OMNI
ISRAEL AND IRAN ANTHOLOGY #3
June 22, 2025
Compiled by Dick Bennett for a Culture of Peace, Justice, and
Ecology
What’s at
Stake: “The devastation that a war could bring cannot be
overstated — millions of lives hang in the balance.”
CONTENTS ISRAEL AND IRAN ANTHOLOGY #3
Win Without War. 6-22 “Sign now to urge
your members of Congress to use their constitutional authority to STOP WAR WITH
IRAN.”
Beth Miller. Jewish
Voice for Peace. 6-22.
Mark Leon Goldberg. 6-22. “A Reckless and Unnecessary War.”
Global Dispatches.
Roots Action Teach-in. 6-22.
Mike Ferner, Terry Lodge, Col. Douglas
MacGregor. Veterans for Peace. 6-21.
US Preparing to Attack Iran.
The US Plan to Bomb Iran.” Consortium News. 6-21.
“UN Security Council Debates Israel’s War on Iran.” Consortium News, 6-21.
Jonathan Kuttab. Friends
of Sabeel. 6-20. “Complete
genuflection of West to Israel's genocide and illegal war.”
“Endless War Watch” @ Win Without War <info@winwithoutwar.org> Iran.” 6-20.
Israel/Iran Anthology #2. 6-20.
TEXTS
US ATTACKS IRAN
Win Without
War. 6-22-25.
Dick, Trump’s reckless
and illegal actions just put us on the brink of a major war with Iran.
Last night, Trump ordered multiple B-2
bombers to drop bombs on three nuclear sites in Iran: an under-mountain
facility at Fordow, a larger enrichment plant at Natanz, and a third site near
the ancient city of Isfahan.[1] Iranian retaliation is horrifyingly likely and
millions of people are at incredible, urgent risk.
Win Without War utterly
condemns these attacks. Now, we need to do what we do best: Turn up the
pressure to STOP a WAR.
This is nothing short of a national
emergency. That’s why Congress must immediately convene to pass war
powers resolutions that block Trump from further escalation and demand
diplomacy. The good news? Two urgently needed war powers resolutions —
including bipartisan legislation in the House — have already been introduced.
With your help, we’ll build enough pressure to get them voted on quickly.
We cannot overstate the stakes of this
moment. Within minutes of the news breaking, hawkish lawmakers
were already championing the strikes across social media. Dick, we all
deserve better than DC armchair generals who would cheerlead yet another unnecessary
and completely avoidable war.
Foreign leaders don’t get to decide
when the U.S. government goes to war. Even a president doesn’t hold that power
unilaterally. The Constitution requires Congress to make that
decision. Let’s be clear: Last night, Donald Trump broke the law.
As the tit-for-tat violence continues,
50,000 U.S. troops stationed across at least 19 sites in the Middle East, along
with millions of people who live in the region, are at incredible risk. These
strikes will not spell the end of the Iran government’s nuclear program, which
can only be reliably constrained through the type of diplomatic engagement
that Trump has fully abandoned.
The devastation that a
war could bring cannot be overstated — millions of lives hang in the balance.
That’s why the overwhelming majority
of Americans oppose the conflict between Israel and Iran and just 16% think the
U.S. military should get involved at all.[2] Distressingly, with each passing
day, Trump’s reckless and illegal actions push us closer to the brink.
Dick, that’s where you
come in: When a whole movement of people fed up with the failed military-first
status quo speaks out, decision-makers understand it’s time to choose a
different path.
Sign
now to urge your members of Congress to use their constitutional authority to
STOP WAR WITH IRAN.
Many of you reading remember the
protests against the Iraq War, or likely marched in them yourself — outraged
that a powerful nation would ignore international law, abandon diplomacy, and
choose to use overwhelming military force with devastating consequences.
We’ve been fearing exactly this kind
of scenario for days. But we’ve prevented runaway escalation between the U.S.
and Iranian governments before. That’s why we refuse to lose hope and are as
undeterred as ever.
In 2020, Trump took us closer than
ever to the brink of war with Iran when he ordered the assassination of Qassem
Soleimani, a senior Iranian military leader. Within days, we mobilized hundreds
of thousands of people to sign petitions, make calls, and take to the streets
to demand Congress pull us back from the brink of war.
Let’s do it again, now.
