money pointing in the same direction. And the voters mean less and less each cycle.

  26. Anonymot
    August 2, 2018 at 14:53

    Deep State is not a group of people sitting around a table making hocus pocus decisions to get richer by blowing up the world. It’s a mindset of bias and empire building via war. It has been going on in America since the Thirties, at least, fueled by people like Lindbergh, Ford, Prescott Bush, the Dulles brothers and numerous other Teutonic minds. When the CIA was founded it was to give voice to that mindset in foreign affairs. J Edgar Hoover built the FBI around the idea of blackmail as a conservative, domestic, political tool.

    In it’s current mode, Bush Senior stepped straight in from the CIA to the presidency carrying that infection. He passed it on to the Clintons via their greed. He passed it on to W via his personal dick. Obama was infested with it, in my mind, by his black ambition for Afro Americans and discovered too late that he would devastate that very cause if he did not do exactly as his handlers wished – so he did and miserably failed his presidency. Hillary licked it up for the fame and fortune, but so crudely that the public saw the real self of her and gagged – me included who had always been a Democrat until then. She crudely got rid of the renegade Sanders since her Deep State handlers had full control of the DNC.

    The problem was the other renegade, Trump. He had a lot of ideas about empire building – HIS empire. Like W, he had driven a major sports team to bankruptcy, but unlike W who got his money from Daddy and Prescott’s oil ventures, Trump made his fortune in the perverse form of money laundering. Buy thing/build things, lose some money, sell and get back cleaned, legal millions.

    He is a man of sewer intelligence, standard for the Harvard/Yale rich, but not bright kids. Also standard for NY nasties in the real estate mafia laundries. And, as we all know, nothing succeeds in keeping an incumbent in place like a little war. The purpose isn’t even in winning the war, but to keep it going with all of the adjacent profits.

    So, here we go and the drivel that the Democrats have become probably won’t change anything. Who of real knowledge, honesty, and intelligence would want to go through the grotesqueries of a public strip and search through what we still call the media, with the NYT in the lead? Apparently no one!

  27. Waldemar
    August 2, 2018 at 14:24

    VIPS, you are not thinking this through. For your message to be effective you need to write at a level that is understandable to your audience.
    Trump communicates through Tweets. For your message to have a chance of actually getting through to him you need to write at his comprehension and attention capacity. Having read some of his Tweets, I’d recommend something brief, at the grade 4 to 5 level.

    • Anonymot
      August 2, 2018 at 15:02

      I assume your comment is tongue-in-cheek irony, but what is truly reprehensible is that really literate people of intelligence are replying to Trump in the mode of intellectual garbage that twitter represents. like tattoos and computer games its part and parcel of the destructive dumbing down of America. Presidents and world leaders twitter back to him – perhaps because they think he would not understand 3-syllable replies, but they have stooped to his level, agree or disagree.

    • Dunderhead
      August 2, 2018 at 20:28

      You’re putting me in the awkward position of having to defend Donald Trump, this happens frequently as I can remember the run ups to the last three wars or so. Listen whether you like it or not the only reason you are literate write now about the scariness of the world is because Donald Trump is at the helm, you should be nervous we should all feel nervous. The only problem is we should’ve always Felt this nervous, this BS toward Iran isn’t going to go anywhere as even the numbskulls in charge of our national security state aren’t completely suicidal, on the other hand they are ambitious and greedy as hell and trumpet game show host be glad to help them’s find what’s behind curtain number three. this is the magic of Donald Trump, he is like an idiot savant, everyone thinks they can play him and then it blows up in their face, he will drag down better than half of this government before he’s through and we will be praising him when he’s finished, so with goodbye to the Empire at least maybe someday we’ll get to be a normal country again.

      • backwardsevolution
        August 2, 2018 at 23:43

        Dunderhead – “…he is like an idiot savant, everyone thinks they can play him and then it blows up in their face, he will drag down better than half of this government before he’s through and we will be praising him when he’s finished.”

        Yes, you very well could be right. People underestimate him I think because of his lack of verbal skills. This is a mistake.

  28. F. G. Sanford
    August 2, 2018 at 12:59

    I keep wondering whether the whole Mueller investigation ties into the Iran thing. Can a tail wag a dog without a tail? After all, if a tail wags a dog, there’s gotta be a tail. But to which dog does the tail belong? How about all those redactions from the FISA documents. Christopher Steele was hooked up with Pablo Miller, who was Sergei Skripal’s handler. Then somehow, Sid Blumenthal got mixed up in the whole thing. The MSM narrative is that Kremlin insiders fed stuff to Steele, who cooked up the “dossier”. Never mind that covers would be blown, and the entire FSB would be looking for a “mole”. What was needed was someone with a vivid imagination and literary talent to write a novella. That’s where Blumenthal fits in. Then, somebody had to come up with some plausible Russian sources to make the plot sound real. Skripal fits the bill. A FISA court judge wouldn’t realize that Skripal had an expired shelf-life, so his use-by date wouldn’t matter. I’m betting Skripal’s name appears in those redacted documents, and they’ve gotta get their war on before that comes out. There is dog-wagging, but the tail, or “tale” belongs to a neocon dog. Despite Mr. Parry’s objections to the contrary, I still think Blumenthal is a closet neocon. If Skripal shows up in those redactions, the whole Novichok thing will start to look a lot like Seth Rich and the leaked DNC emails. So, who’s wagging the tail that’s wagging whose dog? Just a thought.

    • backwardsevolution
      August 2, 2018 at 17:26

      “How about all those redactions from the FISA documents.” Tucker Carlson last night on his show interviewed Devin Nunes. Carlson asked why the American public couldn’t see those documents and then suggested that maybe somebody could “leak” those documents to him and he would post them on the air. Could get interesting.

      “I keep wondering whether the whole Mueller investigation ties into the Iran thing.” I think it ties into “everything”, you name it: the Clinton Foundation and pay-for-play, the Uranium One deal, etc. There’s been a whole lot of shaking going on, and the Mueller investigation was launched to stop discovery of this corruption.

      Paul Craig Roberts asked who set Trump up by recommending that he appoint Rod Rosenstein as the Assistant Attorney-General. I’m wondering that too because Rosenstein was quick to turn around and appoint a Special Counsel with what almost appears to be a purposeful broad and open mandate (enough to ensnare Manafort on tax charges from 2005). Notice how fast Jeff Sessions was sidelined and had to recuse himself. It’s “almost” as if they knew beforehand how they were going to go about getting Sessions out of the picture.

      Either Sessions is an extremely weak person, was part of this set-up from the get-go, or they’ve got something on him; take your pick.

      The Mueller investigation is one big solid door to prevent the American public from seeing the corruption behind the door. But it is trickling out from under the door now, and somehow I think there will be some leakers helping that process out.

    • Tim
      August 2, 2018 at 21:28

      You guys are close to the mark (who’s connected with who in D.C.), orchestrating events, perception management of the public [MSM faithful to the script]. If you can just fool enough of the public enough of the time there is no tipping point of awareness where they can act uniformly, legally to demand justice because they are divided. The most powerful weapon is control of information so the public cannot develop a strategy to legally challenge power structures. Another part of the problem of controlling information, is changing people’s narrative (narrative disruption). Narrative, which I only know in a surface way, has been one of the most studied areas of knowledge by the military/ Intel others who help maintain power. Here is what I believe to be an interesting aside from this memorandum: There is a document that was leaked on the internet that I downloaded, before it was taken down, and is about ongoing research by Arizona State University called, “156562352-Toward-Narrative-Disruptors-and-Inductors-Mapping-the-Narrative-Comprehension-Network-and-its-Persuasive-Effects”. It’s quite complex for most of us to understand but worth reading parts of it related to the overview of narrative. However, the most abstruse (and has dangerous implications is) part of this document is what the researchers call Phase 3 and I quote,”In Phase 3, we will selectively alter aspects of narrative structure and brain functioning via Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to induce or disrupt selective features of narrative processing, to provide the strongest possible inferences about the operation of the Narrative Comprehension Network. Nodes selected will be those that (a) can be accessed and safely manipulated via TMS, and (b) occupy the most critical positions in the network, and (c) are associated with the strongest effects in Phases I and II. This will help establish causal effects of the network identified. Phase 3, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is based on complex neurological mapping techniques beforehand.

    • Abe
      August 3, 2018 at 14:40

      “Major BRICS countries, China and Russian, are opposed to a US-Iran escalation, and there is no doubt that they will be on Iran’s back in case of an escalation. Iran, which is already being seen as an un-named BRICS-plus nation, is not only deeply integrated with Russia and China in geostrategic and economic terms, but also is a key-player that has facilitated and will continue to facilitate these countries’ presence in the Middle East.

      “Therefore, if a war, military and economic, breaks out between the US and Iran, it will greatly affect both Russia and China. Considering that the US is already working on a new type of Arab NATO, the Middle East Strategic Alliance, to counter Iran’s role in the Middle East, the logic of BRICS-plus with Iran, as also Turkey, as its future partners becomes even more understandable.

      “While the BRICS-plus with Iran and Turkey as it members will see its expansion into the Middle East and Europe, such an expansion will only be very much in line with the objectives laid out in the latest summit whereby a “unified platform of regional integration arrangements,” going way beyond regional deals to reach other developing nations in a transcontinental scope, is to be established as a part of new form of international relations.

      “This means that the economic networks emerging out of BRICS-plus will not simply be confined to the member countries. In fact, the BRICS-plus will become a platform, a grouping, to connect with other regional groupings within the global South.”

