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Iran Bashing Heats Up
by Stephen Lendman
Western/Israeli anti-Iranian sentiment persists. It's hard imagining anything Tehran does ahead in good faith being accepted.
Iran-bashing never quits. Congress, Israel and its Lobby intend going all-out to prevent consummating a final nuclear deal by June 30.
Already, bogus accusations of Iran violating agreed on Lausanne framework terms surfaced. Expect lots more phony claims like it.
Framework details remain confidential. On April 7, Fars News said Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) chief Ali Akbar Salehi briefed Iranian lawmakers on framework terms agreed on in closed session.
Gov. Brown Exempts Water-Intensive Fracking From Emergency Water Restrictions
In Dry California, Thirsty Oil and Big-Ag Industries Exempt from Water Regulations
Despite historic drought, Governor Jerry Brown has not put restrictions on oil drilling and fracking, but is focusing on urban usage of water
Activists stage a protest in January 2014 urging California Governor Jerry Brown to ban fracking in the midst of a historic drought. (Photo: Brooke Anderson/flickr/cc)
by Nadia Prupis
Common Dreams
As California Governor Jerry Brown this week instituted the state’s first-ever mandatory restrictions on water usage to combat its historic four-year drought, environmental activists are pointing out two glaring exemptions from the order: the fossil fuel and agriculture industries.
Brown’s mandate, announced Wednesday, directs cities and communities to cut down their water consumption by 25 percent, but does not make any requirements of the state’s numerous oil companies, including those which practice the water-heavy fracking method of extraction, nor of large-scale farming operations.
“Both of them use tremendous amounts of water,” Earthjustice attorney Trent Orr told Common Dreams.
Brown is “putting restrictions on everyone except oil and agriculture… it seems like the powerful industries have gotten a pass,” Orr continued.
Adam Scow, California director of Food & Water Watch, also said Wednesday, “It is disappointing that Governor Brown’s executive order to reduce California water use does not address the state’s most egregious corporate water abuses. In the midst of a severe drought, the Governor continues to allow corporate farms and oil interests to deplete and pollute our precious groundwater resources that are crucial for saving water.”
California’s oil and gas industry uses more than 2 million gallons of fresh water a day to produce oil through fracking, acidizing, and steam injections, according to environmental estimates. In 2014, California oil producers used up nearly 70 million gallons of water on fracking alone, state officials told Reuters on Thursday.
While that number is lower than projected, fracking and toxic injection wells must not be given “a continuing license to break the law and poison our water,” Zack Malitz, an organizer with environmental group Credo, told Reuters.
“Fracking and toxic injection wells may not be the largest uses of water in California,” he added, “but they are undoubtedly some of the stupidest.”
The bulk of Brown’s mandate focuses on urban water use, which as the LA Timespoints out, makes up less than a quarter of the total water consumption in the state.
“The government’s response to this growing crisis has been behind the curve,” Jonas Minton, water policy adviser for the Planning and Conservation League and a former state water official, told the Times.
Rather than focusing on urban usage, Brown should go after the industries which contributed the most to the drought, environmental activists say.
Scow continued, “Governor Brown should stop… the ongoing contamination of groundwater aquifers by toxic wastewater from oil and gas operations. It is disturbing and irresponsible that the Brown administration continues to allow oil companies to contaminate and rob Californians of these fresh water sources.”
According to Orr, the looming repercussions of the drought will be felt for years down the line and may emerge in yet-unknowable ways. In the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, for instance, species of fish once abundant in the area are now nearly extinct, he said—a development which poses an ominous question: “What kind of natural systems will we have in California?”
“The environment desperately needs water,” he added. “We’re very disturbed at the unequal sharing of the burden… There’s no principled reason for it.”
As to why these industries found themselves exempt from facing the consequences of California’s historic drought, Orr said, “The agriculture industry is tremendously powerful in California, and oil and gas are tremendously powerful period.”
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Moscow
by Stephen Lendman
On April 8, Tsipras and Putin will discuss boosting cooperative economic and political relations between both countries - in areas of trade, energy and possible Russian financial support helping Greece deal with its debt crisis.
Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed these and related issues will be discussed. An anonymous Kremlin source told the daily Kommersant newspaper:
"We are ready to discuss the issue of providing Greece with a discount on gas: under the contract, its price is tied to the price of oil, which has dropped significantly in recent months."
"We are also ready to discuss the possibility of issuing new credit to Greece."
