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This piece originally appeared at TomDispatch. It's a policy fierce enough to cause great suffering among Iranians-and possibly in the long run among Americans, too. It might, in the end, even deeply harm the global economy and yet, history tells us, it will fail on its own. Economic war led by Washington (and encouraged by Israel) will not take down the Iranian government or bring it to the bargaining table on its knees ready to surrender its nuclear program. It might, however, lead to actual armed conflict with incalculable consequences. The United States is already effectively embroiled in an economic war against Iran. The Obama administration has subjected the Islamic Republic to the most crippling economic sanctions applied to any country since Iraq was reduced to fourth-world status in the 1990s. And worse is on the horizon. A financial blockade is being imposed that seeks to prevent Tehran from selling petroleum, its most valuable commodity, as a way of dissuading the regime from pursuing its nuclear enrichment program. Historical memory has never been an American strong point and so few today remember that a global embargo on Iranian petroleum is hardly a new tactic in Western geopolitics; nor do many recall that the last time it was applied with such stringency, in the 1950s, it led to the overthrow of the government with disastrous long-term blowback on the United States. The tactic is just as dangerous today. Iran's supreme theocrat, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly condemned the atom bomb and nuclear weapons of all sorts as tools of the devil, weaponry that cannot be used without killing massive numbers of civilian noncombatants. In the most emphatic terms, he has, in fact, pronounced them forbidden according to Islamic law. Based on the latest U.S. intelligence, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has affirmed that Iran has not made a decision to pursue a nuclear warhead. In contrast, hawks in Israel and the United States insist

This piece originally appeared at TomDispatch. It's a policy fierce enough to cause great suffering among Iranians-and possibly in the long run among Americans, too. It might, in the end, even deeply harm the global economy and yet, history tells us, it will fail on its own. Economic war led by Washington (and encouraged by Israel) will not take down the Iranian government or bring it to the bargaining table on its knees ready to surrender its nuclear program. It might, however, lead to actual armed conflict with incalculable consequences. The United States is already effectively embroiled in an economic war against Iran. The Obama administration has subjected the Islamic Republic to the most crippling economic sanctions applied to any country since Iraq was reduced to fourth-world status in the 1990s. And worse is on the horizon. A financial blockade is being imposed that seeks to prevent Tehran from selling petroleum, its most valuable commodity, as a way of dissuading the regime from pursuing its nuclear enrichment program. Historical memory has never been an American strong point and so few today remember that a global embargo on Iranian petroleum is hardly a new tactic in Western geopolitics; nor do many recall that the last time it was applied with such stringency, in the 1950s, it led to the overthrow of the government with disastrous long-term blowback on the United States. The tactic is just as dangerous today. Iran's supreme theocrat, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly condemned the atom bomb and nuclear weapons of all sorts as tools of the devil, weaponry that cannot be used without killing massive numbers of civilian noncombatants. In the most emphatic terms, he has, in fact, pronounced them forbidden according to Islamic law. Based on the latest U.S. intelligence, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has affirmed that Iran has not made a decision to pursue a nuclear warhead. In contrast, hawks in Israel and the United States insist

By Juan Cole, TomDispatch This piece originally appeared atTomDispatch. It's a policy fierce enough to cause great suffering among Iranians-and possibly in the long run among Americans, too. It might, in the end, even deeply harm the global economy and yet, history tells us, it will fail on its own. Economic war led by Washington (and encouraged by Israel) will not take down the Iranian government or bring it to the bargaining table on its knees ready to surrender its nuclear program. It might, however, lead to actual armed conflict with incalculable consequences. The United States is already effectively embroiled in an economic war against Iran. The Obama administration has subjected the Islamic Republic to the most crippling economic sanctions applied to any country since Iraq was reduced to fourth-world status in the 1990s. And worse is on the horizon. A financial blockade is being imposed that seeks to prevent Tehran from selling petroleum, its most valuable commodity, as a way of dissuading the regime from pursuing its nuclear enrichment program. Historical memory has never been an American strong point and so few today remember that a global embargo on Iranian petroleum is hardly a new tactic in Western geopolitics; nor do many recall that the last time it was applied with such stringency, in the 1950s, it led to the overthrow of the government with disastrous long-term blowback on the United States. The tactic is just as dangerous today. Iran's supreme theocrat, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly condemned the atom bomb and nuclear weapons of all sorts as tools of the devil, weaponry that cannot be used without killing massive numbers of civilian noncombatants. In the most emphatic terms, he has, in fact, pronounced them forbidden according to Islamic law. Based on the latest U.S. intelligence, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta hasaffirmed that Iran has not made a decision to pursue a nuclear warhead. In contrast, hawks in Israel and