      The Evolution of BRICS+ as a Counter-Hegemony Platform
      By Salman Rafi Sheikh
      https://journal-neo.org/2018/08/03/the-evolution-of-brics-as-a-counter-hegemony-platform/

    • Daniel
      August 6, 2018 at 22:00

      F.G. You have exactly the perception necessary to either deduce or formulate the tale of the tail. I’m glad you’ve chosen to be on our side. Well, I hope you are. ;-)

  29. DH Fabian
    August 2, 2018 at 11:58

    Dems want war against Russia. Do Republicans still want war against China? America’s leaders brought Russia and China together, working out their years of conflict in view of this potential world threat — the US. The US was already drained out militarily and economically by our latest war — the longest war in US history.We can’t rebuild because our jobs are gone — lost over 6 million mfg. jobs alone since 2000 (we just pretend there are no consequences). Think we’ll get through this administration?

  30. Sunset
    August 2, 2018 at 11:32

    Backward evolutions comments are worth sharing with all your friends and enemies. Very good.

  31. August 2, 2018 at 11:30

    Trillions of taxpayers’ dollars are spent on wars. Millions of lives are lost. Millions are refugees. All these victims once had homes, now their countries are reduced to rubble and blood soaked profits are made off killing, bombing and maiming by the war perverts. This I believe is organized evil. Therefore, I believe gangsters are in control
    January 5, 2017
    When Gangsters Are In Control

    When gangsters are in control, endless wars slaughter millions of souls
    And countries are destroyed by the hit men of the gangster ghouls
    The unethical money changers finance their dirty depredations
    And corporate cannibals profit from the bloody confrontations

    Government by gangsters is now “the rule of law”
    And “justice” is in the hands of criminals and outlaws
    The language is twisted and debased
    To suit these evil demons of the “human race”

    Fancy titles and Houses of ill repute
    Is where these villains consort and debut
    Making “laws” to screw the masses
    Yet, people continue to vote for these asses

    If there really was “law and order”
    These gangsters would be charged with genocide and murder
    Instead these war criminals parade on the world stage
    When they should be in a big enormous prison cage

    They sell arms and weapons to bloody head choppers
    They don’t know the meaning of improper
    Grovelling and saluting financiers of terrorism
    They are in bed with the dictators of barbarism

    Such is the sick state of the world today
    And much, more could be said, of the gangsters’ way
    Evidence abounds of these criminals roles
    That’s why we know gangsters are in control…

    [much more info on this at link below]
    http://graysinfo.blogspot.com/2017/01/when-gangsters-are-in-control.html

    • August 2, 2018 at 13:07

      Great Poem Stephen J. Another poetic anti war movement was by my friend Phil Ochs who was willing to try absurdist street theater to appose our “obedient insane society” Have your heard, The War is Over! Phil Ochs.

      • August 2, 2018 at 15:25

        Thanks Jim Glover. I will try to find: “The War is over” by Phil Ochs.
        Cheers, Stephen J.

  32. Allan Donaldson
    August 2, 2018 at 10:36

    An admirable continuation of the Consortium News credo, as so well established by recently deceased investigative journalist Robert Parry

  33. Pamela Peck
    August 2, 2018 at 10:36

    What does the war party, deep state, do when there are no more wars. Someone has to stop this insanity. No more war.

    • DH Fabian
      August 2, 2018 at 12:02

      Democrats? They’ve worked hard over the past year and a half to build support for a catastrophic war against Russia. They learned from Bush, whose lies about “Iraq’s stockpiles of WMD” was the excuse for our launching our latest, longest war. An ignorant people are easy to manipulate and control.

    • August 2, 2018 at 12:22

      “What does the war party, deep state, do when there are no more wars?”

      The answer to that question is obvious. They create enemies (real or imagined), pump everyone full of fear, and launch their war on some poor country that can’t defend itself.

      Madeleine Albright once said to Colin Powell, “What’s the point of having this superb military you’re always talking about if we can’t use it?”

    • Tom F
      August 2, 2018 at 14:27

      There will always be criminal wars, as long as criminals direct the governments of the USA and Israel. One day these criminals will trigger WW3 and that day is probably not too far away.

  34. Robert
    August 2, 2018 at 09:38

    The anti-Iranian forces are laughing with glee at their success in conning Donald Trump and Republican (and Democratic) legislators. He and the American people were subjected to a 2-pronged propaganda attack by Israel and Saudi Arabia. The attack by Israel was clear from 3 pieces of information. First, recently at a closed meeting in Israel, Netanyahu bragged that it was only due to his personal influence that Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. Second, as revealed by the VIPS in the above memorandum, Netanyahu lied to Donald Trump and to the world about Iran cheating and starting up a nuclear weapons program. Third, clear evidence of Netanyahu’s deception was also clear in an interview IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot gave to Haaretz after Netanyahu’s “revelations”. General Eisenkot, who supported the nuclear deal with Iran for the added protection it gave to the defence of Israel, stated that Iran was not cheating on the agreement, and that Israeli intelligence agencies would know if Iran ever decided to cheat (even without input from IAEA inspectors). It appears that Netanyahu was playing politics with Israel’s security.

    The Saudi Arabian propaganda attack against Iran has been via long-term massive financial support (and consequential organizational guidance) to an Iranian exile Muslim/Marxist anti-USA, anti-Iranian terrorist organization called Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), designated by the USA and other countries as a terrorist organization. After huge donations from Saudi Arabia to the Clinton Foundation, and undoubtedly by pure coincidence, the Hillary Clinton State Department officially removed MEK from the US list of terrorist organizations in 2012. Since that time, MEK has operated openly paying large sums for prominent legislators throughout the world to give anti-Iranian speeches at its meetings, where attendees, often with no link to or care about Iran, are also paid to attend. According to Wikipedia, recipients of MEK largess were Democrats Howard Dean, Ed Rendell, Wesley Clark, Bill Richardson and Lee Hamilton, and Republicans Elaine Chao, John Bolton (estimated $180,000 in speaking fees), Rudi Giuliani, Fran Townsend, Tom Ridge, Michael Mukasey and Andrew Card. Advocates outside the government include Alan Dershowitz and Elie Wiesel. Of course, no list of influence peddlers and war mongers would be complete without John McCain, also a recipient of MEK largesse, who worked with the Democrats to move, at US taxpayer expense, the now “democracy-seeking” MEK members from Iraq, where they no longer felt safe under the US-supported government, to Albania, and gave a speech to them in Albania. Indeed, American anti-Iranian ideas have been bought and paid for by Saudi Arabia to an extent far greater than Russian interference in American politics. It would be interesting to find out how many of the above recipients of MEK funding recused themselves from any discussions or decisions involving Iran, or did they actually perform as MEK expected of them. Is it any wonder Trump was pressured into adopting an anti-Iranian stance, both before and after his election.

    • mike k
      August 2, 2018 at 11:52

      Thanks Robert. Very informative.

      • nonsense factory
        August 2, 2018 at 13:13

        Indeed. A little more digging on this group turns up the comprehensive bio:
        http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/peoples_muhajedin_of_iran_mek/

        “A potential explanation for this diverse list of supporters is the large speaking fees the MEK network has offered to big-name public figures. “Your speech agent calls, and says you get $20,000 to speak for 20 minutes,” said a State Department official quoted by the Christian Science Monitor. “They will send a private jet, you get $25,000 more when you are done, and they will send a team to brief you on what to say.”[23] Pro-MEK individuals and organizations also reportedly donated thousands of dollars to the campaigns of several sitting members of Congress, including Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Bob Filner, Ted Poe, Mike Rogers, and Dana Rohrabacher.[24]

        Underlying MEK’s more mainstream backing has been a bedrock of support from foreign policy hawks. In addition to Woolsey and other former Bush administration officials, the group has enjoyed the avid backing of Iran hawks like former ambassador John Bolton and groups like the Iran Policy Committee (IPC), a right-wing U.S.-based outfit whose putative goal is “empowering Iranians for regime change.””

        Financing and arming terrorists to push for regime change – the US foreign policy establishment just can’t seem to break this habit, from the CIA and the mujahedeen (who became the Taliban) in Afghanistan in the 1980s under Reagan to the CIA and ISIS under Obama.

        • backwardsevolution
          August 2, 2018 at 16:26

          nonsense factory – “Financing and arming terrorists to push for regime change – the US foreign policy establishment just can’t seem to break this habit.”

          Sounds like it’s a very lucrative habit, and lucrative habits have a way of hanging around, don’t they? Free air fare, best hotels, large speaking fees. War is one big money machine, and feeding this machine (i.e. countries like Saudi Arabia) is probably what keeps them from being regime-changed.

        • anon
          August 2, 2018 at 20:09

          I recall reading that MEK is supported by Israel. Do not have the link.

    • DH Fabian
      August 2, 2018 at 12:10

      Give it up on the currently trendy bourgeois anti-Israel rubbish. It has been a tiresome distraction. In the real world, Israel is a tiny country, roughly the size of New Jersey. Jews have roughly 1% of the Mideast, with the remaining 99% under the control of the poor, oil-rich Arab states, all of which are armed to the teeth by China, Russia AND the US. It takes everything Israel has got, just to survive. Want peace in the Mideast? Get US oil corporations out of the region..

