Reply #138: And more [View All]

[Marie26]

Yeah, I can't quite let go of this letter, either. It's just chilling, somehow. You almost get the impression that it's some sort of big chess game, with the pawns being slowly moved into place.

The Aspen Group isn't a neoconservative group, but you're right that they all seem to be interested in spreading democracy - whether by peaceful or other means. I was thinking that the "aspens" had to do w/witnesses in the Plame case, but your idea seems better that he's referring instead to future Aspen activities/beliefs on Iran. Especially because he uses the future tense - the aspens "will be turning". Could he be referring to some sort of coordinated effort by these members to promote war/regime change in Iran this fall?

I think there's some basis to believe this is true.

At the same time that the ASG held it's own meeting on proliferation, the Aspen Atlantic Group had a meeting on Iran (called Iran: Prospects for a Common Agenda). Members wrote 2 meeting briefs, called "Recent Iranian Political Developments" & "The Iran Nuclear Issue."

In Dec., 2004 - Albright & other Aspen group members co-wrote an article in the Washington Post entitled "How to Approach Iran." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60177-20... This article offers ideas for getting Iran to stop it's nuclear program - by diplomacy or commercial perks. "In the event that diplomacy fails and Iran decides not to abandon its efforts to develop nuclear weapons, Europeans should be ready for alternative courses of action, including going to the U.N. Security Council... The transatlantic community should not be trying to force a confrontation with Iran, but we must not fear one if that's what is necessary to prevent the introduction of another nuclear weapons program into the combustible Middle East."

This Friday, John Bolton made a new appointment to the UN, named Jeff Gedmin. http://www.thewashingtonnote.com. Gedmin will hold the #2 position as the new Deputy Representative to the UN. Gedmin is a neoconservative and the director of, you guessed it, the Aspen Institute. This appointment ruffled some feathers because the Deputy Rep. is usually a career diplomat, not a political appointee. So why would Bolton want this guy to be his new number 2? Gedmin recently published an article in the Weekly Standard called "Plan B for Iran." http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/0... . In it, he talks about the imminent danger that Iran will soon have a nuclear bomb, and criticizes the administration for relying on "diplomatic measures" to stop Iran's program. He writes: "By now it must be obvious that if the United States is serious about preventing the mullahs from getting the bomb, we have two choices: either preemption or regime change. By now it is also pretty clear that bombing would be difficult, which can only make one wonder why we have been so slow in giving serious support to the democracy movement in Iran. This regime has to go."

Bolton is appointing UN officials that support regime change to support him. The Aspen group is promoting the danger from Iran's nuclear program. You know the Vice President is on board. The pawns are all moving into place. Now Libby's saying they need her, their chief propagandizer, to come out of jail now so she can write overhyped stories to gain public support for their Iran plan. All the aspens have to "turn together" & they need her work. This sounds nutty, but I'm starting to think it really isn't that far-fetched.