EDITORIAL: Countries developing weapons should be treated the same

“Naturally the common people don’t want war, neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. ... Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”

- General Hermann Goering, President of German Reichstag and Nazi Party, Commander of Luftwaffe during World War II, April 18, 1946

…Iran Refuses to Negotiate Nukes in Geneva … Iran: Nuke Plant Put in Mountain Near Base … U.S. Threatens Iran With Sanctions Over Nuclear Program, Though Effectiveness in Doubt … Iran’s Missile Tests Create New Standoff …

Is that the drumbeat to war on television news?

ABCnews.com uses similarly harsh language to describe the situation as well: “The United States, Israel and its allies are condemning Iran’s missile tests, conducted a few days after world leaders called out the country for building a secret underground nuclear facility. But Iran refuses to cave under world pressure, continuing its dangerous provocation instead.”

Former CIA official Robert Baer is quoted as saying, “I think we’re going to see a step up of this confrontation going into the fall, and we could, at some point, enter the logic of war and bomb.“

I feel like I’m back in 2003. Secret intelligence says a Middle Eastern country has weapons of mass destruction. While it could be true, can that notion be verified by a country that doesn’t have a vested interest in war?

The military industrial complex will need somewhere for its 150,000+ defense contractors to go once (if) the United States leaves Iraq. And this could lower the unemployment rate if more soldiers are needed for another war. World War II certainly did the job during the Great Depression.

It seems plausible that Iran would want a nuclear weapon. Iran’s nemesis in the region, Israel, has had them essentially since the 1970s. No one is talking about sanctioning Israel though. Why not?

Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty along with 186 other counties; Israel has not signed that treaty. Countries signing the treaty are allowed by the United Nations to build nuclear facilities for non-military purposes. They just are “not to transfer nuclear weapons to any recipient or assist or encourage any non-nuclear-weapon state to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was created to verify compliance through its inspections. Iran has agreed to let the IAEA inspect its facilities, so why are we jumping to conclusions before the facts are in?

Constructing the Iranian nuclear facility underground, where only U.S. bunker busters could possibly reach it, seems the safest place when you have Israel nearby. It should be noted that Israel invaded Lebanon last year to fight Hezbollah, a participating and elected party in Lebanon’s government, and Israel continues to besiege the Palestinians in Gaza to this day. Why wouldn’t the Iranians feel that they had something to fear?

On Thursday, I suspect we’ll see an escalation of the rhetoric when Iran’s nuclear chief meets with the five permanent U.N. Security Council members. That’s the United States, Russia, China, France and Great Britain. All of whom have nuclear weapons.

A little “Do as I say not as I do.”

So, these governments would need to win a propaganda war on their citizens to go to war against Iran. Fortunately for those in the military industrial complex, the United States is good at that.

After all, al-Qaida is the name the United States gave to the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan when they were fighting against the Russians.

IAEA Board of Governors Director General Mohamed ElBaradei reported on Sept. 7 that nuclear trafficking is “continuing unabated,” and “up to June of this year the Agency’s Illicit Trafficking Database received reports of 215 incidents.”

“It is vital that all member states do their utmost to ensure that nuclear and radioactive materials are safe and secure,“ ElBaradei said.

Is the United States doing enough to keep its weapons and nuclear waste to itself? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

“Nuclear weapons remain an apocalyptic threat. We cannot afford to place disarmament and non-proliferation on a backburner. Let us not be lulled into complacency. Let us not miss the opportunity to make our societies safer and more prosperous,” said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on May 4.

Let’s not miss that opportunity. Let’s treat each country that is developing or has developed nuclear weapons the same. That includes Iran, North Korea and Israel.