      • robjira
        August 2, 2018 at 20:23

        Want peace in the middle East? Establish a secular Palestine within the Ottoman delineated borders. If Hasidim want their own Menonite-style enclave, fine. But as things currently stand, Israel is an illegally-created entity perpetrating blatant religio-ethnic cleansing of Muslims and Christians. The real world is entirely aware of this; not so much for the unreal world of Zion apologists, however.

      • anon
        August 3, 2018 at 15:57

        We’re ever so grateful for your rubbish racist zionist propaganda.
        Just no evidence at all for zionist influence, is there?
        Until one examines the evidence, which you won’t suggest, if you have yourself.
        You have been trolling zionist propaganda here for at least a year.

    • Tom F
      August 2, 2018 at 15:25

      Excellent post which may explain Trump’s naive inclination to do Israel’s bidding. However, no matter how valid the explanation, it does not excuse Trump’s craven stupidity in going along with criminal Netanyahu and his possibly suicidal quest to subdue Iran.

  35. August 2, 2018 at 09:04

    The political crises besetting the United States – both internal and external – has many historical precedents. Here we have a demented rogue state blundering its way around the globe, bull-in-a-china-shop, with the absurd objective of constructing a world empire. Drunk on its own hubris and self-righteousness it regards itself in invulnerable being certain of its eventual victory in a divine mission mandated by the deity. Pride always comes before a fall, however.

    During the Peloponnesian War between the Greek cities of Sparta and Athens, the Athenians made a fateful decision in tookto invade Sicily in order to cut off Sparta’s supply of wheat. This took place in June in 415 BC. Of course the whole thing was never properly thought out but the Athenians were so full of themselves that they believed that Sicily would be a cake walk.

    ”In the winter of 415 the Athenians resolved to sail against Sicily with large forces and were resolved to conquer it. They were for the most part ignorant and of the number of its inhabitants, both Hellenic and native, and they did not realise that they were taking on a wars of almost the same magnitude as the war against the Peloponnesians (Sparta).” Sound familiar?

    Prior to this there was heated discussion in Athens between the war party led by Alcibiades, and the more moderate diplomatic approach advocated by Nicias.

    Nicias argued ”It is true that this assembly was called to deal with preparations being made for the expedition to Sicily. Yet I still think that this question deserves further thought – is it really a good thing for us to send the ships at all? I think that we ought not to give such hasty consideration to so important a matter on the credit of foreigners into a war which does not concern us.”

    For the war party Alcibiades: ”Do not change your minds about the expedition to Sicily on the grounds that we shall be fighting a great power to deal with there. The Sicilian cities have swollen populations made out of all sorts of mixtures … they lack the feeling that they are fighting for their homeland; no-one has adequate armour for his own person, or a proper establishment on the land. What each man spends his time on either by clever speeches or open sedition ….” And so on and so forth. Sound familiar, a pushover just like Afghanistan.

    The result of the surge of jingoism coming from the war party was very enlightening:

    ”The result of this excessive enthusiasm generated by Alcibiades was the few that opposed the expedition were afraid of being thought unpatriotic if they voted against it, and so they remained silent.”

    So this ill-thought out war against Sicily and by implication Sparta had predictable and catastrophic outcomes. The Athenians had underestimated the resolve and fighting capacity of the Sicilian forces and their offensive began to get bogged down. Worse still was that the Spartans, now, joined battle with the Sicilians against their old Athenian enemy.. The Athenians invasion force was wiped out. Sound familiar (Indo-China).

    Athens experienced a crisis of confidence from which it never fully recovered.

    Although the Sicilian disaster encouraged some revolts within the Athenian Empire and lured Persia into an alliance with Sparta, its main effect— and Alcibiades’ enduring legacy—was to sow distrust and dissension within Athens. It was this internal disarray, which brought distrust to its citizens and timidity to its military commanders, that led to its eventual collapse and final surrender in 404 b. c.e

    We can see exactly the same patter of imperial hubris, stupidity and overstretch at the present time

    • mike k
      August 2, 2018 at 11:54

      Thanks Francis. Thucydides is one of my favorite historians.

    • Piotr Berman
      August 2, 2018 at 17:46

      Athenian overreach was in few years replaced by Spartan overreach. What makes the story more contemporary are the debates, demagogic appeals to the population, compromise decisions that contributed to faulty leadership — asking sworn enemies to lead together. Overreach by despotic rulers was more frequent, but the lessons for today are a bit less salient.

      Incidentally, Syria, Mesopotamia and north Korea are perhaps most notable graveyards of imperial armies.

    • Tomonthebeach
      August 2, 2018 at 18:27

      It is too bad that Trump is dyslexic. All good points. You went a bit light on the Saudi’s lust to smash the Shia and rule the Middle East (Israel being like a Switzerland in the area to keep the US engaged.

      • anon
        August 3, 2018 at 16:03

        Israel is “like a Switzerland” in the Mideast?
        Is that zionist propaganda 101 or 102?

  36. August 2, 2018 at 07:07

    beautiful article,i am both happy and impress to read these kinds of masterpieces of pure journalistic reporting vs the one sided prowar filth coming out of the fake news networks,

  37. Alcuin
    August 2, 2018 at 03:27

    In the 1980s when some in the Reagan administration suspected that CIA intelligence analyses regarding the Soviets were being unduly influenced by political considerations, it was decided to set up an A Team and a B Team, made up respectively of people with different presuppositions. One team was more trusting of the intentions of the Soviet government; the other team was less trusting of the intentions of the Soviet government. At the very least, perhaps the current administration could be encouraged to do something similar with an A Team (more trusting of Mossad) and a B Team (less trusting of Mossad). The same kind of reasoning was also used in the old canonization procedures, with an advocatus diaboli. It makes good sense if you’re really concerned to get things right.

    • Tom F
      August 2, 2018 at 15:28

      Anyone who trusts Mossad has already demonstrated their unsuitability for employment.

  38. elmerfudzie
    August 2, 2018 at 02:54

    We’re asked to believe that a nation waist deep in oil, second only to Russia in natural gas reserves, with a large central desert, sunny all the time, in the Isfahan, could not be transformed into the worlds showcase and largest solar energy grid system? In light of these various energy options, Iran, needs the filthy nuclear MOX Uranium-Plutonium cycle? Again, we’re all asked to believe that Iran was unable to formulate a deal with India, a nation with the largest known deposits of Thorium 232, and the Iranians couldn’t manage an oil for thorium swap? Thorium, the logical alternative to a plutonium stream for purposes of commercial nuclear power generation? Lest we forget to mention, tapping India’s nuclear expertise, ditto for similar arrangements with China. China has an up and running Thorium Gen IV passive cooling Thorium based reactor. As I’ve commented at CONSORTIUMNEWS many times previous to this latest VIPS article, Thorium cannot be used for A-bomb making, because in the simplest of terms, it’s technically impossible to do so.

    This brief summary into “mysterious” Iranian decisions and motivations, begs the question, why the MOX reactor cycle? For sure, it’s an environmental, financial and political mistake. A bad choice and liability from the very beginning for the Iranian people.

    Why all the extensive deployments of various nuclear research facilities? surely not to break into the radio-pharmaceuticals market, what a laugh that one is, a nation filthy rich in petroleum reserves? ! gimme a break gentlemen. We need to look under the hood here, the moment the mullahs can find an excuse, they will break out and begin making A bombs.

    This problem is gonna get very, very messy indeed.

    • Bob
      August 2, 2018 at 03:01

      Thorium reactors are not an option. If Iran built one of those, then Americans might start asking why they don’t have them in america and they aren’t supposed to know about that.

    • anon
      August 2, 2018 at 12:27

      Cost of solar is higher than oil or nuclear, so not an argument against nuclear energy.

      • elmerfudzie
        August 2, 2018 at 19:06

        anon, you didn’t read the entire body of my commentary! Besides, the projected costs from birth to death for Uranium/Plutonium cores is E-Norm-OUS. Thorium poses no terror threat, cannot be made into A bombs and requires far less shielding and associated burial costs. Speaking of costs, an oil rich nation doesn’t have to count pennies to establish a solar driven power source.

        • anon
          August 3, 2018 at 16:10

          I read your comment twice, and just now a third time. You are claiming that Iran chose a nuclear power technology suitable for making weapons. That may be; I wish they had nuclear weapons to balance Israel. But your argument about solar power is incorrect; it costs more than oil or nuclear.

          • elmerfudzie
            August 3, 2018 at 19:59

            Reply to anon from elmerfudzie… only in the short run, does nuclear “appear” less expensive. Long term monitoring, area security and burial is VERY costly.

            Both Israel and (the Islamic republic of Pakistan) managed to get away with developing an A-bomb by gleaning plutonium from MOX reactor cores. It cost JFK his life when he demanded that Dimona be fully inspected and further, that any A-weapons development uncovered there, cease immediately. This error in judgement continued through the LBJ and onward to Reagan presidency, where he, Reagan kept proclaiming year after year, certifying that Pakistan wasn’t developing nuclear weapons. He knew that this was a lie and a string of errors in judgement, created an explosion (I love puns) of nuclear proliferation issues, technology and materials via the Pakistani, A. Q. Khan network, a truly criminal enterprise. Khan’s Network was responsible for helping North Korea get the bomb (and perhaps rocketry as well) . All I’m saying here is, the two wrongs, Israels’ Dimona and Khan’s Network, cannot be made right by western Occident governments, overlooking the potential for the Iranian government to “break-out” Any number of excuses to justify breakout and A-bomb development are ready at hand and on the table, the Syrian conflict for example.. Global peace keeping has suffered long enough, in part due to with three grave Geo-political errors: Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. The world cannot shoulder another error of this kind by ignoring what certain autocratic authorities like Ali Khamenei and Kim Jung Un, are really planning for, behind the scenes. The nuclear proliferation issue(s) in general, have got to stop somewhere and I believe that they will be brought to a full stop, sometime during the Trump Presidency.

