Mike Pompeo at a Neocon
National Security Conference
By Stephen Lendman
stephenlendman.org
10-23-17
CIA director Pompeo was a featured guest at the so-called Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), an undemocratic far-right advocacy group.
It’s leadership council and executive team are stacked with pro-war, anti-peace, equity and justice extremists, including founder Clifford May, CEO Mark Dubowitz, former CIA head Michael Hayden, Joe Lieberman, and other likeminded neocons.
Pompeo engaged in a Q & A with FDD’s Juan Zarate. Below are the highlights of his remarks, more proof of the danger he and the agency pose to fundamental freedoms.
He disgracefully called Iran and Hezbollah Middle East threats. They’re allied in combating US-supported terrorism, a scourge Pompeo backs - America’s involvement in Syria not going well because of Russia’s intervention at Assad’s request. US and allied forces operate in the country illegally.
Pompeo: “The list of Iranian transgressions - the missile program, their cyber efforts. The list of Iranian transgressions is long.”
Fact: Iran is involved in combating US-supported terrorists - along with Russia and Hezbollah, helping to defeat Washington’s imperial agenda in the country, why Pompeo is upset.
He maintains the myth about Iran’s intention to develop nuclear weapons it deplores, doesn’t want, advocating a region free of them - Israel the only nuclear armed and dangerous Middle East country, he was mum about.
Alleged Iranian regional “expansion,” he claimed doesn’t exist. Tehran seek cooperative relations with all nations, dominance over none like America, NATO and Israel.
The issue with Iran is its sovereign independence and involvement in combating US-supported terrorists, not its other policies. It’s an obstacle to US/Israeli regional dominance, Pompeo involved in trying to undermine its positive activities.
Iranians haven’t forgotten the CIA’s toppling of democratically elected PM Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953, fascist dictatorship replacing him, a generation of US-supported terror following, ended in 1979.
Iranians strongly oppose returning to those dark days, what Washington, including Pompeo, want reimposed.
He shamefully claimed “Iranian behavior is threatening not only the United States, but the West. The West, writ large, as well.”
False! Iran threatens no one. Washington threatens everyone. Pompeo heads a rogue agency, responsible for high crimes throughout its existence, more sinister today than earlier.
Pompeo: “(I)t’s an open secret (that at) times the Iranians have worked alongside Al-Qaeda.”
Fact: Iran is a mortal enemy of Al-Qaeda, ISIS and other US-supported terrorist groups. Besides orchestrating agency high crimes, Pompeo is paid to lie.
At the same time, he explained what’s no secret. Washington is committed to “push back” against Iran and Syria, regime change its objective in both countries, perhaps escalating regional conflicts to try achieving it - “push(ing) back” on North Korea another administration policy.
He called Russia a “nefarious actor.” Like Iran and North Korea, it threatens no one. It’s very much threatened by America’s rage for global dominance.
He falsely accused Syria of using CWs, adding “the Russians…to this day deny it” - because it’s untrue, he failed to explain. He was silent about involvement of Pentagon contractors in training anti-Syrian terrorists in CW use, a dirty secret he won’t touch.
Pompeo ludicrously claimed the agency is “deeply apolitical.” He abstained from discussing its diabolical history.
It includes global state terror, toppling foreign leaders by coups or assassinations, supporting ISIS and other terrorist groups, and waging drone wars largely harming civilians, among its other high crimes.