Mr. President, Keep up your tremendous work.
I have great concern, though, by contrasting opinions yesterday on TV by the Sec. of Defense Bill Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen
Admiral Mullen said he believed Iran had enough nuclear material to make a nuclear bomb.
But Bill Gates said he didn't think Iran had enough nuclear material to make a nuclear bomb.
I believe raising this fear of Iran having -- or wanting -- nuclear weapons is propaganda intended to lead us into false war; just like the fear of Saddam having WMD was used to mislead the nation into war in Iraq.
First, we had False Intel Iraq; now we hear more and more False Intel Iran.
This is covered in more detail at: http://www.americancitizenstogether.org/ACT/ACT-090302.html - an online newsletter I edit.
On the Sunday morning TV Show: State of the Union, where Admiral Mullen's said this the information was claimed to have come from the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
This is a very dangerous misleading statement, Mr. President. The IAEA has not only not said this but complained several times that their raw data from Iran weapon's inspections was distorted by another group, the non-profit ISIS, Institute for Science and International Security.
It's the private group ISIS that says Iran has enough material for a nuclear weapon, not the IAEA.
The IAEA, as we now know, is the international organization affiliated with the United Nations that get the intel on Saddam right: i.e., he had no WMD.
ISIS are spin doctors who promoted the idea, non-stop, that Saddam had WMD.
First, Bush started with False Intel Iraq. Now his ideas for False Intel Iran are coming back to haunt us, put out by the same sources in the same ways.
So Admiral Mullen is not only speaking at odds with the Sec. of Defense but he is also believing the distorted opinions of ISIS (a spin-group who got it wrong in Iraq) and not listening to what the IAEA is actually saying (the international agency that got it right about Iraq).
I have been following this topic of false intel being used for war in Iraq (and now Iran) for years. All the false intelligence is traceable back to the Pentagon and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Not only should you be suspicious of the intelligence that comes from the Pentagon, Mr. President, but I fear they are trying to set their own military agenda.
For example, not only are we now making semantic distinctions between 'combat troops," and combat missions but military leaders have publicly talked with enthusiasm how they intend to renegotiate the Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq, to allow troops to stay their beyond the currently agreed deadline.
Now matter what you call these troops, Mr. President, it sounds like an occupation and it seems the military wants a permanent occupation and permanent bases in Iraq.
The military talks of 'preserving gains we've made," or "national security advantages." and this sounds like a desire for permanent occupation of Iraq.
The whole idea of our military negotiating it's own treaties with foreign governments is also horrible. Whatever is the future of Iraq-USA relations it should not be decided by a military SOFA, but by a treat with Congress.
Mr. President, I ask you to not let a military SOFA be the document that defines our relations with iraq -- but a treaty by our civilian leaders, as it should be.
Please, also, do not let the Pentagon and military leaders be the source and promoters of false intel about Iran, like they were the source of false intel about Iraq - to mislead our nation once again into a false war bases on false fears.
Nuclear power is not, btw, - as you know - the same as having or wanting nuclear weapons.
Please continue to make that distinction which many media and military leaders do not make.
Something may need to be done, for sure, to be sure nuclear power in such nations like Iran is done honestly and non-threatening but pretending to confuse nuclear power with nuclear weapons is dishonest and spreads fear.
Thank you for considering these concerns, concerns of many people.
1. Do not let false intel from the Pentagon be used again to mislead our nation into war. (like, esp. from the Operation for Special Plans (OSP). at the Pentagon.
2. Do not let the military speak in opposition to civilian leadership, like Admiral Mullen did with Sec. of Defense Bill Gates.
3. Do not let the military renegotiate the SOFA with Iran.
4. Have Congress determine our relationship with Iran properly.
5. Don't play around with these ridiculous semantic distinctions about "combat troops," vs. Trainers or Advisors or counter-insurgency task forces, or forces for protecting Americas and America Green Zone Embassy (or oil companies), etc.
Such distinctions are not very believable and won't be believes for long.
Remember our war in Iraq was built on lies. They had no WMD. They had nothing to do with 9/11.
Do not let it now be continues with excuses & semantics. This is a road to failure.
We can't be fooled again.
Sincerely
BKeaveney
http://www.americancitizenstogether.org
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