Trump’s Anti-Iran “Blood Money” Offer: “$15 Million for Any Person Who Helps Us Disrupt the Financial Operations of Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force”
According to Christian scripture, bribe money is blood money, a longstanding US specialty — followed by toughness when offers are rejected.
Bribery for political, economic, military, and/or other purposes reflects a corrupt society — what characterizes US public and private sectors than any other countries worldwide.
Countless trillions of dollars down a black hole of waste, fraud and abuse, along with its money-controlled electoral process, assuring dirty business as usual always wins, reflect it.
On September 4, State Department envoy for regime change in Iran Brian Hook said the following:
“Today (the Trump regime) is intensifying our maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” adding:
“First, we are announcing a reward of up to $15 million for any person who helps us disrupt the financial operations of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and Qods Force.”
He falsely called Iran’s military “a terrorist organization,” More on this below.
He lied accusing Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force of “sow(ing) chaos and sectarian violence” — a US, NATO, Israeli specialty, not how Iran operates.
He turned truth on its head, accusing Iran of “running an illicit petroleum shipping network,” falsely claiming it’s “mov(ing) hundreds of millions of dollars worth of illicit oil…used to fund terrorism.”
Iran’s sales of oil, gas, and other products to foreign buyers are entirely legal. US “maximum pressure” war by other means on the country flagrantly violates international and its own constitutional law.
Time and again, both extremist right wings of the US war party designate nations, entities, organizations, and individuals they don’t control as “terrorists.” Its key NATO partners and Israel operate the same way.
Note: The Islamic Republic of Iran’s military is solely for national defense, never used preemptively against another nation.
Yet Trump regime hardliners falsely designated Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force a terrorist organization — which it is NOT.
US, NATO, and Israeli militaries practice state terrorism by waging endless war on humanity.
At the behest of the Jewish state, the US State Department falsely designated Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations. The same goes for labeling Iran’s military the same way.
Longstanding US hostility toward Iran is all about its sovereign independence, unwillingness to subordinate its sovereignty to US interests, opposition to Washington’s war on humanity, support for fundamental Palestinian rights, and wanting control over its vast hydrocarbon resources.
Iran’s military is solely involved in preserving and protecting the nation from hostile external or internal attacks and threats, its actions strictly defensive. Its involvement in Syria is advisory, aiding Damascus combat US-supported terrorists.
Last Friday, the Trump regime unlawfully sanctioned Iran’s Adrian Darya 1 super-tanker captain Akhilesh Kumar — after he rejected a multi-million dollar bribe by ignoring the blood money offer to betray his employer.
Hook turned truth on its head, saying Kumar was sanctioned “for providing material support to a terrorist organization.”
Separately according to Press TV and Reuters, Russia and India are committed to maintaining trade relations with Iran — a joint Putin/PM Modi statement saying in part:
“The sides acknowledge the importance of full and efficient implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program for ensuring regional and international peace, security and stability.”
Press TV reported that
Russia and India “said their decision to respect ties with Iran was in full compliance with international rules and would strengthen a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, known as the JCPOA, which has suffered since the United States withdrew from the agreement last year and began imposing sanction on Iran.”
Both “countries have used alternative mechanisms to circumvent (US) sanctions and to continue trade with Iran.”
Days earlier, Russia said it intends investing around $10 billion in Iran’s oil sector.
From Moscow, Iran’s Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said talks on Russia’s investment “will begin in the near future” — with no further elaboration on what project(s) Moscow will invest in.
Press TV explained that
“India, Iran’s second top buyer of oil before the sanctions, has diversified its trade cooperation with Tehran, mainly thanks to a financial mechanism that enables importers and exporters to settle their payments through local currencies,” adding:
“India has also been involved in a series of large-scale infrastructure projects southeast of Iran as it seeks greater access through the country to markets in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran has withstood 40 years of US efforts to transform the country into a vassal state.
Trump regime hardliners are unlikely to achieve what their predecessors failed to accomplish.
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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: Trump reinstate sanctions against Iran (White House photo by Shealah Craighead)
The Globalization of War: America’s “Long War” against Humanity
Michel Chossudovsky
The “globalization of war” is a hegemonic project. Major military and covert intelligence operations are being undertaken simultaneously in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and the Far East. The U.S. military agenda combines both major theater operations as well as covert actions geared towards destabilizing sovereign states.
- ISBN Number: 978-0-9737147-6-0
- Year: 2015
- Pages: 240 Pages
List Price: $22.95
