End Wars and Occupations IOT Monthly Conference Call - Progressive Democrats of America
January 2012 |
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Link to Sound File | Link to Chat Room Archive |
Paul Stokes brought up the cheerful fact that Defense Secretary Panetta has denied that Iran has a nuclear program. As a former nuclear weapons inspector, Stokes advocates an inspection regime for Iran as that would produce confidence within the US.
Israel is carrying out joint military exercises with the US, the US is denying that the exercises are aimed at threatening Iran, but there are a number of suspicions on that score.
There will be twice as many troops in Afghanistan in late 2012 than when Obama took office. The US conducted over 12,000 airstrikes since Obama took office (BTW, airstrikes are pretty useless in the Afghanistan context as guerrilla-type wars require extremely precise targeting). The US apparently wants to keep hold of Afghanistan, partially for its resources, but also for its strategic position in the middle of many other countries. China is investing in oil fields in Afghanistan as the US seems to be rattling its sword towards China.