White House is Shaping Public Opinion for a Future Confrontation with Iran

Interview with Norman Solomon, author and columnist, conducted by Scott Harris

After months of unsuccessful negotiations by European diplomats, Iran's government announced on Aug. 8 that it has resumed work on processing/converting uranium at its Isfahan nuclear facility. Washington and European nations have warned that despite Tehran's assertion that their nuclear project is intended to develop electric power and not weapons, the matter will be brought to the U.N. Security Council to demand economic sanctions if Iran does not halt the program.

A showdown between Iran and the West could come in September when the matter is expected to reach the Security Council. Iran insists that as a signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, it has the right to convert and enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. But Washington contends that Iran forfeited that right, after Tehran had admitted it had deceived inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency for some 17 years.

Although soon after the September 11th attacks President Bush characterized Iran as part of the "axis of evil," Vice President Cheney has stated that diplomacy is the right way to handle the nuclear issue. But his warning that if diplomacy fails, "all options are on the table, " has led observers to believe that the U.S. or Israel may be considering air strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with author and columnist Norman Solomon who traveled to Iran for 10 days in June. He examines how the Bush administration is now shaping public opinion with regard to justifying a possible future U.S. military confrontation with the nation of Iran.

Norman Solomon is syndicated columnist and author of "War Made Easy, How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning us to Death." Read portions of the book online at www.warmadeeasy.com

Related links:

* Norman Solomon's column, "Media Beat" at www.fair.org/mediabeat

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