Middle East Future War: Military Agendas

It is essential that people across America and around the World take cognizance of  the dangers of a Middle East war directed against Iran and act decisively to challenge the US military agenda and reverse the tide of war. 

The World is at the crossroads of the most serious crisis in modern history. The US  has embarked on a military adventure, a long war, which threatens the future of humanity. 

Background

The entire Middle East Central Asian region is on a war footing. 
US-NATO naval deployment is taking place in two distinct theaters: the Persian Gulf and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The naval armada in the Persian Gulf is largely under US command, with the participation of Canada. Both the USS Enterprise and Eisenhower Strike groups have been dispatched to the Persian Gulf in a massive display of US military might. 

The militarization of the Eastern Mediterranean (on land and sea) is under the control of several NATO member countries including France, Germany and Turkey.  This military build-up is conducted under the façade of  a UN peace-keeping mission (UNIFIL) pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The nature of the military equipment and weapons systems being deployed has little to do with peace-keeping. Moreover, NATO established a close military partnership with Israel in 2005.

The naval buildup has been coordinated with the planned air attacks on Iran. The latter were outlined in mid-2004, following the formulation of CONCEPT PLAN CONPLAN 8022 (early 2004). The air attacks on Iran would involve a "shock and awe" blitzkrieg on a scale similar to the 2003 air war on Iraq. 

In November 2004, US Strategic Command conducted a major exercise of a global strike plan entitled Global Lightening. The latter involved a simulated attack using both conventional and nuclear weapons against a fictitious enemy [Iran]. Following the Global Lightening exercise, US Strategic Command declared an advanced state of readiness. 

CONPLAN is the operational plan pursuant to the Global Strike Plan. It is described as an actual plan that the Navy and the Air Force translate into strike package for their submarines and bombers. 

CONPLAN 8022 is the overall umbrella plan for sort of the pre-planned strategic scenarios involving nuclear weapons.

It is specifically focused on these new types of threats Iran, North Korea  proliferators and potentially terrorists too. There is nothing that says that they cant use CONPLAN 8022 in limited scenarios against Russian and Chinese targets. (According to Hans Kristensen, of the Nuclear Information Project, quoted in Japanese economic News Wire, op cit) 

The use of tactical nuclear weapons is contemplated under CONPLAN 8022 alongside conventional weapons, as part of the Bush administration’s preemptive war doctrine. In May 2004, National Security Presidential Directive NSPD 35 entitled Nuclear Weapons Deployment Authorization was issued. While its contents remains classified, the presumption is that NSPD 35 pertains to the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in the Middle East war theater in compliance with CONPLAN 8022.

Military Alliances

The SCO and CSTO war games must also be examined in relation to the structure of military alliances. Both China and Russia are allies of Iran, involved in extensive military cooperation agreements. 

China and Russia are major actors in Central Asian oil. They have significant strategic and economic interests in the Central Asian region and in the Caspian sea basin. They also have economic cooperation agreements with Iran’s State oil company. 

US Sponsored Military Build-Up

The Cold War although officially over has not quite reached its climax. 

The US military agenda is not limited to gaining control over Iran’s oil and gas reserves, (using the campaign against international terrorism as a pretext).  Reminiscent of the Cold war era, the objective of US military intervention also consists in weakening and ultimately displacing China and Russia from playing a significant role in Central Asia.   

Most Western press reports have failed to acknowledge the seriousness of the US NATO Israeli military build-up. Underlying what is normally understood as a Middle East war, the conflict could evolve towards a clash between former competing super powers of the Cold War era.  

Directed against Iran and Syria, the US sponsored military operation, if it were to be launched, could result in a broader conflict marked by the indirect involvement of Russia and China and their central Asian allies. In fact that indirect involvement is already established through Iran’s observer status to the SCO, various bilateral military cooperation agreements as well as the sale of Chinese and Russian weapons systems to Iran.   

The US is involved in covert operations throughout Central Asia with a view to essentially displacing Russia. The tensions in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are the direct result of US geopolitical encroachments within what used to be within Moscow’s  traditional sphere of influence. Georgia and Azerbaijan  have become de facto US protectorates. 
Pakistan is one of the nuclear states around China, Russia and undeclared Iran. US is involved in the covert operations in Pakistan to destabilize the nuclear power in the region and also this is a threat to china and Russia. The destabilization of nuclear Pakistan will also helpful for the future war on Iran.

Meanwhile, in relation to the issue of NATO enlargement, Moscow already warned the Atlantic Alliance that it would take appropriate measures if Poland were to deploy elements of the missile defense systems of the United States or NATO on its territory. (Interfax News Agency, 4 Oct 2006)  

Dismantling the network of war propaganda is essential. This war can not conducted without the support of the corporate media, which ultimately upholds the US led war against Iran.

It is essential to bring the US war project to the forefront of political debate, particularly in North America and Western Europe. Political and military leaders who are opposed to the war must take a firm stance, from within their respective institutions. Citizens must take a stance individually and collectively against war.

War criminals occupy positions of authority. The citizenry is galvanized into supporting the rulers, who are committed to their safety and well-being. Through media disinformation, war is given a humanitarian mandate. 

The corporate backers and sponsors of war and war crimes must also be targeted including the oil companies, the defense contractors, the financial institutions and the corporate media, which has become an integral part of the war propaganda machine.  

     The role of media disinformation in sustaining the military agenda is crucial.

We will not succeed in our endeavors unless the propaganda apparatus is weakened and eventually dismantled. It is essential  to inform our fellow citizens on the causes and consequences of the US-led war, not to mention the extensive war crimes and atrocities which are routinely obfuscated by the media. This is no easy task.  It requires an  effective counter-propaganda program which refutes mainstream media assertions.

It is essential that the relevant information and analysis reach the broader public.   The Western media is controlled by a handful of powerful business syndicates. The media conglomerates which control network TV and the printed press must be challenged through cohesive actions, which reveal the lies and falsehoods.


It is essential that the commitments made by European heads of government and heads of State to Washington be cancelled or nullified, through pressure exerted at the appropriate political levels.

     The weakening of the system of alliances which commits Western Europe to supporting the Anglo-American military axis, could indeed contribute to reversing  the tide. Washington would hesitate to wage a war on Iran without the support of France and Germany. 

The holding of large antiwar rallies is important and essential. But it will not in itself reverse the tide of war unless it is accompanied by the development of a cohesive antiwar network. 

What is required is a grass roots antiwar network, a mass movement at national and international levels, which challenges the legitimacy of the main military and political actors, as well as their corporate sponsors, and which would ultimately be instrumental in unseating those who rule in our name. The construction of this type of network will take time to develop. Initially, it should focus on developing an antiwar stance within existing citizens' organizations (e.g. trade unions, community organizations, professional regroupings, student federations, municipal councils, etc.). 

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