    • Tom F
      August 2, 2018 at 15:42

      Once upon a time Iran may have felt it was the right thing to acquire nuclear weapons and hence it has a nuclear power facilities The political costs of nuclear weaponry were perhaps too high and Iran has frozen any such development for many years. This lack of nuclear weapon capability has been confirmed by the IAEA on many occasions. Now why don’t you tell us about Israel’s nuclear weapon capability and its attitude to IAEA inspections.

  39. Robert
    August 2, 2018 at 00:23

    NATO supreme commander General Wesley Clark stated on video, that he received a document from his superiors 9 days after 9/11, that 7 Middle East countries were targeted for overthrow. Guess which ones.

    This is the smoking gun that the hoop- la about evil Iran and others are fabricated lies to
    justify the agenda Clark mentioned. Anyone with half a brain cell can put this togeather.

    • August 2, 2018 at 02:33

      Yeah….where IS “Gen. Wesley Clark” these days???

      How come Jimmy Dore or ANYONE isn’t interviewing “Gen. Wesley Clark”?

      Since that incredible tell-all interview with Amy Goodman I, nor any of us, have heard zip from “Gen. Wesley Clark”.

      What the????????

      Perhaps someone here at Consortiumnews can get an interview with The General? Maybe Ray McGovern could land it?

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RC1Mepk_Sw

      While he’s at it, howz about asking him about the events of “9/11”. Does he buy the B.S.?

    • Daniel
      August 7, 2018 at 00:40

      General Wesley Clark was indeed the NATO Supreme Commander. In fact, he was Supreme Commander when NATO committed the “supreme war crime” of attacking and helping to destroy the sovereign state of Yugoslavia which was not attacking any other country.

      Bear in mind that the operation to destroy Yugoslavia long preceded the NATO bombing campaign, which was really the coup de gras.

      And if Clark had this information (he said he was told by an officer who had been his subordinate previously), then why did he withhold that crucial information from the USAmerican public? During all the “debate” about whether or not to invade Iraq that rocked the US and West in general in 2002 and early 2003, wouldn’t knowing that the Bush Administration had planned this within weeks of 9/11/01 have been useful?

      Why did the good general withhold this information until at least a year or two after we’d once again committed the “supreme war crime” of invading a sovereign country on false pretenses?

      Instead, Clark was seriously considered as a Presidential Candidate for the Democrats… and oddly, is also considered something of a hero in the 9/11 “Truth Community.”

  40. August 1, 2018 at 23:08

    I believe the maniacal murderers in positions of power are hell bent on attacking Iran. They are War-holics and profit from destruction and death. They are diabolically insane and evil to boot.
    ———————————————————
    December 31, 2017
    Will The Final War Begin During 2018?

    “War is madness” – Pope Francis

    Will the final war begin during 2018?
    Will the maniacs of militarism die at the scene?
    Will the planet be a raging nuclear fire; and a pyre of death?
    Will any still living be drawing their last breath?

    Will the crazed war “leaders” hiding in their bunkers
    Will they cry and scream as the earth is torn asunder?
    Will they regret their plans for more and more war?
    Will they eventually be gone forever more?

    Will the war criminals finally get their due?
    Will they ultimately be eliminated too?
    Will all the financiers of death and destruction
    Will all their fortunes go into extinction?

    Will the elites wealth in offshore tax-havens?
    Will it be destroyed in the war culmination?
    Will all their monies go up in fire and smoke?
    Will they be in terrible despair as they croak?

    Will the makers and buyers of hellish weapons
    Will they wish they were not present?
    Will they realise what they didn’t know
    Will they understand now; that, “you reap what you sow”?

    Will all the armies of the earth perish too?
    Will “peace” at last, be here, if only they knew?
    Will all the generals and their medals now be gone?
    Will a nuclear holocaust bring Armageddon?

    Will the brainwashed “warriors” refuse orders to obey?
    Will it dawn on them there will be no medals today?
    Will they realize their killing and bombing days are over?
    Will they understand they have nowhere left to run for cover?

    Will “global warming” have finally arrived?
    Will “nuclear winter” descend from the skies?
    Will “climate change” be here at last?
    Will it be ushered in with a great big final blast?

    Will the ‘Great Satan’ finally get his “reward”?
    Will he be defeated by Jesus Our Lord?
    Will the innocent and good be taken to Heaven?
    Will the evil doers into Hell be driven?

    Will the satanic warmongering mad rulers of this world
    Will all of them be extinguished and killed?
    Will this planet be a desolate horrific scene?
    Will the final war begin during 2018?

    “May God in His mercy lead us through these times; but above all, may He lead us to Himself” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

    • RnM
      August 2, 2018 at 03:00

      Thank You, Stephen J.
      Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All Humankind.

  41. Francis Daley
    August 1, 2018 at 22:22

    Believe it or not, this is the first time I will have used these words because this is the first time I feel the use of these words will not be false or rote. Thank you for your service to our country>

  42. Tim
    August 1, 2018 at 19:48

    Ray,
    Is there any way VIPS can get the current
    IAEA to repond to this memo and imform the President?

    Can you expand on proof that the documents were falsified?

  43. mrtmbrnmn
    August 1, 2018 at 19:37

    The Establishment/Deep State (aka Wall Street/War Street/Washington DC Axis of Evil) has too often been too eager to be pimped by Israel and Saudi Arabia into Middle East catastrophes. And when these war sluts invariably lose after wasting $zillion$, killing and displacing millions while destroying entire countries, the mad dogs of war always howl for more!!! Victory is always over the next sand dune for these lunatics. Gen. Smedley Butler was, of course, correct. War is a racket. This latest murderous fools’ gambit has NO Damn Good Will Come Of It written all over it. Satanyahu is clearly a dangerously delusional con man and Trump is the current version of Americanus Nincompoopus. The repulsive and repressive Saudis need to ask themselves: what price Mecca?

  44. Joe Wallace
    August 1, 2018 at 19:31

    There’s always friction when the president’s foreign policy diverges from the deep state’s.

    • Tom F
      August 2, 2018 at 15:48

      Not much sign of that in regard to Iran?

  45. August 1, 2018 at 18:58

    Back, thanks for your comments. Trump may be playing this game of subterfuge, but it surely is peculiar having his son-in-law a family friend of Neyanyahu, and Bolton, Adelson-backed and completely anti-Iran. IF Trump has a strategy, it is incredibly erratic. Having Goldman Sachs again for Treasury (Mnuchin) is not a good sign. I think we will be witnessing the end of the American century, as they dub it, and to me that’s not a bad thing because I do believe in moral principles and the US government is deeply immoral.

    Namaste, Back – “I honor the light within you”, in buddhism, and we all must take care because these are difficult times.

  46. Joe Wallace
    August 1, 2018 at 18:53

    Ray McGovern writes that before the George W. Bush administration decided to attack Iraq, the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity “prepared and sent to President Bush a Memorandum like this one, urging him to seek counsel beyond the ‘circle of those advisers clearly bent on a war for which we see no compelling reason and from which we believe the unintended consequences are likely to be catastrophic.’” President Trump and his circle need to stop sniffing each others’ butts and catch a breath of fresh air from this August 1st Memorandum.

  47. wallace johnson
    August 1, 2018 at 18:21

    Well said. I doubt, however, that there will be any response if the missive is even read.

  48. August 1, 2018 at 17:26

    Shouldn’t war with with Iran really be considered a war with Iran/Iraq? Won’t everything “accomplished” in Iraq come undone the minute bombs start falling on Tehran? Don’t the Shiites in Iraq have more of an allegiance with their Shiite counterparts in Iran than they do with the “country” of Iraq? Just asking…

    • Ed
      August 2, 2018 at 11:17

      I think that a war on Iran should be considered a war with Russia/China/India and others to be announced. War on Iran would likely be the tipping of the board that would slide humanity into free fall off of the planet.

  49. August 1, 2018 at 17:07

    Does anyone believe that this country could handle another Middle East invasion without collapse? I just went to a blog reporting that homelessness is surging, the number of people living in vehicles is surging including families with toddlers sleeping in their vehicles. We just cannot take these sick, i mean really sick people running and ruining our lives! They must be stopped. Trump is clueless as he has never had to scramble in his life. Common folks are becoming statistics while media and government wealthy fools blather on about Iran! And Russia..

    • backwardsevolution
      August 1, 2018 at 17:59

      Jessika – I don’t think Trump is clueless to the plight of the homeless at all. Those who traveled with him during his campaign said that he was deeply disturbed by the amount of unemployed, the gutting of American cities. That’s why he’s trying desperately to bring jobs back home. He’s even had to hand the U.S. multinationals huge tax cuts in order to entice them to bring their money home (which they are doing). Yes, they are buying back their shares with this money, but that won’t last much longer. He’s placing tariffs on goods from China (which is really just goods from the U.S. multinationals operating in China). He is trying to force them to bring jobs home. Either they pay tariffs (and this tariff money would go a long way to helping the homeless and unemployed) or they come home. He is squeezing them, or attempting to.

