Sunday, January 07, 2007

On Iran: Mind Your Sources Pt 2

Last April, I wrote a post about the frenzy of media rhetoric spawned over Iran at the time with a reminder to mind your sources. It seems that word of caution once again needs to be heeded on the heels of a Sunday Times report that claims 'Israel plans nuclear strike on Iran' which the Israeli government has predictably denied.

First of all, it should come as a surprise to no one that Israel's military has war plans for Iran. It would be foolish not to. Secondly, it's obvious that such a 'leak' is only an attempt by the Israeli government to publicly saber rattle against Iran and - a tactic we should all be used to by now. So I'm not exactly sure why anyone would consider this to even be news. Thirdly, the Sunday Times' track record on this issue hasn't exactly been stellar. It's been used an aggressive mouthpiece against by and against Iran in the past.

That's not to say that the situation doesn't merit concern, but it ought to remind us all that we are too often victims of warmongering propaganda (didn't we learn that lesson with the Iraq experience?) that is served up to stir fear and calls for immediate action when the obvious need for diplomacy should be more than apparent by now.

Mind your sources.

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