Propaganda War on Iran

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

Irresponsible Iran bashing is all about wanting the country transformed into a US client state, its sovereign independence eliminated, its valued hydrocarbon resources looted, its people repressed and exploited.

It's also about advancing US/Israeli imperial aims, seeking regional dominance, wanting challengers to their hegemonic ambitions eliminated.

Anti-Iran propaganda is relentless. Days of violence in Tehran and other parts of the country last month had CIA dirty hands all over them.

Carefully planned and staged well in advance of what happened, there was nothing spontaneous about it.

Armed insurgents were responsible for deaths, numerous injuries, and widespread violence — an operation requiring considerable advance planning.

According to Iran's Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, "(o)ver 50 military bases had been targeted during the violence, while 34 ambulances, 731 banks, 140 government sites, 70 gas stations, nine religious centers, 307 private vehicles, 183 military vehicles and 1,076 private motorbikes were attacked and torched."

"Ringleaders and masterminds" were arrested, among them members of the infamous US-funded MEK terrorist group.

Iran's Chief of Staff Chairman General Mohammad Baqeri said widespread violence and vandalism last month was "a plot that had been devised and orchestrated against the country," destabilization its aim.

NYT propaganda falsely blamed Iran for US-orchestrated violence against the country and its people.

Citing no evidence, it dubiously claimed "at least 180 people (were) killed — and possibly hundreds more."

Peaceful protests followed an announced increase in petrol prices, the action used as a pretext for externally orchestrated days of violence and vandalism. 

The cost of fuel in Iran remains among the world's lowest after the price hike, currently at 12.7 cents a liter.

The Times falsely blamed Iranian security forces for CIA-orchestrated violence.

Instead of denouncing Trump regime economic terrorism on Iran. along with breach of international and constitutional law for abandoning the Security Council's unanimously adopted JCPOA nuclear deal, Times propaganda said the following:

"The sanctions are meant to pressure Iran into renegotiating the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and major world powers, which President Trump abandoned, calling it too weak (sic)."

Unilaterally imposed sanctions by one nation on others have no legal validity, a UN Charter breach. Countries complying with them are complicit in criminality. So are go along establishment media.

In cahoots with their corporate donors and US-led Western interests, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International (AI) largely operate as imperial propaganda machines.

Commenting on violence in Iran last month, HRW falsely accused its government of "cover(ing up a) brutal crackdown" — while ignoring US dirty hands all over what happened.

Its Middle East director Michael Page lied, claiming its authorities "threatened detainees with death."

HRW mocked the notion that what continued for days were orchestrated riots. Its ringleaders and other hooligans involved warrant harsh punishment according to law.

Page turned truth on its head, claiming "people (were) protesting for a better life."

HRW ignored mass turnouts in Tehran and elsewhere, supporting actions taken by the government to quell days of rioting — what ruling authorities everywhere would do under similar circumstances, reality HRW excluded from its propaganda report.

Amnesty International (AI) was just as one-sided in reporting on last month's violence in the Iran, saying:

"The international community must denounce the intentional lethal use of force by Iranian security forces…"

Fact: "The international community must denounce the" CIA-orchestrated violence, vandalism and chaos in Iran and everywhere else — high crimes against humanity the Times, HRW and AI ignored, falsely blaming Iranian security forces for the latest chapter of US aggression on Iran by other means.

The pro-Western/pro-imperial office of the UN commissioner for human rights falsely blamed Iranian security forces for days of disruptive violence staged by CIA recruited hooligans.

Spokesman Rupert Colville "call(ed) on the Iranian authorities to respect the right to freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful assembly and association…"

Orchestrated mass rioting, vandalism and chaos have nothing to do with free expression and peaceful assembly — everything to do destabilizing Iran to serve US/Israeli imperial interests.

Wikipedia falsely claimed violent protests in Iran last month were "peaceful." It lied saying "government crackdowns prompted a revolt against the" nation's ruling authorities. 

Citing no evidence, it falsely claimed authorities "confiscated the bodies of killed protesters in order to conceal the real extent of the suppression by the government."

Time and again, Wikipedia features misinformation, disinformation, Big Lies and fake news over full and accurate reporting.

Nations are obligated to protect the rights and security of their people — what Iranian security forces did to quell days of disruptive rioting. Virtually all nations act the same way.

A Final Comment

Last July, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) said (US establishment) "media outlets are creating a climate for a US military attack on Iran by hyping the idea that Iran is an imminent threat to peace, by failing to offer evidence that calls the US' accusations against Iran into question, by amplifying warmongers' voices and by naturalizing America's supposed right to spy on every country on earth," adding:

"Headlines are breathlessly suggesting to readers that Iranians are going to kill Americans if Americans don't kill Iranians first."

Throughout its 40 year history, the Islamic Republic never attacked another country.

The region's leading proponent of peace and stability seeks cooperative relations with other countries, not confrontation.

The gravest threat to world peace and humanity's survival lies in Washington, other Western capitals, and Tel Aviv — not Tehran.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html