The threat by the US to invade Iran under several pleas is as bogus as the “WMD” subterfuge raised against Saddam, to invade Iraq and squat their oil. George W. Bush’s alibis are the following: Iran’s non observance of its treaty obligation; it supports terrorism, threatens Israel, jeopardizes US-based Mid-east peace and denies its people liberty.

The crux of the crisis is that the US, as the bourgeoning corporate empire and by extension, the new world order, aims to position itself as the world gendarme and the sole gate keeper of the world’s remaining petrol and gas. Since War II, Europe and the US coveted the oil reservoir located in the Caspian, Persian and Iraqi oil fields. The Caspian, which borders the northwest of Afghanistan, now holds the world’s third largest oil reservoir enough to meet US energy need for the next 30 years.

In an age of oil-based technology, the US wisely views “oil” as a security target and a key element in its foreign policy, punctuated by oil diplomacy, gunboat, coup, invasion, insurgency, containment. Bush Jr and Dick Cheney both made their fortune in the US oil industry.

In the US, the arms industry, oil interests, major media networks and indeed US foreign policy are godfathered by the same business combines. The collapse of the USSR propelled the US, Russia, China, Britain and Germany to compete in an “oil rush” reminiscent of the imperial scramble for Africa and the resultant two European wars dubbed as world wars.

A memorandum of understanding was issued by the US to build a pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan on behalf of a consortium of Enron, Amoco, and British petroleum, Chevron, Exxon and Mobil. Bush Jr supported Islamic Radical in Central Asia and Taliban in Afghanistan. In December 1997 the US State department red- carpeted a Taliban delegation. When the latter proved irregular and could not control the whole of Afghanistan, investors were reluctant to invest in Caspian oil.

Consequently the US turned oil diplomacy into oil war and set up in Kabul a pro US regime by military might with the connivance of Russia. Afghanistan was thus converted into a prime transshipment route for the export of Central Asia’s vast oil and like Saudi Arabia became an oil colony with no democracy. Putin as reward was granted licence to proceed with his own war on terrorism, killing 100,000 civilians in Chechnya – the last available routes for the Caspian oil field to Arabian sea and beyond.

How to viaduct the Caspian oil from Persian Gulf to Europe and America provokes the current Irano/American crisis. The only access available is via Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya… These countries have rich oil reserves and are quite independent of US-sponsored IMF. They are branded as axe of evil or rogue failed states. Iraq geo strategically cobwebs or dovetails Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran. As such Iraq remains the Cuba and Colombia of Mid East.

Since War II, US sponsored the Shahenshah in Iran and Saddam in Iraq to cat’s paw the oil reserves from communist onslaught. When these regimes proved adamant to US dictate, US shot down two Libyan planes in 1981 and another two in 1989, bombarded Libya 1986 and Beirut 1983 and 1984, sunk an Iranian ship 1983 and another in1987.

The US uses the multilateral machinery of the UN as a way to further its unilateral policies. The embargo in Iraq was a disguised genocide as well as a calculated strategy to abrogate all European oil contracts with Iraq. Hence the Security Council was divided and the US invaded Iraq supported by a heavily-bribed international coalition but without UN sanction and international moral sanction. The US lost consequently international sympathy to which she was a heir after the 11th September tragedy.

With China rising and Europe as well as Japan subsiding and Iran bent on reconfiguring,

Central Asia following the demise of USSR, contrary to her policy of nonproliferation, US turns to India for a nuclear agreement. Nixon in 1973 held Taiwan as dowry, for his first historical visit to China.

India traditionally supports non-alignment, anti-colonialism, and third-world solidarity and a pro-Moscow foreign policy. Many as such in India are worried about US pressure on Delhi to take stand against Iran’s quest for Uranium for peaceful goals. In international affairs no one has the right to deny another country the right to safe atomic power. India did not sign (TNT) proliferation treaty.

The result, many critics said, could be vastly beefed up India arsenal and an arms race between India and Pakistan would spark off at a time when both countries are building efforts to reduce military budget and promote peaceful co existence. “You can’t break the rules for India and expect Iran to play by them or Pakistan or Korea,” said Rep. Ed Markey, democrat of Massachusetts. On the other hand, the Atomic Energy Act prohibits nuclear material and equipment from being exported to any state that is not one of the five acknowledged nuclear powers – UK, US, Russia, France and China.

Already Bush Jr’s administration is trying publicly to drive a wedge between the Iranian regime and the Iranian people to make room for a US-friendly government. However, the White House is cautious lest Iran under pressure has recourse to its extensive contacts in Iraq and further jeopardizes the American ill-fixed position there. Shias-Sunnis polarized, are already heading towards a bloody civil war, set in motion by US occupation. Today with the exception of Iran, the whole of the mid-east and Persian Gulf is reduced to a concentration camp or is kept under siege garrisoned by foreign troops, poaching oil legitimately.

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