Thank you for working for peace,
The Win Without War team
1. Axios, “U.S. strikes Iran's nuclear
facilities”
2. Economist/YouGov Poll, “Trump approval falls, Israel-Iran
conflict, anti-ICE protests, and vaccines: June 13-16, 2025”
Jewish
Voice for Peace Action
6-22.
Dear Dick,
Will you take action right now,
and tell congress No War with Iran?
The Trump regime just joined the Israeli government's attacks on Iran, hurtling
into a catastrophic war.
Members of Congress in the House and Senate have introduced War Powers
Resolutions to halt Trump. Write your member of
Congress, tell them to support the War Powers Resolutions and to stop arming
Israel.
The Israeli government’s attacks on
Iran have already killed hundreds. A full blown war will bring unimaginable
violence and disaster for Iranians, and all people across the region. As Israel
continues escalating its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza with the full
backing of the U.S., tens of millions more are now at risk from escalating war.
Decades of internationally-backed impunity for the Israeli government’s war
crimes against Palestinians and unconditional military funding from the U.S.
have brought us to this point. Congress must stop Trump from launching into
another ‘forever war’ and do everything in their power to finally stop arming
Israel’s apartheid, genocide, and regional aggression.
Onwards,
Beth Miller, Political Director
Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for
more
“A Reckless and Unnecessary War:
What happens next in the US-Iran-Israel war is deeply
uncertain” by Mark Leon Goldberg. June 22, 2025.
. . .My
two cents as a journalist who’s covered foreign policy for the last twenty
years is this: By opting for war with Iran, Trump has invited an unpredictable
future for the United States and the region. If and when Iran responds, it may
very well respond directly against Americans. And it would likely do so
asymmetrically. This could mean terrorist-style attacks against American
interests and individuals in the region, throughout the world, and potentially
on the American homeland. It’s not hard to imagine Iranian agents making use of
our lax gun laws and shooting up a public place. If the regime is in its last
gasps, it may lash out. . . .
The
point is—this is all so unnecessary, potentially very reckless, and profoundly
dangerous. A diplomatic off-ramp existed. It was working. But Netanyahu chose
escalation, and Trump—who lit the fuse by abandoning the Iran nuclear deal
seven years ago—has now set the region and possibly the world on fire. What
happens next is anyone’s guess, but one thing is certain: this was a war of
choice, and the consequences could be catastrophic.
ROOTS
ACTION TEACH-IN
Dear Dick, 6-22
Now
that the United States has bombed nuclear sites in Iran, the dangers of a wider
regional war and even escalation into nuclear catastrophe are worse than ever.
The global stakes could not be higher.
We invite you to attend an emergency teach-in on
Monday June 23 at 5 PM Pacific / 8 PM Eastern. This virtual event will
bring together a powerhouse panel of experts and peace advocates to assess the
current crisis, illuminate the nuclear dangers, and outline a path forward –
grounded in de-escalation and diplomacy for lasting peace.
Please register for this free
event here.
Featured Speakers:
·
Khury Petersen-Smith –
Institute for Policy Studies
·
Sina Azodi –
Assistant Professor of Middle East Politics, George Washington University
·
Jeffrey Sterling –
Former CIA officer in Iran Task Force; RootsAction whistleblower advocate
·
Peter Kuznick –
Director, Nuclear Studies Institute, American University
·
Hanieh Jodat –
RootsAction; Defuse Nuclear War; Co-Chair, No War With Iran Campaign
The
event will include a call to action with options for what each of
us can do. . . .MORE 6-21.
US PREPARING TO ATTACK IRAN
[VFP-all] A vital read:
The Iran war situation at 7 a.m.
'Mike
Ferner' via VFP-all vfp-all@googlegroups.com via uark.onmicrosoft.com June 21, 2025
Terry has some typically cogent comments, but you have to
see the interview with Doug MacGregor. Absolutely no nonsense and
unfortunately, what I see as a dead-on analysis of where we are.
The Veterans & Allies Fast for
Gaza is shouting as loud as we can: "Hey!
Look!! There's something important going on!!" Please redouble
your efforts to wake up our fellow citizens. And we will escalate
on day 40 and beyond.
All the best,
PS: If you would, please, do me a favor...watch the 2.5
minute video highlighted below and read the one-third page flyer attached.
Think about it. See if it suggests to you a way we can start practicing fire
prevention while we continue fire fighting.
If we make it through this one, we must seriously examine
how we organize or it will be for naught. As Dr. King said, unless we
have a moral and spiritual (and I would add, political) transformation we are
fated to organize committees for an endless series of disasters perpetrated by
the people running our government.
