Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Foreign Policy & News Bomb Iran

Oops, too late on that last one.


Testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
by Dr. Steven Kull
Director, Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA),
University of Maryland
Editor, WorldPublicOpinion.org

How many of us here at the Rant concur with the consensus of the Muslim world that the Cheney Administration is intent upon a 21st Century Crusade?

Steve,

If you haven't already, see Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven." I liked it better than "Gladiator." It deals with the motives behind an earlier Crusade, which are the same as today's: someone else's property, position, profit, and greed. I believe that the movie didn't receive the acclaim it deserved because it made the comparisons too well, including the honest religious fanatics on both sides as opposed to the lying deceiving crooks always scheming for more war.

Joe

Chance,

Welcome! You'll find that CHB Ranters are well aware of the distinction between the American people and "our" so-called leaders.

Joe

Thanks Joe! I hadn't heard of it. Historical drama is my absolute favorite genre.

Sobering news this morning from the front page of the British Guardian:


On the bright side, the article reports that the Vice President is not planning to attack until 2008. I would assume in the Spring, just as was planned for 2007, but foiled by the efforts of State as well as by actual events (such as the US public not swallowing the bull$hit about Iranian identification stamps on weapons recovered in Iraq). One scenario that comes to my mind is that the Administration is dragged kicking, whining, and pouting into beginning a drawdown in Iraq, then a false-flag operation is staged placing blame on Iran - as well as on the Congressional traitors who forced the drawdown in the first place - an attack on Iran is deemed essential, and conveniently blamed on us peacemongers.

See! We Told You So!

Iran asks Japan to pay in yen, not dollars . Uh-Uh, it's now not a question of if, but when. When? Possibly when Congress is out of town?

Joe

Nah...ain't gonna happen soon. Ya' don't think Bush is going to give up his summer of cutting brush and bike-riding at the "ranch" in Crawford, do ya'? Being the "Decider" is "hard work."

Larry,

I hope that you're right.

Joe

How'd our oil get under their sand?

Joe

Sure it is quite possible but not probable. see below


Perhaps Iran is irrelevant to the oil equation. This is almost with great certainty a question about Israeli perceptions regarding Iranian intentions. Neocon thinkers don't necessarily think logically nor do they reveal all the premises of their ruminations. see below

As mentioned in earlier posts it became clear the "nuclear threat" to Israel specifically gained no traction as there was no "real" evidence for which one could definitively conclude Iran was making a nuclear weapon. The only evidence the administration had was the oft used mantra, "we have the evidence", which we have learned was the evidence. Since that ploy didn't garner much support the administration has since at least the beginning of the year been promoting a different tack.

Now this angle is more plausible ... and ... takes Israel out of the equation. WooHoo. However, don't be fooled, Israel is still the fundamental reason for attacking Iran. So we have the CIA step[ping] up operations in Iran as hawks seek to tie Iraq bombs to Tehran. According to author of the article, Larisa Alexandrovna, the problem is even though IEDs have been determined to have been manufactured in Iran



This was recently echoed by a General who stated he knew 50 Quds were operating in his district but when asked directly what evidence he had he stated he was about to get the evidence in the next few days.

The point is the administration is working hard to make it happen and there are several benefits as noted by CIA analysts. The probability is very high that between now and end of term the US will have attacked Iran and used as a pretext of justification a tenuous link between Iran and American deaths in Iraq.

This is a case that if the US can't find the evidence they may actually manufacture it. Yikes!!! To what lengths will these neocons go to protect Israel? My answer ... whatever it takes.

I don't think protecting Israel is the only reason for bombing Iran. One of them, but not the only one. Maybe not even the main one. Of all the influences in the Administration pushing for an attack, Richard B. Cheney is among the most influential, and he could absolutely care less about Israel IMHO.

The Australian weighs in:


Baer points out, IMHO rightly, that our Gulf State "allies" are all Sunni Muslims. Iran is of course a Shi'ite Persian nation. The idea of Iranian dominance in the Middle East, in his words, "scares the s***" out of our so-called "friends", that is, other than Israel.

He also makes the observation that the Persians are the smartest people in the Middle East. With about four thousand years of experience, they know how to play these games very well.