The Baghdad Games

Flynt Leverett, a former senior member of the National Security Council, tells AntiWar Radio's Scott Horton that the Obama administration didn't want to strike a deal with Iran, but to put on a show and prolong the talks until November.

In his article, "BS in Baghdad," AntiWar.com editor Justin Raimondo writes:

"Our own intelligence community has told us – with "high confidence" – the Iranians gave up their nuclear weapons program in 2003, and never restarted it. The Supreme Ayatollah, Iran’s chief religious figure, has declared nuclear weapons are a sin against God, and disavowed any effort to build them. In spite of a number of Israeli-generated alarums – including outright forgeries and recycled pre-2003 materials – there is not a single iota of clear evidence Iran is engaged in making nuclear weapons or has any desire to do so.

That isn’t good enough for the "world powers," however – especially including the one not represented at the talks, which is Israel. Washington, London, and Tel Aviv have already passed a death sentence on the Iranians, and all that remains is to trump up a sufficient number of charges before pulling the switch. In the kangaroo court of the "world powers," Tehran is guilty and logically cannot prove their innocence. After all, since the Iranians have the knowledge, isn’t it just a matter of time before they have the means – how can they prove they won’t ever build nukes, even if they aren’t doing so now?"

And John Glaser writes in his article, "Western Leaders Reject Iranian Proposal for Wider Access for UN Inspectors":

"The sanctions that have been heaped on Iran are quite serious and far-reaching. They have already damaged the economy severely, facilitating increased unemployment and rampant inflation. The purpose behind them seems to be to harass and intimidate leaders in Tehran as opposed to being punishment for some unlawful act.

The fact is that the Obama administration, and the whole of the U.S. intelligence community, knows full well that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons and has not demonstrated any intention to do so.

Even the top brass of the Obama administration and military leadership, from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey have publicly declared that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.

So despite the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and despite Iran’s demonstrated cooperation with the international inspections regime, Western powers – led by the U.S. – refuse to ease the sanctions in return for even more access for U.N. inspectors."

So much for Obama's brand of "diplomacy." It is bullshit layered under more bullshit. It is a pyramid of bullshit.