[Carlhole]

Regime Change Is the Reason, Disarmament the Excuse: An interview with Scott Ritter

Is Iran making nuclear weapons? Is the United States preparing to wage war against them to prevent them from obtaining nuclear weapons? Our guest is Scott Ritter. He is a former Marine, United Nations weapons inspector, and author of an armful of books: Endgame, War on Iraq, Frontier Justice, Iraq Confidential, and his latest is Target Iran: The Truth About the White House's Plans for Regime Change.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Interviewed February 20, 2007 by Scott Horton', '.')..Ritter: Tomorrow's deadline is for Iran to suspend enrichment and to accept the Security Council's demand regarding its nuclear program. Iran is just not going to do it.

Horton: And so this is just another step towards the path to war, and I guess George Bush would be disappointed if they did suspend, right? He wants a war.

Ritter: George Bush won't let them suspend. What does suspension mean?

Let's say Iran says they suspend enrichment. Think of the logic now. We have the IAEA now gaining total access with the most technologically advanced investigative instruments the world has ever seen when it comes to nuclear technology. They have gained access to all of the identified sites, and they have said that there is nothing here to sustain anything other than a peaceful nuclear program.

The Bush administration has come out and said that Iran buried everything and created this whole alternative universe where secret nuclear programs are underway that are dedicated to military action.

So what if Iran suspends its nuclear program? The Bush administration is just going to say, well, you've just hidden it someplace else. They've created the problem of proving the negative. Then we are going to tell the Iranians "we need additional access." The Iranians might agree and say, "Okay, what do you want to do?" We say,

"Go anywhere, anytime."

"You want to come into our Guardian Council?"

"Yes!"

"You want to come into our National Security Council?"

" Yes."

"You want to go into secret military industrial facilities?"

"Yes."

Finally Iran says, "And this is at the same time that you have on paper documents that state that your policy is regime change? Go pound sand."

Iran won't go for it. If Iran said today that they are going to suspend their nuclear enrichment, that would be unacceptable to Bush administration. The Bush administration would refuse it.

Horton: They'll just make demand on demand on demand until Iran finally refuses something?

Ritter: That's correct because their intent is regime change...

[lateStarter]

Thanks. Heading out tomorrow to buy more sardines and flour. Goota get my wife to sell our property in Warsaw ASAP while the market is still feeling 'exuberant'. RACE AGAINST TIME....