Thank you. Mike
Mike Ferner, Navy
Corpsman 1969-73
Click here to see the Madmen Arsonists!
From: Terry Lodge <tjlodge50@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, Jun 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Subject: The Iran war situation at 7 a.m. Eastern Saturday morning
To: Terry <tjlodge50@yahoo.com>
Doug Macgregor has new inside info every time he's interviewed. He has sources well up
the ladder in the White House and Pentagon.
This
interview from Friday
Col. Douglas Macgregor: America’s Attack on Iran Could
Start WW3 - YouTube
-- is the most recent, and is quite dark. Macgregor
says the two week delay isn't for negotiations with Iran. Trump has decided
that we will go to war and there is rapid outfitting of warships and deliveries
of supplies to US bases around the Middle East and Israel.
He says
the approach is going to be maximum bombing to completely destroy the
habitability of Iran's urban areas. The destruction of Fordow and other nuclear
sites is a secondary priority because this isn't really about Iran having a
nuclear weapons program, but instead to eradicate the last remaining large
power opponent of Israel (and indirectly of the US). The Pentagon and president
believe that by destroying Iran as a society will allow it to be carved up into
harmless vassal states over which Israel can exert dominance and control. There
will be tactical nuclear weapons used to destroy the deep underground Fordow
nuclear enrichment plant. Macgregor emphasizes at the beginning and end of the
half hour that the "decision has been made," Trump will not retreat
from his tough mobster toned threats.
He also
says that multiple nations are supplying Iran, including of course China,
Russia, but also Turkiye and likely Pakistan. That Pakistan may be providing
nuclear warheads to Iran, which has very sophisticated missiles.
Macgregor says that the US isn't genuinely going to be prepared to
completely crush Iran, that a ground invasion would be necessary for that and
that neither Israel nor the US have that capability. However, the intention
will be to Gazify Iran.
He
also laments, as do I, the total indifference and ignorance on the part of most
Americans about what is about to happen. Doug doesn't go into it during this
interview, but he has predicted recently and repeatedly that one of the first
things the Iranians will do if the US gets involved will be to close the
Persian Gulf and destroy the refineries of other Arab nations, which will spike
the price of oil quite much. He also speculated in an interview from Thursday
whether there might be sleeper cells in the US who are sympathetic to the
Iranian cause. In any event, he believes that the US is going to feel some
pain, maybe including a world war, and that business as usual ain't gonna be
usual for long.
Macgregor's observations are not made in a vacuum. He is profoundly angry
and resentful of the directions Trump has gone in this term. He has a certain
populist streak, always differs with groupthink in the use of the military.
We,
the pittance of a US antiwar movement, must raise hell loudly as
possible through weeks to come if we're to have any chance of stopping or
delaying a US entry directly into the war against Iran.
Terry
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Preview YouTube video Veteran speaks TRUTH about war
and government
Veteran speaks TRUTH about war and government
Preview YouTube video Col. Douglas Macgregor:
America’s Attack on Iran Could Start WW3
ol. Douglas Macgregor: America’s Attack on Iran Could Start WW3
“WATCH: UN Security Council Debates
Israel’s War on Iran.” Consortium
News (6-21-25).
The United Nations Security Council met on Friday to debate Israel’s unprovoked
attack on Iran and Tehran’s response, with the Iranian and Israeli envoys
clashing. Read here...
“Complete genuflection of West to
Israel's genocide and illegal war on Iran”
Jun 20, 2025 . Forwarded
by Sonny San Juan.
|
“Iran and Palestine” by
Jonathan Kuttab. Friends of Sabeel
North America, June 20, 2025. With all the attention on Iran and the real fears of
devastating wars, the situation in Palestine deteriorates with forced
marches, humiliation, bombings, and deliberate starvation. The diabolical
scheme of “food distribution centers-cum death traps” are the main if not
only way Gazans can get food, yielding around 70 deaths among the food
seekers at the distribution centers every single day. In the
West Bank, assaults by settlers and land grabs accelerate as the Palestinians
hunker down in fear for their lives. And, regardless of the outcome of the
Iran war, the situation in Palestine still needs to be addressed. We cannot
let the War on Iran be a distraction by Netanyahu from the situation in Gaza
and from having him face the really serious questions that are threatening
his coalition and his own hold on power. Nonetheless, it is incumbent on us to address the Iran
war, particularly since the US is on the verge of some
drastic steps leading to a major escalation. In this regard we need to point
out a few things, particularly as Americans consider this Iran situation: 1.