      There are two elite factions in the U.S. and they are in a dog-eat-dog war at the moment.

      On one side are the people who offshored all of the American jobs, built up China using American taxpayer-funded technology, reaped enormous profits by using slave labor and having no environmental controls, and those who want perpetual war in order to enrich themselves by selling arms and weapons. This is the side the media is championing. No allegiance to country, internationalists who love supranational tribunals because then they can override the American public and American courts.

      On the other side is a smaller group of elites who believe that enriching themselves at the expense of their own country makes no sense. They are opposed to endless wars, more nationalist in their thinking. This is the side who is backing Trump. Fox is about the only mainstream media outlet backing him.

      It is as Ross Perot warned: it all stops when the U.S. comes down to the level of the Third World.

      • backwardsevolution
        August 1, 2018 at 18:18

        This is what Trump is trying to expose:

        “Let us remember what braggart candidate Trump was confidently proclaiming during his election campaign. Trump, with wars-promoting media either ridiculing him or making a blatant over-the-top show of frightened opposition, had been maintaining among other things that the five trillion dollars spent on wars for regime change in the Middle East should have been spent in the US rebuilding its infrastructure; that NATO is obsolete; that the US should seek friendship with China and Russia; that he likes Xi Jinping and Putin (America’s perennial and sacrosanct mortal enemies!) and would get along fine with them.

        Trump called the last two term Republican President, George Bush, a liar for having lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction and voiced suspicion about the 9/11 attack that happened so easily on Bush’s watch. Trump disputed hailing Senator John McCain, 2008 Republican presidential candidate, a hero for having been shot down in Vietnam, and condemned and ridiculed eighty percent of media’s reporters and commentators as pathetic liars (which comes to the what is in reality that hundred percent, who are willing to preposterously describe America’s running crimes against humanity as heroic deeds in defense of American freedom).

        Trump had asked, “Why must the United States lead the world everywhere on the globe and play the role of the world’s policeman, now for example in Ukraine?” Trump asked, “Why does the United States always pursue regime changes – Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, and now it wants a regime change in Syria, Damascus, when the result is disaster?” This wholesale attack on the war establishment was astonishing.”

        Yes, it was astonishing, and I think it’s what Trump still believes. But if he doesn’t throw these dangerous elites a bone here and there, make outrageous statements in order to appease them, he will either be impeached or assassinated, and nothing will get done. Every day that Trump stays in power is another day that these dangerous elites with their dangerous games are being exposed; the corruption is starting to surface.

        I don’t know where it’s all going to end, but I don’t envy Trump’s position – trying to operate in a sea of sharks.

        Take care, Jessika.

        • RnM
          August 2, 2018 at 03:32

          I could not agree with you more.
          The American system is as near in total meltdown as I’ve ever seen it in my 66 years.
          In my opinion, what is needed to reverse this trend is a leader with balls of brass. Churchill comes to mind.
          Where in this country would such a leader be developed, and under what circumstances would that development occur?
          My best guess is that this person would come from the crucible of
          NYC, and from the private sector there, which routinely does battle with a corrupt bureaucracy.
          Trump is, despite all his warts, contradictions and blustery flaws, one such individual. Not perfect, by any means. A lout, even. But that’s NYC biz.
          I urge all to take the opportunity provided by fora such as C-Span and YouTube, to view complete coverage of his ” events.” They can be disturbing, but at least you will be doing yourself a favor by filtering out the corporate media’s biases. Make up your own mind, and vote according to what you see and hear, free of the brainwash.

          • Druid55
            August 5, 2018 at 21:05

            I thought Elliott Spitzer was good, but they got him with his dalliance with a prostitute

          • CR
            August 12, 2018 at 01:53

            I will see you in 2020. I will need your and other VIPS readers/commentators help.

        • Elaine Sandchaz
          August 2, 2018 at 13:51

          backwardsevolution – Please write more and often and in other web journalism publications. You see the big picture that hidden from so many people by their own bigotry and political biases.

        • August 2, 2018 at 18:44

          Thank you for that. It is so easy to forget what Trump has to deal with and the compromises he has to make just to stay in office. I am glad to hear what you explained in your posts. I think most people are so fixated on his irrational behavior, which could very well be done deliberately, and not pay any attention to what is behind the facade.

        • JWalters
          August 2, 2018 at 19:36

          backwards evolution, I recall being stunned on hearing primary candidate Trump declare EMPHATICALLY that W. Bush “lied” to the American people in order to invade Iraq. No other candidate had the guts to say that out loud, even though every reasonably informed person knew it. Thereafter I learned to listen to Trump for myself, and not trust the MSM’s characterizations of what he said. Usually there’s a huge difference. McCain has been a loyal warmonger for years. His father was instrumental in covering up the USS Liberty treachery.

          Any president trying to take on the deep state will have to do a lot of feinting and pretending simply to stay in the game. Your analysis makes a lot of sense, though it is a chaotic situation. The MSM pretense that there are no secret machinations is ludicrous to anyone who goes outside the MSM. And the MSM’s amazingly relentless, so often bogus, efforts to bring Trump down is itself a big piece of evidence in his favor.

          The evidence points to a deep state headquartered in the biggest banks, with Israel being its current chief instrument for provoking wars. This would make Israel America’s most dangerous enemy, camouflaged as a friend. For new CN readers, the evidence is laid out clearly in “War Profiteer Story”
          http://warprofiteerstory.blogspot.com

        • Daniel
          August 7, 2018 at 00:58

          Oh good heavens! Trump has been groomed by the globalist cabal going back to at least the 1980s when Rothschilds employee, Wilbur Ross convinced the Rothschilds to bail him out with $ billions of dollars when his real estate and gambling scams went belly up.

          Yes, that would be the same Wilbur Ross who Trump appointed as our Commerce Secretary.

          BTW: are you a fan of child rapist and sex trafficker, Jeffery Epstein? You know the 15+ year friend (and still neighbor) of Donald Trump, who was let off copping a minor plea deal when FL Attorney General Alexander Acosta muscled in on an easy conviction? The deal whereby all of Epstein’s “clients” names were sealed?

          Yes, that would be the same Alexander Acosta who Trump appointed as our Labor Secretary.

          Concern about the homeless? You mean like the 9 million USAmerican families who had their homes stolen out from under them by the banksters? Banksters like the “Foreclosure King” of California, Steven Mnuchin who, after 17 years at Goldman Sachs, managed OneWest Bank that was owned by George Soros?

          Yes, that would be the same Steven Mnuchin who Trump appointed as our new Treasure Secretary.

          Are you serious? Or are you a Q-coholic?

          • backwardsevolution
            August 7, 2018 at 14:24

            Daniel – yep, I agree they’re a bunch of bums, but, like Paul Craig Roberts said when Trump became President: he was going to have a very hard time picking anyone who wasn’t part of the Swamp. Anyone knowing their way around Washington, how it works, etc., was going to be part of the Swamp. And Epstein, Bill Clinton’s flying companion? Yes, scum who’s probably holding a lot of blackmail cards against some pretty influential people. Good luck with that.

            Are you telling me that Trump is well-liked by the elite? You could have fooled me, but then maybe it’s all a good act? They’re crucifying Trump on a 24/7 basis, but it’s all part of the show and he’s really doing what Wall Street and the U.S. multinationals want him to do?

            Time will tell, I guess. If you’re right and Trump is part of the globalist elite and always has been, then he’s a good sport for going along with Russiagate and the hooker scandals then.

      • Deschutes
        August 2, 2018 at 06:39

        You’re crazy. You act like Trump actually cares about the homeless and disenfranchised in USA? Dream on. I haven’t read a single article where he mentions it. Here is the most clueless part of your post-

        “He’s even had to hand the U.S. multinationals huge tax cuts in order to entice them to bring their money home (which they are doing).”

        You’re hopelessly lost and totally clueless if you actually think Trump’s tax breaks for the super rich and the corporations will create jobs, i.e. that these corporate elites will benevolently use this huge windfall of money to create jobs for poor Americans. LOL!!! All that money will go to enriching themselves even more, and screw everyday Americans. Your argument is the exact same one republicans have been using since Reagan was in office–38 years ago! “Trickle down economics”, and the disingenuous claim that tax breaks for corporations and the uber rich will ostensibly allow them to hire more workers, blah blah blah.

        It NEVER HAPPENED dude.

        • backwardsevolution
          August 2, 2018 at 07:16

          Deschutes – look at the evidence. Trump immediately got rid of the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) upon becoming President. He’s rewriting NAFTA. He’s imposing tariffs on the U.S. multinationals who offshored the jobs. He’s trying to control the border so as to stop the flood of illegals who depress wages for the average American worker.

          Just look at the flak he’s taken for doing these things. If he didn’t care about the country or its people, he wouldn’t have bothered.

          I agree “trickle down” was actually “trickle up” during Reagan’s time, but I think Trump reduced corporate taxes for other reasons: first of all, to recoup some of the tax dollars that have been sitting offshore (otherwise that money would never have come back) and, secondly, to try to entice at least some of the U.S. multinationals to come back home. They “can” choose not to come back, but if they don’t return, then their goods are going to suffer tariffs. This tariff money can then go to helping the homeless and the unemployed.

          These multinationals are no longer going to get away with offshoring jobs and then turning around and selling back into the U.S. market without facing some consequences. These tariffs ARE going to bite their profits hard, greatly reducing the reason to have offshored in the first place. If you save 40% by using offshore slave labor and no environmental controls, yet face stiff tariffs on your goods coming back into the country, then it’s hardly worth it, especially considering the transportation costs.

