Iran & U.S.: Deadly Embrace
The U.S. assassination of Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani on January 2 has poured gasoline on a region already in flames. The Trump regime and its hardline supporters have been itching for a fight with Iran ever since the U.S. unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in May 2018. It has imposed the harshest sanctions in history on Iran and has threatened that country with “obliteration.” Instead of sending more troops and warships to the Middle East, Washington should be sending diplomats. With the Senate impeachment trial underway it is plausible that Trump will pull a ‘Wag the Dog’ move with a military operation intended to distract people. What needs to be done to defuse the crisis?
- Establish diplomatic relations
- Sit down and talk
- Lift sanctions
- Rejoin the nuclear deal
- Congress should revoke the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force which every administration uses to justify military interventions
- Withdraw U.S. military forces from the Persian Gulf
Speaker
David Barsamian
One of America’s most tireless and wide-ranging investigative journalists, David Barsamian has altered the independent media landscape, both with his weekly radio program, Alternative Radio—37 years and running— and his books with Noam Chomsky, Eqbal Ahmad, Howard Zinn, Tariq Ali, Richard Wolff, Arundhati Roy and Edward Said. His latest books are Edward Said: Culture and Resistance, Retargeting Iran, Noam Chomsky, Chronicles of Dissent Interviews with David Barsamian 1984-1996. And the latest book with Chomsky is Notes on Resistance: Interviews by David Barsamian 2019-2021. David lectures on world affairs, imperialism, capitalism, propaganda, the media and global rebellions.
In 2017 Radical Desi in Vancouver presented him with their Lifetime Achievement Award. He has collaborated with the world-renowned Kronos Quartet in events in New York, London, Vienna, Boulder and San Francisco. David Barsamian is the winner of the Media Education Award, the ACLU’s Upton Sinclair Award for independent journalism, and the Cultural Freedom Fellowship from the Lannan Foundation. The Institute for Alternative Journalism named him one of its Top Ten Media Heroes.
Liz Martin (verified owner) –
There is an excellent abundance of history of Iran and it’s people, a rich culture and civilization for hundreds of years. The people of Iran generally like Americans, or at least they used to. Iran has been mistreated by the US for a long time, but the Trump administration betrayed Iran by falsely accusing them of cheating on the Iran Nuclear deal. The subsequent relentless sanctions on Iran by Trump is not just outrageously wrong, it is cruel and barbaric behavior by the US upon the innocent people of Iran and causing more chaos in the Middle East.
David in California –
Your Deadly Embrace Iran talk is nothing short of outstanding. I wish the impossible. I wish everyone could hear it, particularly high school students. Your ongoing efforts for peace and justice are much appreciated.
Dennis in Rollinsville, CO –
Just wanted to let you know that I was just down in the San Luis Valley. I’m driving near Alamosa, and I go searching through the Christian, country-western, and heavy metal channels on my radio, and I hear this fascinating show on Iran on the air. I listened for a little while, and I went, that’s freakin’ David! It seems it is some sort of indie station (KCEI) out of Taos. Damn, that was sweet to hear. It was your talk in Golden. Great program.