America Forges an Alliance against Iran

Doubts about an Iranian assassination plot — Washington works on a “measured response”

As reported by Reuters, Washington is assembling allies for a concentrated action against Iran because of the alleged assassination plot against the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called plans for the attack “a dangerous escalation” of Iran’s support for terrorism and went on to say, “This kind of reckless act undermines international norms and the international system. Iran must be held accountable for its actions.” Her British counterpart, William Hague, said that his government is working with the United States, the European Union and Saudi Arabia on an appropriate response. Hague went before Parliament, claiming that the exposed plans were obvious proof that Iran was expanding its support for terrorism globally, but he added no further details.

Saudi Arabia announced that it will hold Iran responsible for any hostile actions and called for a resolute response. Prince Turki Al-Faisal said that the evidence against Iran is overwhelming. High-level U.S. government officials, meanwhile, said they have no concrete evidence that top levels of the Iranian government have any knowledge of the alleged assassination plot. According to the official Washington conspiracy theory, Iranian agents from a special unit of the Revolutionary Guards tried to hire a Mexican drug cartel to carry out the assassination; it is said that discussions of these plans have been secretly recorded.

One expert on Iran expressed doubt: “Are we to believe that this Texas car seller was a Quds sleeper agent for many years resident in the U.S.? Ridiculous,” said Kenneth Katzman, a Congressional Research Service analyst. “There could have been some contact on this with the Quds Force, but the idea that this was some sort of directed, vetted, fully thought-through plot, approved at high levels in Tehran leadership I think defies credulity,” Katzman added. In interviews with the media, the wife of the 56-year-old Iranian who has been accused maintained that he is innocent, saying that even though they are separated, she can’t imagine him to be capable of such actions. Iran, meanwhile, has called the allegations a “child’s game.”*

*This quote, while accurately translated, could not be verified.