8 Dec, 2011
Another Gulf Conflict “Just a Matter of Time” – Chinese Media Comment
When chief executives of international travel organisations and the airline industry decide to stop fretting and fuming over the UK Air Passenger Duty, they may wish to heed a warning from an official Chinese newspaper that an Israel-US-European attack on Iran is “just a matter of time.”
A commentary published in the publication “People’s Daily” on December 6 says that the changes sweeping through the Arab world, the economic crisis in Europe and the shifting global balance of power are providing the conditions for a “showdown” that will have “unbearable consequences.”
Headlined, “’Diplomatic war’ may escalate conflicts,” the commentary said, “The recent storming of the British embassy in Tehran by a group of Iranians has chilled Iran-U.K. relations to their lowest point in 20 years. British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed that “very tough action” would be taken against Iran.
“U.S. President Barack Obama, who is deeply concerned about that situation, also said: “We expect to see some sort of definitive action some time very quickly.”
According to the commentary, “The United States is keeping a close eye on Iran because it is afraid that Iran’s possible rise in the Middle East through a nuclear program may break the current balance of power in the region, posing a major threat to U.S. interests.
“The United States has long been preventing the emergence of a regional power in the Middle East and is thus unable to tolerate oil-rich Iran’s nuclear program. The conflicts between the United States and Iran are irreconcilable because the United States and Israel will not allow Iran to “rise peacefully” through its nuclear program. The rivalry between the two sides over Iran’s nuclear issue is bound to go on an upward spiral.”
It adds, “The United States knows very well that a war against Iran can have unbearable consequences, so it has been trying other means to force Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. However, these means have all failed.
“Obviously, the more time elapses, the more Iran will benefit because Iran’s nuclear research and military strength grows as time goes by. But the more time passes, the less Israel will benefit because the United States is in a phase of strategic decline in the Middle East, and Israel will be more isolated after the wave of unrest Middle East.
“Therefore, a military showdown between the two sides is just a matter of time,” the commentary says.
It says that the changes and turmoil sweeping through the Middle East are also opening a window of opportunity for a strike on Iran.
“Currently, the combination of many factors, including the dramatic changes in the Middle East, the European and U.S. economic crises, and the Libya War make the West feel that the timing of a military strike against Iran is becoming ripe: The intensifying European and U.S. crisis has increased the possibility that the West will shift the focus of popular attention by launching a war; the turbulence of the Middle East has provided a rare chance for the West to interfere in the Middle East as a priority; the Libya War, which ended a short time ago, has greatly encouraged the West’s ambition and confidence to interfere in the affairs of the Middle East.
“In addition, the recent Iranian attack on the U.K. embassy marked the boiling point in a confrontation between Iran and the United Kingdom. Therefore, large Western countries, including the United States, have found a new excuse to demonize Iran and even adopt stricter measures. It was like pouring fuel on the already roaring flames of the Iran nuclear crisis, and the future will inevitably be more dangerous.”
Read also:
World War III: The Launching of a Preemptive Nuclear War against Iran — By Michel Chossudovsky
THE CLOCK IS TICKING: “Shadow War” Heating Up. War With Iran: A Provocation Away? – By Tom Burghardt
Iran: is it Iraq all over again? The Canberra Times – Ramesh Thakur
Editor’s Note: This report is intended as an early warning to the travel & tourism industry to prepare for the next looming global crisis. Inspite of the devastating impact such a “showdown” will have on global travel, let history record that not a single industry leader has so far bothered to voice a single word of objection. When the bottom falls out, all those who lose their jobs will know exactly whom to blame.
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