The US–Iran War and the Western Political Landscape
Pedro Sanchez: Europe’s Lone Dissenting Voice
Spain’s Strategic Defiance
Challenging Western Hypocrisy
Joe Kent: Resignation as Protest
Insider Dissent and Security Establishment Reactions
Media Narratives and the Politics of War
Economic and Human Costs of Prolonged Conflict
The Significance of Moral Courage in Politics
Will Dissent Reshape Western Policy?
An analysis of Pedro Sanchez and Joe Kent as rare Western critics of the US–Iran war and its global implications.
Long live Pedro Sanchez and Joe Kent
Amidst the continuing US-Iran war, two heroes have emerged in the Western world-- the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, and former Head of the US National Counterterrorism Centre, Joe Kent. This shows that not all Western leaders and high officials are mere robotic mouthpieces and spokespersons of US President Donald Trump, parroting his line without ever questioning it, and without having any conscience or ethics of their own.
He had earlier condemned Israel's atrocities in Gaza, calling it genocide ( as indeed had many Irish politicians ).
He has now condemned the US-Israeli treacherous and unprovoked brutal attack on Iran ( even when negotiations were going on in Geneva ) as a flagrant violation of international law, becoming the only European Head of Government to say so.
He has also declared that Spain will not allow the US to use their military bases in Spain for strikes on Iran, and has barred Spanish ports and airspace for being used for carrying weapons to US and Israeli forces.
As a result, Trump has said that America will cut off all trade with Spain.
In a recent televised address to the nation, Sanchez, while condemning the US-Israeli attack on Iran, said " We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world, and is also contrary to our values ".
By his courageous and principled stand, Sanchez has revealed the hypocrisy of other Western leaders, and demonstrated that it is possible and politically rewarding to refuse to yield to arm twisting and bullying by the Americans.
As regards Joe Kent, he too deserves a salute, for resigning from his post of Head of the US National Counterterrorism Centre, rather than continuing to be a senior member of President Trump's administration, which launched a sneak and flagrantly illegal war on Iran, in collaboration with Israel, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini and other high officials, massacring 165 Iranian schoolgirls, and bombing hospitals, radio stations etc.
On March 17th, Kent posted these words in the social media " Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and it's powerful American lobby ".
Trump immediately described Kent as "weak on security " and called his departure "a good thing".
Kent was a member of the Green Berets in the US Army, and was selected into an elite Special Missions Unit, which operated in Iraq, Yemen, and other high-threat environments, earning him several Bronze Stars and other medals. After retiring, he joined the Special Activities Centre of the CIA.
As one who spent two decades in the US elite fighting forces and was privy to the most sensitive intelligence briefings, Kent's resignation and his explanation of his reasons has triggered ripples in America. Kent has accused Israel and the American media of running a misinformation campaign by branding Iran as a sponsor of terror throughout the world, with a long record of attacking US forces through proxies, to justify the present war.
The fearless moral stand taken by Pedro Sanchez, and the resignation, revelations, and warning of Joe Kent, which is presently brushed aside or condemned by the pro-war hardliners in America and elsewhere, will gradually be more and more recognised as brave and moral acts, as the war drags on, resulting in soaring oil prices, rising living costs, and more and more body bags containing dead US soldiers coming back to America, to be received by wailing relatives, seething in anger over a meaningless unwarranted and illegal war.
Long live Pedro Sanchez and Joe Kent !
Hats off to them !
(Justice Markandey Katju is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman of the Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own.)
