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The U.S. has a long history of declaring any nation which opposes the
U.S. imperialist dictate as a "rogue state." It accuses these nations
of "state-terrorism," and declares they constitute a threat to peace
so as to cover-up the fact that it is U.S. imperialism which is the
biggest aggressor against the peoples of the world and the biggest
threat to peace.
This was underscored during the visit of U.S. Defence Secretary
William Cohen to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman from June 13
to June 18. He made a number of threats against both Iran and Iraq.
Speaking to a news conference in Bahrain on June 16, Cohen said Iran
"continues to support terrorism in addition to developing weapons of
mass destruction, improving missiles that can strike neighbouring
nations and boosting the facility to close the Strait of Hormuz."
He then went on to boast of the U.S. military might in the region.
Bahrain is the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which keeps more
than two dozen warships in the Gulf. "The United States retains
overwhelming naval strength in the Gulf and we are fully capable of
protecting our ships, our interests and our allies," Cohen said,
adding " ... I am satisfied that the United States has the full
capability to stop any operations that Iranians might seek to launch
against us or our allies."
Cohen also accused Iran of attempting to "intimidate its neighbours
and to interrupt commerce in the Gulf." Iran has repeatedly opposed
the presence of U.S. imperialism in the Gulf and along with other
nations in the region, including Iraq, has called for the immediate
withdrawal of all U.S. troops so that the people of the region can
themselves sort out their problems. A commentary carried in Iran News
on June 17 points out that Cohen was trying to "sow again the seeds of
discord between Iran and its neighbours on the southern shores of the
Persian Gulf." "The Isamic republic has existed alongside the Arab
countries for the last 18 years and not a single shot has been fired
at its neighbours from these borders ... ," the article states.
Given that during his entire visit Cohen stressed the "superiority" of
U.S. imperialism's air, naval and fire-power in the region, given the
millions it also spends on intelligence and espionage in the region,
the brutal war of aggression it waged against the Iraqis, its
continued violations of the partial lifting of the UN-imposed embargo
against the people of Iraq and its opposition to its complete lifting,
all that Cohen seemed to prove during his visit is that it is the U.S.
which is guilty of all the crimes of which it accuses others.
CPC(M-L)
Shawgi Tell
Graduate School of Education
University at Buffalo
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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