>--- Original Message ---
>From: "michael pugliese" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Date: 2/12/02 2:38:36 PM
>
Like Thomas, I'm wondering why Iran was included in the State
of the Union speech as composing one of the three axes. Can only
surmise the influence of AIPAC (like this website with numerous
articles, mostly mainstream contesting the Martin Indyk originated,
"Dual containment, " of Iran and Iraq policy. http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/3163
) One connected think tank really pushing Iran as a threat
is the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. See Patrick
Clawson, Policy Watch #601, "Iran as Part of the Axis of Evil,
Part II, " athttp://www.washingtoninstitute.org/ A previous briefing
in that same series, #593, on theHezbollah via Lebanon facilitation
of 50 tons of weaponry to the Palestinian Authority, is made
much of by Clawson and other hawks like Frank Gaffney at the
Center for Strategic Policy. See, "Karine-A: The Strategic Implications
of the Iranian-Palestinian Collusion, " by Robert Setloff.
I sense a bit of disquiet in the less militarist ruling circles
(Daschle on Lehrer News Hour yesterday, one of today's editorials
in the New York Times) about a policy that couldn't be better
designed to draw together the "reformists" and "hardliners".
(Does the punditocracy ever get tired of those overly simple
designations?) One other piece making the rounds from Uri Avnery
in the latest Counterpunch, seems way too reductionist to me.
Hint; It's All Oil!Michael Pugliese
>
