MUHAMMAD SAHIMI, moe at usc.edu
Sahimi is a professor at the University of Southern California and lead political columnist for the website PBS/Frontline/Tehran Bureau. He has published extensively on Iran’s political development and its nuclear program. He just wrote “Questions over Alleged Islamic Republic Assassination Plot in U.S.”
BEAU GROSSCUP, bgrosscup at csuchico.edu
Grosscup is author of several books on terrorism including Strategic Terror: The Politics and Ethics of Aerial Bombardment. He is professor of international relations at California State University in Chico. He said today: “The fact that this plot has allegedly been known for nearly half a year raises questions about the timing of the announcement. Relations between the U.S. and Iran improved recently over the release of the two hikers. This alleged plot can only help sour relations once again much to the delight of those in the National Security State and Israel’s government who are itching to strike Iran. It is also evidence that others may be taking their cue from the Obama administration policy of assassinating political enemies in foreign lands. Holder’s promise to hold Iran accountable for engaging in political assassination while U.S. officials assassinate whomever they want, including U.S. citizens, with impunity is the height of moral and legal hypocrisy.”
RAY McGOVERN, rrmcgovern at gmail.com
McGovern, who was a U.S. army officer and CIA analyst for 30 years, said today: “Iranians, Israelis, Saudis, [and] these days Americans — all can, and do, carry out assassinations in this brave new world of ours. It is quite possible that some Iranians were caught in the act, though it must be emphasized that our only source for information on this has been ‘Justice’ officials who have long since forfeited much claim to credibility. Here’s a thought: If this is a true case of intended assassination, and not another entrapment, why have all the pundits so far avoided pointing to the possibility that this might involve retaliation for the senior Iranian nuclear scientists and generals assassinated in the last couple of years within Iran itself?
“Sadly, Eric Holder and his ‘Justice’ Department continue to hold up to ridicule the very concept of justice, giving hypocrisy a bad name. Who can take at face value the allegations and sanctimonious words of one who has let himself become a convenient tool to condone egregious violations of the U.S. criminal code and international law — like the International Convention Against Torture and the protections that used to be guaranteed to every U.S. citizen. Were shame not in such short supply in Official Washington, one would be amazed that Holder could keep a straight face, accusing the alleged perpetrators of ‘violating an international convention’.”
McGovern’s responsibilities in government included preparing and briefing “The President’s Daily Brief” and chairing National Intelligence Estimates. He recently wrote the piece “Israel’s Window to Bomb Iran.”
