Replies

"Your first erroneous assumption has the rest of the world playing spectators watching Iran play a game. "

This is probably a safe bet depending on what happens in November. The EU is cutting deals with Hamas, and the French won't even fight on their own homeland. Russia and China are selling advanced weapons to anyone who can pay cash. The only Euro with a spine is Blair and he is about to be toppled by internal politics.

Here in the US we are already talking pullout of Iraq and closing Gitmo, thus turning the worst of the terrorists loose. If the Demorats take control of congress in November some have promised to impeach Bush. Even if they fail to throw him out of office he certainly won't be in any position to launch a war against a Nuclear armed nation.

If the attack is launched by terrorists and has plausible deniability then he will probably get away with it. Certainly the UN will pass resolutions stating that Israel blew itself up. And the crowd at Moveon, KOS and DU will claim that the US blew up Israel in order to Wag the Dog for Bush. Remember they have claimed exactly that for 911. And after all everything is Bush's fault. For a group of wack jobs that blamed Tsunamis and Hurricanes on him this is hardly a stretch.

and closing Gitmo, thus turning the worst of the terrorists loose

They would not turn the worst of these terrorists loose....you are missing the point. They are simply talking about turning Gitmo loose as a decision completely separate from the decisions of what will be done to those terrorists there.

Some will be tried and executed (military courts) some will simply be moved to other prisons (Stan, Qatar, Iraq and the like).

Your "scenarios" are full of too much Fox News-type "Infotainment" items and ridiculous assumptions about what our administration can and won't do. Despite your use of acceptable buzzwords, you are off the mark on so many things it's hard to sort out and know where to start.

So I won't.

Inspite of all your talk, you are missing "key facts". ..the ones that provide the "glue" that holds the world picture together. You have the elements on your table. You just have'nt connected them.

Think.

Starters: The Dems are dead in the water.

Even if they fail to throw him out of office he certainly won't be in any position to launch a war against a Nuclear armed nation.

As a lame duck President, whose party just lost Congress, what would he have to lose politically? It doesn't take an act of Congress, although we have one dated September of 2001 authorizing "all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.", for the President to call over the officer with the nuclear football, and let fly. A single Ohio class submarine's load would be overkill.

That same resolution also declares that "the President has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States", so even if you argue that Iran was not involved in 9-11, nor aided, nor harbored (they did lots of harboring) those who were, the President has the inherent authority as commander in chief to do whatever it takes to protect the US against further attacks.