| Back to... |
Share Our Stories! - Click Here |
 |
Mattis in Israel |
By
Stephen Lendman |
| Meeting with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, Mattis delivered
mixed messages. He said Iran “appear(s) to be living up to (its) part of the” 2015 nuclear deal. It remains “in force…and that’s all I can say about it.” “(I)n no way (does it) mitigate against or excuse…other Iranian activities in the region including the war in Yemen that grinds on and what they’re doing in Syria.” Fact: America continues waging aggression against both countries. Iran has no involvement in Yemen. It justifiably supports Syrian sovereign independence. So should all nations. Fact: On Tuesday, Trump lied, calling the JCPOA “a terrible agreement. It shouldn’t have been signed. It shouldn’t have been negotiated the way it was negotiated.” “I am all for agreements but that was a bad one, as bad as I have ever seen negotiated. They are not living up to the spirit of the agreement, I can tell you that, and we are analyzing it very, very carefully and we'll have something to say about it in the not-too-distant future.” “But Iran has not lived up to the spirit of the agreement and they have to do that." Trump’s remarks reflect longstanding US hostility toward Tehran, and ignorance of the nuclear deal he never read and doesn’t understand - years in the making, agreed to by the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany and Iran. He ordered a National Security Council review of the agreement. Pulling Washington out of it unilaterally would leave his administration with more mud on its face than already. In his remarks in Israel, Mattis lied, claiming Iran threatens Israel and its neighbors “with ballistic missiles, through its maritime and cyber activities and through proxies and surrogates, including Lebanese Hezbollah, a terrorist organization helping to keep Assad in power in Syria.” Fact: The only regional terrorist threats come from America’s presence, Israel, Saudi Arabia, other Gulf states, and their rogue allies. Hezbollah is a legitimate part of Lebanon’s government. Mattis: “There can be no doubt in the international community’s mind that Syria has retained chemical weapons in violation of its agreement and its statement that it had removed them all. There is no longer any doubt.” FALSE! Accusations without credible evidence are groundless. Iran eliminated its CWs. None remain in its possession. No evidence suggests otherwise. Lieberman falsely accused Iran of destabilizing the Middle East, outrageously claiming “the axis of evil between North Korea, Tehran, Damascus and Beirut” threatens Israel and the entire world. Mattis lied, claiming he hopes, with Israel’s help, America can “overcome threats and bring peace and and stability to” the Middle East. Never as long as the US/Israeli axis of evil exists. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new 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 Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |