Irresponsible Iran Bashing

by Stephen Lendman

The world's number one human rights abuser on a global scale annually publishes individual country reports excluding itself. One-sided bias describes how Washington views independent governments it wants replaced by ones it controls - vilifying them irresponsibly.

Its latest 2014 Iran human rights report contains a litany of exaggerations, misinformation and Big Lies.

Included are false claims of  speech, press, religion and assembly restrictions, disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, murder, denial of free elections, due process and judicial fairness, anti-Semitism among other misreported allegations listed.

It's not surprising. US hostility toward Iran is longstanding. Nothing in prospect suggests change. A June 30 P5+1 nuclear talks deadline approaches.

Iran wants its legitimate rights respected. It wants to be treated no differently from dozens of other countries with peaceful nuclear programs.

It justifiably resents being unjustly accused of possibly wanting nuclear weapons when no evidence suggests it. Plenty shows its program has no military component or a desire to have one.

At the same time, America's nuclear arsenal and Israel's threaten world peace. Real dangers are ignored - fabricated ones hyped.

US media scoundrels regurgitate the usual Big Lies about Iran - instead of explaining things accurately.

New York Times editors notoriously bash Iran irresponsibly. Their latest broadside headlined "Ayatollah Khamenei's Fateful Choice, saying:

Iranians "are jeopardizing the nuclear agreement that would benefit them and the security of the region."

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "stiffen(ed) his hard line against concessions…(won't) abide any long-term freeze on Iran's 'sensitive nuclear work'…ruled out foreign inspections of Iranian military sites…insist(s) all economic sanctions be lifted immediately…and" won't allow IAEA inspections.

Fact: Washington bears full responsibility for "jeopardizing" a nuclear agreement and undermining regional security.

Fact: Khamenei wants Iran's legitimate nuclear rights respected. His latest comments are no different from earlier ones.

Fact: Tehran's so-called "sensitive work" is legal, NPT-permitted nuclear research.

Fact: No nation allows inspections of its military facilities and others related to national security.

Fact: Iran cooperates fully with IAEA inspectors. At the same time, Khomenei justifiably criticized the agency as being politicized - "not (being) an independent and fair body…"

He said "Iranian authorities, while insisting on (the nation's) red lines, are pursuing a good deal, which is fair and honorable in line with Iran's interests."

America wants its nuclear program marginalized and weakened in its current legitimate form, he explained.

It wants pressure and "cruel sanctions" maintained. Khomenei insists they all be lifted immediately when a deal is consummated. They never should have been imposed in the first place. They're illegitimate under international law.

"The lifting of sanctions must not be contingent on the implementation of Iran’s undertakings," Khomenei said.

"They should not say (Iran) should fulfill (its) commitments and the (IAEA) should then verify it in order for the sanctions to be lifted. We do not accept this issue at all."

Times editors lied claiming his comments diverged from April's framework agreement. Nothing he said indicates disagreement or change from what he said many times before.

Washington keeps reinterpreting Lausanne, lifting the bar irresponsibly, then blaming Iran for refusing to accept changes to agreed on terms.

Times editors ludicrously suggested Khomenei possibly "has no intention of accepting any nuclear agreement with the West."

He'll have to "live with the economic and political consequences if he sabotages this deal," they said.

For decades, Iran sought normalized relations with Washington and other Western nations. It seeks mutual cooperation with all nations.

It wants conflict with none. It wants its legitimate rights respected. It wants isolating efforts by the West ended.

It's up against the power and influence of Israel, its lobby and America's corrupt Congress wanting final say on any nuclear deal - suggesting opposition to whatever Israel won't accept, a sure deal-killer irresponsibly blamed on Iran if differences aren't resolved.

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: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

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

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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