We are told time and again from Republicans and nominal liberals alike that Iran desperately wants to acquire nuclear weapons, was "racing toward the bomb" before the implementation of the multilateral Iran Deal - officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and was merely months away from holding the world hostage with a nuclear arsenal before being stopped by diplomacy, aided by "crippling sanctions." The core axioms of this narrative are never really challenged, even by those viewed as progressive on foreign policy.
But how correct are these assumptions? Why does the media keep saying Iran has a "nuclear weapons program" when it doesn't? Will the nonstop back and forth over Iran's "nuclear ambitions" ever cease?
Using both Nima and Adam's own analyses, we attempt to answer these questions and more as we take a deep dive into the Iran Deal protection racket.
Citations Needed co-host Nima Shirazi has been researching and writing about the deliberate disinformation, rampant alarmism, and false allegations that have informed the politics, reporting and public awareness on the Iranian nuclear program for nearly a decade. Since 2010, Nima has compiled the most comprehensive catalog of the constant assertions made by government officials, pundits, analysts and commentators regarding the supposed inevitability and imminence of a nuclear-armed Iran. The compendium dates back to 1984.
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The Return of the Media's Zombie Narrative About Iran's Nuclear Program
Nima Shirazi | August 4, 2017 | Wide Asleep in America
Iran Doesn’t Have a Nuclear Weapons Program. Why Do Media Keep Saying It Does?
Adam Johnson | October 17, 2017 | FAIR
No, LA Times, That's Not What Nuclear 'Breakout Time' Means
Nima Shirazi | August 8, 2017 | Wide Asleep in America
Does Iran Really Need Nuclear Power?
Nima Shirazi | July 7, 2015 | Wide Asleep in America
“Putting Iran on Notice”—Stop Acting Like A Sovereign Country?
Greg Thielmann | February 2, 2017 | LobeLog
More Misleading Reporting on the Iran Deal and 'Heavy Water'
Nima Shirazi | July 13, 2016 | Wide Asleep in America
Putting A Lid On Clinton's Erroneous Iranian "Nuclear Weapons Program" Talking Point
Nima Shirazi | March 14, 2016 | Wide Asleep in America
PolitiFact Is Right That Ted Cruz Is Wrong, But Still Botches Iran Deal Facts
Nima Shirazi | September 25, 2015 | FAIR
Slaughtering the Truth and the False Choice of War on Iran (and follow-up)
Nima Shirazi | September 2, 2015 | Wide Asleep in America
Vox Errata: On Nuclear Framework, Explanatory Journalism Site Has Some More 'Splaining To Do
Nima Shirazi | April 5, 2015 | Wide Asleep in America
The Great Iranian Nuclear Swindle
Arron Merat | July 11, 2014 | VICE
Peter Hart | January 1, 2012 | FAIR
Iran is not in breach of international law
Richard Dalton et al. | June 9, 2011 | The Guardian
The Phantom Menace: Fantasies, Falsehoods, and Fear-Mongering about Iran's Nuclear Program
Nima Shirazi | December 29, 2010 | Wide Asleep in America
Kurt Eichenwald | October 4, 2013 | Newsweek
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President Trump is making us less safe by messing with the Iran Agreement - Senator Elizabeth Warren [video]
Emma & Brian
2017-12-31 10:12:26 +0000 UTC