W AND IRAN

W is Oliver Stone's look at the rise and Presidency of George W Bush, the erstwhile President of the USA who went into Iraq and Afghanistan believing it would all be over by Christmas, but guess what; it's not by a long way.

If you want to know what is going on in Iran I would recommend watching W.

Why?

Because about half way into the film there is a scene in which W, Cheney, Rice and a few other key members of Bush's administration are sat around a desk discussing how they can convince the American public to support an invasion of Iraq. They are struggling for ideas that would work, when Cheney begins to clarify the situation regarding world oil supplies to remind those present (including the audience) just how important an invasion of Iraq is.

With a big map of the Middle East and the Caspian basin to work with, Cheney slaps a few stars and stripes, representing military bases, onto the map, specifically in Iraq stating that Iraq is "where the real prize lies" (a quote from his speech to the Petroleum Institute). When Cheney has finished there is but one country, lying right in the middle of the map, that does not have any stars and stripes in it.

And what is that country?

IRAN!

Stone does not mention PNAC or A Clean Break, but there are hints and references. One such hint that there was a conspiracy to lead W into war for other reasons is a scene at a meal in The White House, at which are present Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice and a few others. The meal is taking place a significant time after the invasion of Iraq and W is demanding where the WMDs are, how could the intel be so wrong, who is responsible? A rep of the CIA is there and he accepts the blame and resigns. The camera then sweeps around the table to focus on the faces of those present and they all wear a guilty but relieved and gleeful face that they got away with it.

Stone obviously believes that W is innocent of all charges and that he was duped by "the boss" (in the film W calls Cheney "boss").

But surely the POTUS cannot be so manipulated? You'd better believe it, baby. You'd better believe it!