The attack by Israel on Iran is an
act of aggression and a direct violation of its sovereignty and of
international law. Starting a war illegally is known as the crime of
aggression, and it is one of the worst crimes under international law as it
leads to untold suffering and destruction and invites retaliation, revenge,
and a long list of subsequent violations. It is never allowed under
international law except as an act of self defense. 2.
“Preemptive self defense,” which was
claimed by Israel, clearly does not apply in this case and would render the
whole of international law meaningless if it were to be accepted. Self
defense applies to defending against actual, not anticipated or hypothetical
threats. Also, preemptive action, if it is considered at all, can only be
arguably claimed if there was an imminent prospect of an attack by another
country which could not be forestalled by any other means. It does not mean
that a country can “preemptively” attack an enemy on the theoretical
possibility that an enemy may consider attacking it in the future, nor to
deprive the enemy of having potentially destructive weapons. Actually, Israel
has already attacked and destroyed the navy and airforce of Syria and other
military installations, invading its territory and setting up its own
military bases further inside Syrian territory without even claiming that the
new Syrian regime was about to attack it. Israel did so only in order to
ensure that any future Syrian regime would not have the ability to attack (or
defend against) the Israeli military. Regime change for hostile enemies is
also not a legitimate war objective. 3.
Preventing other countries from
obtaining nuclear weapons is definitely a worthy objective. That is why the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was created. Israel never signed it, while
Iran not only signed but accepted the most rigorous inspection regime and was
in the process of negotiating even more restrictions on enrichment (one
element in a nuclear weapons program) when Israel attacked it. Tulsi Gabbard,
US National Security Advisor, recently issued a statement that the CIA
believes Iran is “NOT building a nuclear weapon,” and that the decision not
to do so by Khamenei had not been changed. 4.
Most analysts, including Israeli
ones, agree that Israeli objectives were to safeguard its own nuclear
monopoly and aspiring hegemony and to prevent the deterrence that comes from
Mutual Assured Destruction (appropriately called MAD) rather than to forestall
any existential threat. All the bluster about Iran posing an
"existential threat” to Israel or that Iran should never be allowed to
have a nuclear weapon hides the fact that such a weapon, were Iran ever to
develop it, would be meant primarily as a deterrent and not intended in any
way to attack or obliterate Israel as Netanyahu would have us believe. 5.
The United States has no legitimate
reason to attack or to harm Iran. The US is still engaging in a foreign
policy of revenge for the fall of the Shah and the taking of US
hostages 46 years ago! US sanctions must end. The US policy of
regime change, because Iran is a theocracy and violates human rights, would
mean that Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and all other countries in the region
should also be targets. In fact, Iran and the US have many similar national
interests in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Israel is a dominant military
power and does not need nor deserve US military support to protect it from
its enemies. Every US President, for all their unquestioning support of
Israel, has resisted constant Israeli pleas for the US to attack Iran. It is
certainly not in America’s interest to do so now. Joining the fight against
Iran only benefits Israel at the expense of American interests, as well as
American lives. 6.
Whatever the arguments in favor of
Israel attacking Iran or seeking to weaken it, we need to say that war is
never a good option. It is an evil thing that must be avoided at all costs.
Even those who are not pacifists and who believe in a “just war theory” must
admit that the criteria and conditions for a just war do not exist here, that
all diplomatic efforts must be exhausted first, and, even then, war needs to
be purely defensive and the lesser of two evils. A lot of lies will need to
be promulgated (as during the Iraq war) to justify a US attack on Iran.
The recent forays of America in the area, from Afghanistan to Iraq and Libya
should have taught us this lesson. 7.
We grieve over every life lost and
challenge the billions being spent on weapons, which we hope will never be
used but which are now being used daily. Weapons, wars and violence can never
buy us security. Limited resources must be employed to improve the lives of
many, to battle poverty and homelessness, to support those mental health
issues, and to promote health and education rather than being squandered on
the military. In the meantime, the horrors of Gaza continue, the
genocide is ongoing. |
“Endless War Watch” @ Win Without War <info@winwithoutwar.org> https://winwithoutwar.org/video-breaking-down-the-building-blocks-of-endless-war/
Right now, Trump is pushing us dangerously close to the
precipice of another endless war in the Middle East. But here’s the
thing about a precipice, Dick: Falling off isn’t a foregone conclusion.