          If they choose not to come back home and just pay the tariffs, at least that levels the playing field somewhat, and other competitors can then enter the market on the home end.

          No, corporate elites are not benevolent. They will follow the money. If it is no longer beneficial to offshore jobs, then they will follow the money home.

          • Ed
            August 2, 2018 at 11:49

            “If they choose not to come back home and just pay the tariffs, at least that levels the playing field somewhat, and other competitors can then enter the market on the home end.”

            No other competitors will be willing to enter the market under the current hostile regulatory structure that exists. Profit is effectively prohibited by regulations. The regulatory structure allows an entrepreneurial use of the regulatory system by office holders, who can accept benefits from those who benefit from regulation. The result of that is what produced the huge web of regulations that exists today.

            If Trump is sincerely trying to reboot American manufacturing, then tariffs and a trade war are the wrong way to do it. Trump has authority to stop the regulatory agencies from harming manufacturers with their regulations. All of those agencies, EPA, DOE, etc. are under the Executive branch.

            Soon after the inauguration, Trump ordered a freeze on new regulations. The agencies have kept right on with the agenda of control, and the useless AG that Trump appointed has been leaning on FDA and DEA to chase drug users, while the EPA has been handed over to a new appointee who is committed to the old Obama agenda of harassing auto manufacturers.

            Eliminating regulatory hurdles to manufacturing would go further toward persuading manufacturing corporations to bring production back to the US than weaponizing tariffs to force them to do something. Tariffs will just raise the cost of everything the overburdened American people have to buy, and a trade war will just disrupt the crippled US economy even further.

          • backwardsevolution
            August 3, 2018 at 02:21

            Ed – good on you for bringing up regulations. I do remember reading that the people who currently hold monopolies LOVE regulations because they create a barrier for new entrants into the market. The new people don’t have the big corporate lawyers and accountants to fill out the paperwork; it is not as easy for them to jump through the hoops and get their foot in the door. I also remember reading that these regulatory agencies disproportionately go after these new entrants in order to shut them down or make it hard for them to gain ground. Is this what you are referring to?

            Or are you referring to the U.S. multinationals and companies who have been manufacturing offshore and why they wouldn’t want to come back home if they had to face stiff regulations? It’s been nice for these guys. They’ve reaped huge profits by manufacturing abroad with no environmental controls and cheap labor. They manufactured a toaster for next to nothing, for example, and yet only sold it for a few dollars less than it would have cost to manufacture it in the U.S., pocketing the rest. They could have passed some of the profits along, but chose not to. The CEO’s and shareholders took it all.

            I mean, the way I see it is if they take away jobs from the very people they expect to buy their products (their consumer base), the very same people who haven’t really had a raise in years when you factor in inflation, who have ended up working two and three jobs and using credit just to get by, it’s kind of understandable that someone would come along and put a stop to it.

            So now the consumer is tapped out, they can’t afford to pay more for the products. They either won’t pay more and choose to do without, in which case the manufacturer will lose, or the manufacturer can pass some of the profits along and lower the price of their products.

            Ed, maybe I’ve got this all wrong. Please correct me where I’m wrong. Thanks.

      • Tom F
        August 2, 2018 at 15:52

        Trump may well be clueless but this is possibly being far too kind.

        • backwardsevolution
          August 3, 2018 at 02:28

          Tom F – to think Trump is clueless is to underestimate him. If he was so clueless, he would not have become the President of the United States, he would not be extremely wealthy, and he’d have been assassinated by now.

  50. soraya sepahpour-ulrich
    August 1, 2018 at 16:55

    I know your intentions are admirable. Kudos, but explain to me how you got this “intel” in there: “Iran’s current support for international terrorism is far short of what it was decades ago;”. Would you inform your readers where you got your information which states: “While Iran is guilty of having used terrorism as a national policy tool, the Iran of 2017 is not the Iran of 1981. In the early days of the Islamic Republic, Iranian operatives routinely carried out car bombings, kidnappings and assassinations of dissidents and of American citizens.”
    Thanks. Would love to know.

    • JTMcPhee
      August 2, 2018 at 08:31

      Not clear what your intentions are, Soraya. But this same group of VIPS did offer some evidence of the sort you say you are concerned about fairly recently, regarding Iran and “terrorism.” Here’s the link: http://washingtonsblog.com/2017/12/iran-worlds-leading-sponsor-terrorism.html Note that the url sounds scary, but that the headline puts the “world’s leading sponsor” phrase in skeptical quote marks. It would seem that these folks, no longer facing career threats for not going along with the neocon/Israelite program, might be offering some pretty strong reasons why your ‘concern’ is unfounded.

      In the meantime, you might contemplate the definition of “insurgency” contained in the DoD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, the constantly updated lexicon of the war machine:

      “insurgency — The organized use of subversion and violence to seize, nullify, or challenge political control of a region. Insurgency can also refer to the group itself. (JP 3-24)”. http://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/dictionary.pdf

      That dictionary is of course constantly updated, to fit the working definitions to the narrative and policies of the moment. There are older versions on the web, and it is a sick kind of fun to compare the various versions of loaded terms over time. As you contemplate, think about how the behaviors and policies of our great nation fit so wonderfully squarely within that definition. it’s not like the US’s actions are obscure — here’s some open reporting of the US’s undermining and overthrowing whole governments, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change . And of course the CIA’s own web site, if you parse through it, brags about that agency’s activities as an “insurgent,” which I bet you might allow is a synonym for “terrorist” in most contexts. Like the self-praise for the paramilitary insurgency brought about by Gary Schroen and his little band of operatives and their bundles of greenbacks, as documented here: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol49no4/War_on_Terror_9.htm Let us even leave off discussion of the open secret that the US and Israel and SA and other “partners” fostered “terrorist” and “insurgent” groups all over the world. Contras, Jonas Savimbi, and so many others.

      It’s interesting to me that the DoD dictionary does not contain some salient definitions: for example, “war,” and “victory,” and “success” are tellingly absent. I guess since the Empire recognizes that all these complex procurement and supply chain and deployment and operational activities are pretty much vastly expensive and costly (slightly different concepts) failures and futility, if one looks to the common understanding of just those three terms? “War is a racket.” My little experience of war, as a mope in Vietnam, confirms that.

      So who is the biggest? And is Iran still a yuuuge sponsor of terrorism? Let us know what you really think! We mopes who suffer, along with our families, from the imperial bent toward attempted “full spectrum dominance” would also love to know.

  51. August 1, 2018 at 16:50

    If Netanyahu, Bolton and the neocons, the MEK, Saudis, Adelson get their war with Iran, there will be hell to pay for everyone worldwide. These are different times since the Iraq invasion. Russia and China will not stand by and let this happen.

    The USA economic house of cards is pretty shaky but neocons care not, they are crazed. When Mad Dog Mattis is the voice of reason, we’re in trouble. Pepe Escobar referred to Trump’s all-caps tweet threatening Iran as the “Tweet of Mass Destruction”. No wonder Iran calls the USA “The Great Satan”. This time the USA may go down and completely lose. What arrogance for the USA to play a role of moral authority when this country has none! I am thoroughly sick of this country’s government!

    • Elaine Sandchaz
      August 2, 2018 at 15:11

      Jessika, Jessika, Jessika – Neither Russia nor China give one damn for Iran; both would now, and will in time, gladly throw Iran and all the mullahs under the bus. Why? – because neither country has any respect what so ever for the core ideologies of hate that fuels the actions of the current leaders and which infects the whole middle east.

      The old beliefs in “sky gods” are fading from human consciousness. The World’s understanding of the ages old “battle between good and evil” is rapidly changing. The old generations die off and new generations are thinking for themselves. Humanity is rejecting the group-think that is still, after many thousand of years, based primarily on BIGOTRY, HATE and GREED.

      This change in belief is happening the World over – which is the Key to the future. That Key is not held solely in the USA.

      HATE is in our faces every day (on TV, etc); we recoil at it and are shocked in disbelief. But the result is that intelligent people, honest within themselves, are no longer buying in to the BS thinking that Hate promotes.

      Honest and true people are free and no longer peddling Hate. Hate is (each person’s individual choice for) the denial of Good and the promotion of Evil. Humanity is learning that Hate always comes back and bites us (individually) where it destroys all we value the most.

      Take a hard look at where Hate lives – destruction is the consequence.

  52. Robert Hnath
    August 1, 2018 at 16:29

    What are the odds of this message ever reaching the eyes of the POTUS…..or are we just preaching to the choir.

  53. August 1, 2018 at 16:09

    Colin Powell made the pivotal case for invading Iraq. His opening salvo to the Security Council of the United Nations was a translation of an intercepted conversation. That translation was bogus. See:

    https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2015/08/06/who-deceived-colin-powell/

    I think Powell believed the falsehoods that he was told. That’s why he was so convincing.

    • Tom F
      August 2, 2018 at 16:09

      He was a politician after greasing his way to the top in the military. Politicians lie for a living, you are being far too kind.

  54. backwardsevolution
    August 1, 2018 at 16:05

    “Iranian lawmakers have given President Hassan Rouhani one month to appear before parliament to answer questions on his government’s handling of Iran’s economic struggles, state media reported on Wednesday.

    It is the first time parliament has summoned Rouhani, who is under pressure from hardline rivals to change his cabinet following a deterioration in relations with the United States and Iran’s growing economic difficulties.

