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Pompeo Blames Iran for Likely Gulf of Oman False Flag
By Stephen Lendman
Global Research, June 14, 2019

Url of this article:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/pompeo-falsely-blames-iran-likely-gulf-oman-false-flag/5680576

Cui bono is most important whenever an incident like Thursday attacks on vessels in the Gulf of Oman occurs.

Clearly, Iran had nothing to gain and plenty to lose from the incident. The Trump regime and its anti-Iran imperial partners benefit greatly by blaming the country for an incident no evidence suggests it had anything to do with.

Perception matters, not reality on the ground, especially when propaganda pounds the official narrative into the public mind — establishment media serving as imperial press agents.

It works time and again. No matter how many times the public is fooled by disinformation and Big Lies, they’re easy marks to be duped again.

Polls show Americans view Iran unfavorably. An early 2019 Gallup poll asked respondents: “What is your overall opinion of Iran? Is it very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable or very unfavorable?”

Over 80% of respondents said their view of Iran is mostly unfavorable (46%) or very unfavorable (36%). Only 19% said their opinion of the country is mostly favorable (13%) or very favorable (3%). A scant 3% had no opinion.

Even in the aftermath of the JCPOA nuclear deal (effective January 2016), Gallup found similar results in its early 2016 polling — only 14% of respondents viewing Iran very (3%) or mostly (11%) favorable.

Yet Iran hasn’t attacked another country in centuries. The Islamic Republic is a leading proponent of regional peace, stability, and mutual cooperation with other nations, threatening none, stating only that if attacked it’ll defend itself as permitted by international law.

As expected after yesterday’s Gulf of Oman incident, Mike Pompeo falsely blamed Iran for attacking and damaging the affected tankers. Citing no credible evidence backing his dubious accusation, he said:

“It is the assessment of the (US) government that the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for the attacks that occurred in the Gulf of Oman today” — a bald-faced Big Lie, adding:

“This assessment is based on intelligence (sic), the weapons used (sic), the level of expertise needed to execute the operation (sic), recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping (sic), and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication (sic)” — more bald-faced Big Lies.

Pompeo falsely blamed Iran for “attack(ing) four (UAE, Saudi, Norwegian) commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz” last months despite no evidence indicating it had anything to do with what happened.

He lied blaming what he called “Iran-backed surrogates (for) strik(ing) two” Saudi pipelines, again presenting no evidence backing the phony claim.

He suggested Iranian responsibility for a May 19 rocket landing harmlessly in Baghdad’s Green Zone, a May 31 car bombing in Afghanistan wounding four US soldiers, and a missile attack on a Saudi airport — again presenting no evidence.

“Taken as a whole,” he said, “these unprovoked attacks present a clear threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation, and an unacceptable campaign of escalating tension by Iran.”

At a UN Security Council session on the Gulf of Oman incident, acting US envoy Jonathan Cohen repeated Pompeo’s Big Lie, saying

“the United States assesses that Iran is responsible for these attacks (sic),” adding:

“No proxy group in the area has the resources or skill to act with this level of sophistication. Iran, however, has the weapons, the expertise, and the requisite intelligence information to pull this off.”

Accusations without credible evidence supporting them are baseless. Pompeo and Cohen presented none because nothing suggests Iran’s responsibility for what happened.

Israel and Washington’s military regional presence have plenty of “resources or skill to act with this level of sophistication” — where blame for the incident likely lies with lots to gain, not Iran with much to lose.

Its deputy UN envoy Eshagh Al Habib “categorically reject(ed) the US’ unfounded claim with regard to 13 June oil tanker incidents and condemn(ed) it in the strongest possible terms,” adding:

“Neither fabrications and disinformation campaigns nor shamelessly blaming others can change the realities.”

“The US and its regional allies must stop warmongering and put an end to mischievous plots as well as false flag operations in the region.”

“Warning, once again, about all of the US coercion, intimidation, and malign behavior, Iran expresses concern over suspicious incidents for the oil tankers that occurred today.”

“Definitely, those that accuse Iran have the main role in creating those incidents and it could be the United States itself.”

The incident occurred while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in Tehran on a diplomatic mission. Was the incident planned to undermine it and sour bilateral relations?

Was its intent also to push Brussels back from taking any steps to circumvent unlawful Trump regime sanctions on Iran?

A dubious CENTCOM video claiming to show an Iranian patrol boat approaching one of the affected Gulf of Oman vessels should be taken with a grain of salt.

Videos are easily fabricated. No flag or other ID was visible on the small boat shown. Trump regime officials said the video showed Iranian personnel removing an unexploded mine attached to the hull of one of the struck vessels, suggesting evidence was removed.

Pompeo saying the US “will defend its forces, interests, and stand with our partners and allies to safeguard global commerce and regional stability” ups the stakes for possible Trump regime premeditate aggression against the Islamic Republic.

The incidents discussed above greatly heightened regional tensions. Not a shred of evidence suggests Iranian responsibility for them.

Based on the history of US false flags since the mid-19th century, 9/11 the mother of them all, the Trump regime was likely to blamed for staging Thursday’s Gulf of Oman incident — perhaps together with Israel.

Longstanding plans by both countries call for replacing Iran’s sovereign independent governance with pro-Western puppet rule.

Provocative incidents like what happened on Thursday advance things toward possible war in a region already boiling from US aggression.

Instead of pushing back against more possible US aggression against Iran based on Big Lies, establishment media failed to debunk the falsified official narrative — supporting the Trump regime’s malign intent against the country.

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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Featured image is from LobeLog


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