Who Has Clearest Means, Motive, and Opportunity to Attack Middle East Targets?

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Means, motive and opportunity must be proved in criminal trials to show guilt. Crimes involve use of a weapon, a motive to use it, and an opportunity to commit an offense.

Tens of thousands of US forces are deployed on scores of bases throughout the Middle East — used as platforms for regional aggression and other hostile actions. 

Israel is a virtual land-based aircraft carrier for militarism and regional wars on its adversaries, partnering with US imperial aggression as well.

Both nations are militantly hostile toward Iran, wanting pro-Western puppet rule replacing its sovereign independent government.

The Islamic Republic never attacked another country. It's a leading proponent of regional peace and stability, abhorrent of nuclear weapons it wants eliminated, seeking cooperative relations with other countries.

On Friday, Trump falsely accused Iran of being behind the Thursday Gulf of Oman attacks on two tankers.

He cited no evidence backing his claim because none exists, saying: "It was them that did it (sic). We will see what happens. We are being very tough on sanctions…We're going to see how to stop (it)."

Asked what he intends to do, he declined to answer. The same goes for Pompeo on the same issue — making falsified claims with no evidence backing them, short of indicating the Trump regime's intentions.

All politicians lie. The Trump regime is stacked with some of the most egregious liars in memory, including DJT, exceeding the worst dissembling of his predecessors. 

Nothing he or other regime official say is credible, repeating a litany of Big Lies about Iran and other US adversaries.

A previous article cited the cui bono standard. Who benefits from the Thursday Gulf of Oman incident? Clearly not Iran. 

The Trump regime, Israel, and their anti-Iran partners benefit by blaming Tehran for an incident no evidence suggests it had anything to do with.

On Friday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani slammed the Trump regime, saying the following:

"For the past two years, the US government has used its economic, financial and military power through an aggressive approach to disrupt all international structures and regulations…(creating) a serious threat for the stability of the region and the world," adding:

"The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that today, the international community has been challenged more than ever by the issue of unilateralism, and the problems and complexities of today's world, especially terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking, have made multilateralism a necessity."

The Trump regime "trampled on (the JCPOA nuclear deal. It) "violated UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and launched economic war and terrorism" on Iran.

Rouhani spoke at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) session in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Attending the summit, Vladimir Putin praised his Iranian counterpart, highlighting the strategic relationship between Russia and Iran, adding:

Bilateral relations are "multifaceted and multilateral. This concerns the economy, issues of stability in the region, (and) joint efforts to combat terrorism, including in Syria." Both nations are involved in defeating the scourge of US supported terrorism.

China's Xi Jinping stressed his country's strategic relationship with Iran, continuing to buy it oil despite US sanctions, stressing as well that "Beijing is ready to promote its cooperation with Iran in fighting terrorism and organized crimes."

He welcomed Iran's cooperation in China's Belt and Road Initiative, seeking greater regional integration, involving scores of countries, and over $1 trillion in infrastructure and other longterm investments.

A joint statement by SCO participating nations "emphasized the unacceptability of attempts to ensure one country's security at the expense of other countries' security, and noted that the unilateral and unlimited buildup of missile defense systems by certain countries or groups of states was detrimental to international security and a destabilizing factor in the world."

The statement aimed at unacceptable Trump regime policies, a global menace risking more wars than already.

Last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the US a global "existential threat," the main source of wars, instability, chaos and crises.

He urged multilateral dialogue against this menace affecting all nations worldwide, stressing "Iran will always be a steadfast partner in pursuit of cooperative relations among nations."

The US under Republicans and undemocratic Dems is the greatest purveyor of violence in world history on a global scale, its barbarity unequaled, responsible for more harm to more people globally over a longer duration than any other nation. 

It's the greatest threat to world peace, contemptuous of democratic values and rule of law principles, indifferent to human suffering, governed by its criminal class.

Daily events should scare everyone. Is attacking Iran preemptively on the Trump regime's agenda, unjustifiably justified by Big Lies?

Will Venezuela come next or at the same time? Perhaps nuclear war on Russia and China are on the drawing board to eliminate Washington's main rivals for global dominance — and all other life forms if things go this far.

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

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