This piece originally appeared atTomDispatch. It's a policy fierce enough to cause great suffering among Iranians-and possibly in the long run among Americans, too. It might, in the end, even deeply harm the global economy and yet, history tells us, it will fail on its own. Economic war led by Washington (and encouraged by Israel) will not take down the Iranian government or bring it to the bargaining table on its knees ready to surrender its nuclear program. It might, however, lead to actual armed conflict with incalculable consequences. The United States is already effectively embroiled in an economic war against Iran. The Obama administration has subjected the Islamic Republic to the most crippling economic sanctions applied to any country since Iraq was reduced to fourth-world status in the 1990s. And worse is on the horizon. A financial blockade is being imposed that seeks to prevent Tehran from selling petroleum, its most valuable commodity, as a way of dissuading the regime from pursuing its nuclear enrichment program. Historical memory has never been an American strong point and so few today remember that a global embargo on Iranian petroleum is hardly a new tactic in Western geopolitics; nor do many recall that the last time it was applied with such stringency, in the 1950s, it led to the overthrow of the government with disastrous long-term blowback on the United States. The tactic is just as dangerous today. Iran's supreme theocrat, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly condemned the atom bomb and nuclear weapons of all sorts as tools of the devil, weaponry that cannot be used without killing massive numbers of civilian noncombatants. In the most emphatic terms, he has, in fact, pronounced them forbidden according to Islamic law. Based on the latest U.S. intelligence, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta hasaffirmed that Iran has not made a decision to pursue a nuclear warhead. In contrast, hawks in Israel and the United States insist t

SPRINGHILL GROUP FLORIDA GROUPDOC-- A certain "Sehwan Jung" in South Korea hasbeen sending a number of desperate requests Group of Springhill South Korea - "Nowfor funds over Twitter: "I am in urgent need of this one is a real winner," says Dan Ring, amoney. Can you lend me 500,000 dollars?I will spokesperson for Boston-based datamake it up to you later." A diabolical plot, protection company Sophos. "Sehwanindeed, though Mr. Jung's scam is unlikely to Jung's list of celebrities is almost aswork. For one, people can see everything entertaining and as random as his actualsomeone sends on Twitter and quickly realize request, and it's one of the morehe's sent the exact same message over andover. For another, he is tweeting almost optimistic requests out there. I hopeexclusively to celebrities, including Channing there's no way someone will fall for this."Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Carly Simon,journalist Nicholas Kristof (who todaysarcastically answered, "Sure!"), and the foreignminister of Bahrain, Sheikh Khalid bin AhmedAl Khalifa. 3. The "Sehwan gambit" joins the * This scammer doesn't even attempt tofollowing examples as one of the laziest establish a personal connection beforescams in Internet history. offering $18 million: Beloved,* "JOHN" fails to mention what he I am Elizabeth Etters, a Christian.Ieven wants to con you out of: picked your email randomly for anSubject: what are you sale inheritance of $18M. Please contact meGreetings,My name is JOHN, i am for more details via [redacted].highly interested in buying your{ what you want to sale } from you ,I will like * One malware attack came in the formyou to give me the FINAL ASKING of a bogus Christmas card-sent onprice and the lastes condition,also i will March 19:like you to scan the pics for me for Date: 2010-03-19 09:27:15proper verifycation. "You have just received a Christmas greeting card! To see your custom card and who sent it, please check the attachment.

SPRINGHILL GROUP FLORIDA GROUPDOC-- A certain "Sehwan Jung" in South Korea hasbeen sending a number of desperate requests Group of Springhill South Korea - "Nowfor funds over Twitter: "I am in urgent need of this one is a real winner," says Dan Ring, amoney. Can you lend me 500,000 dollars?I will spokesperson for Boston-based datamake it up to you later." A diabolical plot, protection company Sophos. "Sehwanindeed, though Mr. Jung's scam is unlikely to Jung's list of celebrities is almost aswork. For one, people can see everything entertaining and as random as his actualsomeone sends on Twitter and quickly realize request, and it's one of the morehe's sent the exact same message over andover. For another, he is tweeting almost optimistic requests out there. I hopeexclusively to celebrities, including Channing there's no way someone will fall for this."Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Carly Simon,journalist Nicholas Kristof (who todaysarcastically answered, "Sure!"), and the foreignminister of Bahrain, Sheikh Khalid bin AhmedAl Khalifa. 3. The "Sehwan gambit" joins the * This scammer doesn't even attempt tofollowing examples as one of the laziest establish a personal connection beforescams in Internet history. offering $18 million: Beloved,* "JOHN" fails to mention what he I am Elizabeth Etters, a Christian.Ieven wants to con you out of: picked your email randomly for anSubject: what are you sale inheritance of $18M. Please contact meGreetings,My name is JOHN, i am for more details via [redacted].highly interested in buying your{ what you want to sale } from you ,I will like * One malware attack came in the formyou to give me the FINAL ASKING of a bogus Christmas card-sent onprice and the lastes condition,also i will March 19:like you to scan the pics for me for Date: 2010-03-19 09:27:15proper verifycation. "You have just received a Christmas greeting card! To see your custom card and who sent it, please check the attachment.