    Lawmakers want to question Rouhani on topics including the rial’s decline, which has lost more than half its value since April, weak economic growth and rising unemployment, according to semi-official ISNA news agency.

    Rouhani, a pragmatist who reduced tensions with the West by striking a nuclear deal in 2015, is facing a growing backlash since U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out from the pact in May and said he will reimpose sanctions that seek to throttle Iran’s economy, including its lifeblood oil exports.

    ISNA said lawmakers also want Rouhani to explain why, more than two years after the landmark deal, Iranian banks still have only limited access to global financial services.”

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-economy/iran-mps-summon-rouhani-as-u-s-pressure-squeezes-economy-idUSKBN1KM46G

    • backwardsevolution
      August 1, 2018 at 16:23

      So Rouhani took a chance and assured Iranian hardliners that if they went along with the 2015 nuclear deal, all would be well. They abided by their side of the agreement. He is then slapped in the face when the agreement is ripped up and Iran is sanctioned.

      How to break a country: double-cross the good guy who went along with you by shredding the agreement he stuck his neck out over, apply heavy sanctions, foment riots inside the country, and create crippling inflation because of currency depreciation. Once that’s done, then offer to talk to the guy you’ve just stabbed in the back, of course with “no conditions”. Talk about a slap!

      Eventually the hardliners take over, they react to Israhell’s constant baiting, and war is on. Lots of weapons and caskets sold, Wall Street is happy.

      • Elaine Sandchaz
        August 2, 2018 at 17:54

        You said,
        “So Rouhani took a chance and assured Iranian hardliners that IF they went along with the 2015 nuclear deal, all would be well”.

        And IF Trump had not won the election, all would have been well for Iran – what ever its plans for the near future were would still be on track. For the mullahs the gamble, that the agreement would hold through the 2016-20 US administration, was worth it : financially and time-wise. But the deal fell apart because of Trump. Not Rouhani’s fault that HRC did not win.

        Now what is Iran’s next move to be? What is the west’s next move? Who will move first?

        I do not believe for a moment that what appears to be greatly lessening the tensions between the USA and North Korea will be the strategy the mullahs, etc, will take. Their hatred of all that is Western is too ingrained : in their minds, bodies and souls. They seem so sure that the sky-gods are on their side that they truly must believe their constantly stated hatred of the west will be rewarded…and it will. But “will the rewards for them be positive or negative” is the interesting question. Is their belief strong enough to gamble on it?

        The old hard-line, war-mongers (in the USA, like McCain) are now less certain of their security and besides are literally dying off… AND November 2018 is soon upon us. In 14 weeks, we will have a very good idea of which way the winds of the next 2 years will blow. We live in very interesting times. Will there be a war of words… or WWIII ???

        • backwardsevolution
          August 2, 2018 at 20:47

          Elaine – we can all be thankful that the War Goddess did not win – Syria would have been flattened by now, and Iran would have been well on its way to being leveled too. Sanctions, bruised pride and a ripped-up agreement are certainly preferable to war. I wouldn’t bank on Trump going to war for Israel.

          Iran has had to endure a lot, living under years of sanctions, and for what? So a tiny country who never should have existed in the first place, a country who has stolen the land and lives of its neighbors, can feel more comfortable?

          You want to see what hatred and real anger would look like? Boycott and sanction Israel, level all the buildings in the occupied territories, force them back to their original borders, make them register as a Foreign Agent in the U.S., pass a law that forbids U.S. politicians taking money or bribes. IOW, lay them out like Iran is being laid out, take away their power. Then watch the fireworks.

          • Skip Scott
            August 4, 2018 at 06:59

            B.E.-

            I am hoping that you are right, and that Trump won’t go to war for Israel. And I also had no faith in Hillary abiding by the Iranian Nuclear agreement, or at least finding another excuse for war. Iran was on the list that Wesley Clark told us about right after 9/11, and that list is still being enforced by the Deep State, no matter which party is in power.

            This all goes back to Global Imperialism vs. Nationalism. Any country that tries to build an economy for the benefit of its citizens rather than the 1% becomes a target. The US MIC and our “Intelligence Community” are the empire’s enforcement arm. It’s that simple, and they will do whatever is necessary, and kill anyone, in their pursuit of their goal of worldwide feudalism.

          • backwardsevolution
            August 5, 2018 at 03:57

            Skip Scott – I have no idea why Trump ripped up that Iranian agreement. He certainly doesn’t believe in war; that much I know. It could be he felt he had to hand over Jerusalem and rip up the agreement to placate the neocons/Israel and prevent a war. Who knows. I feel very sorry for the people of Iran, though. They don’t deserve more sanctions.

            I like your second paragraph a lot. “Any country that tries to build an economy for the benefit of its citizens rather than the 1% becomes a target.” Yep, even the U.S.

            This really is the globalists versus the nationalists. It’s a class war – the 1% versus the rest of us. The Democrats and the majority of the Republicans are on board with the 1%. I guess it makes sense since they are the 1% too.

            It’s like the U.S. is in a race to get all of their chess pieces in place. They’re ring-fencing Russia, putting them on the back burner, and once they get the Middle East sewn up, China will be stymied. Europe is under thumb. They’re not worried about Central and South America, India or Africa. Japan is on side, along with Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

            I don’t know where it’s all going to end. All I know is I wish it WOULD end. Good talking to you, Skip Scott. Take care.

  55. anastasia
    August 1, 2018 at 13:58

    Things are presently heating up in Syria also. Israel is pushing the envelope there, and will not stop pushing.

  56. anastasia
    August 1, 2018 at 13:57

    the war with Iran has been in the planning stages for many years. That’s why Trump is in office. There is no way, Trump, Israel’s most groveling sycophantic US President of all, will not do Israel’s bidding.

    • backwardsevolution
      August 1, 2018 at 17:27

      anastasia – I wouldn’t bank on that. So far Trump has been treading a fine line between appeasing the warmongers and appeasing those opposed to war or the build-up of NATO. He has gone against the establishment elites re North Korea, Russia and the intelligence agencies. I don’t know what he’s doing with this Iran business, but you can be sure he’s again treading a fine line. A good tread is always better than war.

      • Dave P.
        August 3, 2018 at 03:03

        Trump is no fool. He is not going to attack Iran. The whole Establishment is looking for an excuse to remove him. And they will if something goes wrong even slightly in this adventure. He will lose some of the support of his base too. I don’t believe for a second that he is going to start a new war. So far his actions have been very peripheral in Syria, that is why the NeCons are in rage these days.

        If you watch all his interviews going back three decades, it is clear that he does not want to waste all this money supporting the defense of Germany, Japan, and South Korea, the countries which are responsible for destroying the Industrial base of this country. China is still exporting cheap products only to U.S. and is not as much of a threat as yet.

        From what I have observed, if Trump had the authority and free hand, he will get rid of all these existing defense alliances and some overseas bases too and make some kind of arrangement with Russia because it will be in the economic interest of U.S.

  57. anastasia
    August 1, 2018 at 13:53

    In breaching the agreement with Iran, the US obviously wants to make this lie more plausible. How could it be plausible if Iran’s dismantling of its nuclear capabilities was constantly being verified by outside sources, as it was repeatedly verified by neutral parties, under the agreement. . By breaching the agreement, and now with no agreement, are there any longer any checks or verification process taking place? Without those checks and that verification, will the lie of the US have a better chance of being believed? Maybe that is why Trump breached this agreement? Maybe he had to get the verification process out of the way so that he could lie better about their having nuclear weapons.

  58. Loretta
    August 1, 2018 at 12:33

    Bravo! It is a godsend for the world that you honest and competent VIPS are fighting the insanity de jour which has caused Americans and peoples around the world so much pain, grief and desastrous misery. Thank you, thank you so much for speaking truth to power. I am convinced that it DOES make a difference.

  59. mike
    August 1, 2018 at 12:12

    “O, it is excellent

    To have a giant’s strength; but it is tyrannous

    To use it like a giant.”

    – Measure for Measure

  60. Jeff Harrison
    August 1, 2018 at 10:17

    The only thing I don’t like about this memo is probably inappropriate for this. Who died and made us God? Compliance with the NNPT is the UN’s job, not the US’s. The IAEA says that Iran is in compliance.

    • Loretta
      August 1, 2018 at 12:39

      Indeed. But certain people and powers are busy dismantling the UN’s credibility. Unfortunately, the world lacks courageous leaders who would speak up and protect the UN. As a matter of fact, certain “perception management” specialists are destroying the very foundations of our culture: namely reliance on fact rather than propaganda to inform important decisions.

      • Sam F
        August 2, 2018 at 12:44

        I like your note that “‘perception management’ specialists are destroying the very foundations of our culture: namely reliance on fact rather than propaganda to inform important decisions.”

        The ability of money to control mass media and elections, is the disease of the US, from which its Constitution did not protect the institutions of democracy. And without those tools of democracy, we cannot restore it peacefully, and await a miserable demise and grievous revolution. Glory be to gold!

  61. Joe Tedesky
    August 1, 2018 at 10:00

    In addition to what the VIPS said, Dear Mr President tell Saudi Arabia & Israel to go on and fight their own wars.

  62. Al Pinto
    August 1, 2018 at 09:54

    Asides from the VIPS members helped to lay the foundation for the intelligence system that we currently have…

    Based on the VIPS past letters to the the POTUS, there seems to be an inevitable war with Iran. Maybe they should not send these letters…

    • robin
      August 1, 2018 at 12:10

      “They” do have to send the letter to Mr. President , but I doubt it will reach Mr.Trump ,the President of US.