Congressional/Israeli Determination to Block Iran Nuclear Deal
by Stephen Lendman
Bipartisan congressional hardliners, Israel and its Lobby intend going all-out to undermine a final deal on Iran's known peaceful nuclear program.
On April 6, AIPAC manufactured what it called "significant concerns" about framework terms agreed on.
It absurdly claimed "(t)he emerging deal could leave Iran as a nuclear threshold state and encourage a Mideast nuclear arms race."
It calls the best deal none at all - or one depriving Iran of its legitimate right to develop and use nuclear power the same as dozens of other nations not criticized.
AIPAC ludicrously claims "profound national security implications" are at stake. "Congress must have a role."
Israel: A Force of Pure Evil
by Stephen Lendman
Israel from inception threatened regional peace and stability. Under Netanyahu and likeminded fascist thugs, it threatens humanity.
Netanyahu rails irresponsibly about Iran's well-known peaceful nuclear program. He ignores Israel's open secret.
The whole world knows it's nuclear armed and dangerous. Its menacing arsenal includes illegal chemical and biological weapons - freely used in all its wars along with radiological ones.
Iran threatens no one. It values cooperative relations with all nations.
It deplores war. It's the region's leading peace and stability proponent. It wants a world free from menacing nuclear weapons.
Israel and America reserve the right to use them preemptively against any nation for any reason - including nuclear weapons-free ones.
White House Reveals Desperate Lack of Support for TPP Widespread Environmental Opposition to TPP Leads to Embarrassing White House Statement Claiming Environmental Support – the Opposite of Reality
By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers
WASHINGTON — The White House has published a handful of comments from “environmental groups” implying widespread support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other corporate trade agreements. Yet these cherry-picked comments from some of the most conservative, corporate-funded environmental groups actually reveal the administration’s desperation to find any support for such deals.
Indeed, the reality is that scores of major environmental organizations including Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation Voters, Defenders of Wildlife, Union of Concerned Scientists, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, 350.org, and many others oppose fast-track for the TPP. Many recognize the TPP is a backward step for environmental protection that will help push the world over the tipping point for climate change.
Congress and Israel Aim to Sabotage Iran Nuclear Deal
by Stephen Lendman
Longstanding US policy toward Iran calls for regime change - by war if other methods fail.
Thursday's nuclear framework deal changes nothing. It's unclear what Washington will agree on during discussions toward trying to finalize agreement terms by June 30.
John Kerry runs US foreign policy. He's committed to a special US/Israeli relationship. His Senate pro-Israel voting record was second to none.
He was a leading voice for strengthening Israel's security throughout his Senate tenure.
He remains so at State. Earlier, he opposed Iran's nuclear program altogether. He called it "unacceptable."
Iranian Nuclear Program Framework Deal: Hold the Cheers
by Stephen Lendman
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced all parties agreed on framework principles.
Enough agreement to let further negotiations continue toward trying to reach final resolution by June 30.
Despite upbeat comments, much remains to be accomplished. Important details are unresolved.
Talks will continue with no guarantee of success. Congressional neocon lunatics, Israel and its US Lobby intend going all-out to prevent normalizing relations with Iran. More on this below.
Netanyahu Insists Iran Deal Includes His Demands
by Stephen Lendman
He elevates chutzpah to a higher level. He and likeminded Israeli lunatics reject framework agreed on terms.
They want their own imposed - or no deal at all. They want Iran denied the right to develop and use peaceful, legitimate nuclear power like dozens of other nations not criticized.
They want final say over any future agreement. Ideally, they want none at all.
They want Iran isolated and weakened. They want its government ousted.
They want Israel's main regional rival eliminated. They're willing to wage war to achieve their objectives.
Netanyahu said any deal with Iran must include "a clear and unambiguous Iranian recognition of Israel's right to exist."
Iranian Nuclear Program Framework Deal Postmortems
by Stephen Lendman
Next to Russia, Iran is the West's favorite punching bag.
Demonizing the Islamic Republic is longstanding - with no just cause whatever. Fake reasons are invented.
Tehran's nuclear program and other policies aren't what matter. Its sovereign independence arouses Western ire - mainly America's.
Israel wants unchallenged regional hegemony. Iran is its main rival.
Israeli policy aims to eliminate it one way or another - by war if other alternatives fail. Washington's agenda is no different.
Framework agreement terms reached in Lausanne guarantee nothing ahead toward normalizing relations with Iran.
It takes a giant leap of faith to believe ongoing talks (if produce positive results by June 30) will end 36 years of virulent anti-Iranian sentiment.
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