While tensions have been simmering for decades, this latest
phase of violence began with the Netanyahu government’s full-scale bombing
campaign. The resulting cycles of tit-for-tat violence have destroyed
communities and killed hundreds of innocent people in Israel and Iran.
Over the next few days, Trump will reportedly consider
direct U.S. involvement — including dropping a Boeing-made “bunker buster,” the
GBU-57s, a 30,000-lb bomb, on a uranium enrichment facility at Fordow.[1] The
risks could be catastrophic, particularly for the nearly 1.4 million people
living in the nearby city of Qom.
With war hawks and lobbyists in DC circling, our team is going into overtime:
briefing movement partners and our allies in Congress on how to respond,
mobilizing people across the country to speak out in support of the urgent
legislative roadblocks we can throw on Trump’s path to war, and sending out a
loud and clear message across DC: “No War in Iran.”
Just one of these efforts requires our focus full-time, but
with the potential for more devastating violence increasing, we need to dig
deeper and find ways to go further, fast — and that’s why we’re reaching out.
fool you: We are the majority.
According to recent polling from The Economist/YouGov, an
overwhelming number of Americans oppose direct U.S. involvement in the conflict
between Israel and Iran — including a majority of Trump’s own
supporters — and just 16% think the U.S. military should get involved. Dick, Israeli PM Netanyahu doesn’t get to
decide when the U.S. goes to war, and neither does Trump alone. That’s
why we’re working day and night to ensure Congress — the people’s voice — steps
in before any U.S. military force is used in Iran. . . .
The good news? We’re already seeing the
result of this pressure from you and movement partners. Within hours of
violence erupting, champions in Congress stepped in with no less than three
legislative proposals to stop Trump from igniting a U.S.-Iran war, movement
leaders came together to strategize, multiple anti-war op-eds were published in
the national press, and hundreds of thousands of activists spoke out in
opposition.
Make no mistake: All this activism and pressure is having
an incredible impact — and it’s bought us precious time to go further.
The problem? We know war hawks, weapons lobbyists, and
powerful interest groups like AIPAC are gearing up to rally Trump down the path
to war. We’re racing against the narrowest of timelines to push him
back toward diplomacy — Trump will reportedly make a decision on U.S. strikes
within the next two weeks. . . .
Together, we can defeat the same failed playbook that led
us into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and left the world less safe. Never forget: While the path to war may
feel inevitable, it remains a choice. And with hundreds of thousands speaking
out to build a safer world at every turn, peace is still possible.
Thank you for working for peace,
The Win Without War team
CONTENTS Israel-Iran Anthology #2 #2https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2025/06/omni-israel-and-iran-anthology-2-6-20-25.html
What’s at Stake: The UN CHARTER FORBIDS NATIONAL AGGRESSIONS.
JUST TO SAY 'VIOLATES INTERNATIONAL
LAW' IS MEANINGLESS
AND SAYS NOTHING TO EDUCATE OR WIN
SUPPORT.
A BILL OF PARTICULARS IS NEEDED: THE
HOW AND THE WHY
OF THE VIOLATION:
THE UNITED STATES HELPED IMPORTANTLY IN
DRAFTING THE U N CHARTER.
THE UNITED STATES SENATE RATIFIED IT BY AN
OVERWHELMING MAJORITY.
IN CHAPTER 1. ARTICLE 2, #4, THE
U N CHARTER FORBIDS, EXCEPT AS AND WHEN AUTHORIZED BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL,THE USE OF FORCE AGAINST ANOTHER
STATE, EXCEPT IN CASE OF DEFENSE AGAINST ARMED ASSAULT.
SEYMOUR
HERSH WARNS WAR IMMINENT
JVP. “No war with Iran.”
Sue. “Congress Must Invoke War Powers Act to
Prevent U.S. War With Iran.”
Win
Without War. “No
War in Iran.”
Sandra Tamari. “Briefing on Iran and the
movement for Palestine.”
HDC. “Trump moves to drag US into war
with Iran”
Trita
Parsi. “Trump moves to drag US into war
with Iran.”
M.K.
Bhadrakumar. “Israel’s
War on Iran Has No Future.”
CODE
PINK. US Imperial/Media Complex
INSIDE IRAN: The Real History and
Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran by Medea Benjamin.
“War Is The Worst Thing In The World” BY Caitlin
Johnstone.
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