      We Should Listen to the Iraqi Parliament . —
      https://www.globalresearch.ca/we-should-listen-to-the-iraqi-parliament/5631144?utm_campaign=magnet&utm_source=article_page&utm_medium=related_articles

    • Sam F
      August 1, 2018 at 17:01

      Yet of course they have good research, excellent essays and good effects so far as possible, and that intel experience had good intent, and lends excellent credibility.

      • Al Pinto
        August 3, 2018 at 17:03

        Of course they do, they are ones who designed the framework and built the system. Up to a certain point, they were more than willing to go along and probably did things that previous generation of spooks found unacceptable. Time has changed and now, it is their turn to find the current generation’s activities unacceptable. Well, that’s life….

        Forgetting that if you build it, they will come…

        I’ve watched a number of videos of their presentation at seminars, or other events, where their disclose much more information about the internal workings of the IAs, including the five eyes. Snowden’s released documents were only scratching the surface of what’s really going on within the government, IAs and corporations. Just watch some videos of these people…

    • Ed
      August 2, 2018 at 12:18

      “Based on the VIPS past letters to the the POTUS, there seems to be an inevitable war with Iran. Maybe they should not send these letters…”

      I disagree. The letter seems to have helped in ’08. Making the letter public also helps because if there are any sane people left in government service, the content of the letter will at least be available to those who might read it and could influence their advice to the “decider”. That seems to have worked in the past.

  63. Glenn Goodman
    August 1, 2018 at 09:44

    I read several years ago that Iran had told us that any war with Iran would be fought, not just in their country, but in ours and in Israel as well. The message detailed as I recall 800 targets within the U.S. which included military, infrastructure and mass civilian casualty. The operatives were said to already be in our country ready to go. I have not recently been able to find any mention of this on the web and have begun to doubt my memory. What do you know about this Ray, and by the way, thank you and everyone at VIPS for all your wonderful work.

  64. Sam F
    August 1, 2018 at 08:17

    If the admin does not dare use another WMD hoax, they can claim another “high level of confidence” of unnamed authorities like the Israelis, that Iran did unspecified naughty meddling still under investigation years later, blaming Iran for the Yemen famine.

    It was Israel that sourced the claims of Iraq WMD: zionist defsec Wolfowitz placed known zionist conspirators at offices in DIA, CIA, and NSA to “stovepipe” discredited “intel” to Bush/Cheney: Perl, Wurmser, and Feith had worked together to persuade Netanyahu to trick the US into wars for Israel, and one was an Israeli agent.

    A minor typo: “claims about Iran’ they are” should perhaps be “Iran:”

  65. mike k
    August 1, 2018 at 07:53

    Ah, love, let us be true
    To one another! for the world, which seems
    To lie before us like a land of dreams,
    So various, so beautiful, so new,
    Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
    Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
    And we are here as on a darkling plain
    Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
    Where ignorant armies clash by night.

    (Taken from Dover Beach, by Matthew Arnold.)

    • Sam F
      August 1, 2018 at 08:27

      Very moving words in times “swept with confused alarms” as “ignorant armies clash.”

  66. Sally Snyder
    August 1, 2018 at 07:22

    As shown in this article, the U.S. Secretary of State is trying to manipulate Iranian Americans into supporting regime change in Iran:

    https://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2018/07/manipulating-iranian-americans-laying.html

    Washington is working overtime to lay the groundwork for a war in Iran.

    • Elaine Sandchaz
      August 2, 2018 at 18:10

      You said…”Washington is working overtime to lay the groundwork for a war in Iran.”

      BUT perhaps Washington is working overtime to lay the groundwork to convince Iran that a war is being planned… OR …perhaps we are both right …depending on what Iran does or does not do. If this then Plan A …but if not this then Plan B.

      • Skip Scott
        August 4, 2018 at 07:05

        “Plan A” is fomenting another phony revolution, “plan B” is bomb the sh*t out of them.

  67. Alcuin
    August 1, 2018 at 07:16

    Typo in para 6.

  68. michael
    August 1, 2018 at 07:07

    An earlier CN article gave evidence for 2.4 million people killed in Iraq alone since 9/11:
    consortiumnews.com/2018/03/22/how-many-millions-of-people-have-been-killed-in-americas-post-9-11-wars-part-one-iraq/
    The maimed, the displaced, the enormous inhumanity of destroying country after country (“nation building”) just because our allies Saudi Arabia and Israel claim their safety is threatened. This means that no one in our neolib/neocon dominated government (Congress, State Department, think tanks, and the 17 Intelligence Agencies) will listen to any countering arguments, no matter how cogent, or credentialed the opposing views are. One only has to compare America’s response to illegal immigrants, who are invading our country but are ‘acceptable’ criminals, to the rampant racism aimed at Arabs and Russians, who can be demonized and slaughtered with no moral pains or repercussions. Guess America needs to aim their inherent deep-seated racism at some Other allowing war crimes against millions that are easily justified, at least in America, Saudi Arabia and Israel. And of course our leaders and bureaucrats are never held accountable for their actions, because they are “exceptional” Americans.

    • Loretta
      August 1, 2018 at 12:42

      Indeed. Well said.

  69. Winston Warfield
    August 1, 2018 at 07:05

    Yes. Catastrophic. Iran is likely not bluffing that it will block oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. More disturbing is its ally Russia’s anti- ship supersonic and hypersonic cruise missile capabilities which can make the entire Persian Gulf a no-go zone for U.S. Navy carrier battle groups. Were an iconic naval asset like an aircraft carrier disabled or sunk, the only remaining viable response by a humiliated American military might be nuclear retaliation.

  70. Gen Dao
    August 1, 2018 at 05:39

    This is a good letter, but it fails to discuss Iranian missiles. Many hawks in Congress and no doubt in the administration will grant that nuclear weapons may not be under development in Iran, but they assert that the new generation of Iranian missiles is equally dangerous. Given the fact that Saudi Arabia has many missiles and that Israel has both missiles and stealth aircraft, it is natural for Iran to possess missiles of various ranges. However, US hawks do not allow this logic. They commonly use the presence of advanced Iranian missiles alone as a valid reason for attacking Iran. If you had addressed this issue, I believe your letter would have been even stronger. I hope you will deal with the Iranian missile issue in the future.

    • rosemerry
      August 1, 2018 at 12:38

      The USA, of course, like Israel, only wants conflict with those with no defense.

      • RnM
        August 2, 2018 at 03:39

        The real recipe for the apocalypse. Self-selection, until there’s no one else left but nuclear powers.

    • alley cat
      August 1, 2018 at 12:55

      Nice comment, Gen Dao. Of course, if Iran destroyed its advanced missiles, the neocons (mostly Zionists) would just invent another lame pretext to destroy Iran. The neocons like to brag about “making their own reality,” which means they never let inconvenient facts like those recited in the VIPS letter get in the way of global domination. They will use their control of the US news media to soften up public opposition to their wars of aggression, and that includes war with Russia and China when the time is right.

      The BDS movement could throw a monkey wrench into the neocons’ war plans, and that’s why there are currently several bills working their way through Congress to criminalize criticism of Israel/support for BDS.

      • uncle tungsten
        August 1, 2018 at 16:46

        Thank you alley cat I heartily agree. All peace loving people and nations can further world peace by immediately adopting BDS as national policy. Just as in the campaign for nuclear disarmament or the campaign against aparthied south africa, it begins at the village level. Local governments need to have clear boycott, disinvest, sanction policies in place.

  71. alley cat
    August 1, 2018 at 03:22

    On July 17, The Times of Israel reported:

    In a video clip aired Tuesday by Israeli television, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted that Israel was responsible for US President Donald Trump’s decision to quit the Iran nuclear deal.

    Netanyahu does not explain in the video [. . .] how he convinced Trump to exit the deal.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-recording-netanyahu-boasts-israel-convinced-trump-to-quit-iran-nuclear-deal/

    Hmmm . . .

    In other, older news, Sheldon Adelson, a fanatical Zionist, donated $30 million to a conservative super PAC supporting House Republicans.

    Could there be a connection?

    Lately I’ve been having this recurring nightmare about a boot stamping on a human face; but the boot belongs to a Zionist, not a Nazi. The face could be Ahed’s . . . or yours or mine. The most terrifying part is that while Zionist plutocrats like Sheldon Adelson help pay for that Zionist boot doing all that stamping, most of the money comes from US taxpayers, who don’t realize their taxes are making the world safe for apartheid, not democracy.

  72. Limert
    August 1, 2018 at 03:07

    To me it seems beyond unbelievable that any one is buying «intelligence» reports from the CIA and other corrupt agencies anymore. It either shows how dishonest they are, or how engulfed they are in their own manufactured bubble.

    • Skip Scott
      August 1, 2018 at 11:52

      It’s not a matter of “buying” into anything. It is pure power. Trump knows that he could be “JFK’d” at any time. No president has been in charge of major foreign policy decisions since Nov.22nd, 1963.

      • KiwiAntz
        August 1, 2018 at 14:21

        So true Skip. The first thing Trump did when he was elected was visit Deepstate Central at the Intelligence Agencies. Trump’s no fool, he’ll dance to the tune played by the DS to avoid suffering JFK’s fate & will not allow himself to be a Zapruder movie star, having his head blown off in a continuous movie loop!

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