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Chomsky: US, Israel two ‘rogue’ actors operating in Middle East

338835_ Noam Chomsky

Prominent American academic Noam Chomsky criticizes the United States and Israel as the two “rogue” players operating in the Middle East.

“There are in fact two rogue states operating in the region, resorting to aggression and terror and violating international law at will: the United States and its Israeli client,” Chomsky wrote in a recent article.

Chomsky lashed out at a decade of the United States’ aggressive policies toward Iran over its nuclear energy program.

“Ten years ago Iran offered to resolve its differences with the United States over nuclear programs,” he said, “along with all other issues. The Bush administration rejected the offer angrily and reprimanded the Swiss diplomat who conveyed it.”

He also mentioned a proposal made by Turkey and Brazil in 2010 under which Iran would ship its enriched uranium abroad for storage. In return, the West would provide fuel for Iran’s medical research reactors.

Chomsky explained how the US undermined the proposal. “President Obama furiously denounced Brazil and Turkey for breaking ranks, and quickly imposed harsher sanctions. Irritated, Brazil released a letter from Obama in which he had proposed this arrangement, presumably assuming that Iran would reject it. The incident quickly disappeared from view.”

The renowned academic also said the Obama administration was violating the NPT by keeping the threat of military option on the table.

“The United States is the only country directly violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (and more severely, the United Nations Charter) by maintaining its threat of force against Iran,” Chomsky wrote. “The United States could also insist that its Israeli client refrain from this severe violation of international law – which is just one of many.”

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany announced an interim agreement over the nation’s nuclear energy program last month in Geneva. The accord will provide a six-month period for substantive talks to reach a long-term agreement.

Iran’s right to enrich uranium had been a key sticking point in negotiations. After the agreement was announced, Iranian officials stated that the document included Iran’s right for enrichment. US officials, on the other hand, said that the deal did not grant Tehran such a right.

Addressing the Brookings Institution’s Saban Forum on Saturday, President Barack Obama also said that the interim deal did not give Iran the “right to enrich” uranium.

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