Posted on 01/11/2007 5:13:27 PM PST by Flavius
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic and Republican senators voiced strong concern on Thursday that the Iraq war could spread to neighboring Iran and Syria if the U.S. military were to chase militants across the border.
President Bush, who accuses Iran and Syria of fomenting the violence in Iraq, on Wednesday proposed sending 21,500 more U.S. troops to try to restore security nearly four years after the U.S.-led invasion.
Bush sparked worries that the conflict may widen by his comment that "we'll interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq."
U.S. officials said their plan was to disrupt such networks while staying inside Iraq, but their comments did not appear to mollify senior U.S. lawmakers.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden bluntly told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice he did not think Bush had the authority to launch attacks to stamp out militant networks in Iran and Syria.
"If the president concluded he had to invade Iran ... or Syria in pursuit of these networks, I believe the present authorization granted the president to use force in Iraq does not cover that and he does need congressional authority to do that," said Biden.
"I just want to set that marker," added the Delaware Democrat, who later wrote Bush a letter asking for an "authoritative answer" on whether he believed U.S. forces could cross into Iran or Syria without congressional authorization.
In a testy hearing about Bush's new plan for Iraq, Rice said she did not want to speculate on the president's constitutional authority for such action.
NOTHING RULED OUT
"Obviously, the president isn't going to rule anything out to protect our troops, but the plan is to take down these networks in Iraq," she said.
Earlier on Thursday, U.S. forces stormed an Iranian government representative's office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil and arrested five people, including diplomats.
We will continue to work with the Iraqis and use all of our power to limit and counter the activities of Iranian agents who are attacking our people and innocent civilians in Iraq," Rice said in a prepared statement given to the committee.
Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska also expressed concern about potential future U.S. action in Iran or Syria.
"You cannot sit here today -- not because you're dishonest or you don't understand -- but no one in our government can sit here today and tell Americans that we won't engage the Iranians and the Syrians cross-border," said Hagel, a Vietnam veteran and possible 2008 presidential candidate.
Several Republican and Democratic senators pressured the Bush administration to talk directly to Iran, but Rice repeated the administration's reluctance to do so unless Iran abandons sensitive atomic work, a step Tehran has so far rejected.
Rice suggested Iran might use a dialogue about Iraq to extort U.S. concessions on its nuclear program, a trade-off U.S. officials have rejected. The United States believes the program is aimed at building weapons, while Tehran says it is for generating electricity.
The United States has sought to pressure Iran over its nuclear program through a unanimous U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution that passed in December, but the top U.S. intelligence official suggested Iran's economy was resilient.
"Record oil revenues and manageable debt suggest that Iran is capable, for now, of weathering shocks to the economy," U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte said in written testimony submitted to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Separately, key lawmakers warned they would insist that the Bush administration impose sanctions on China if Beijing pursues an agreement to develop Iranian gas fields.
The two countries in December announced a preliminary deal, believed worth $16 billion, for China to invest in Iran's north Pars gas field and to construct plants to produce liquefied natural gas.
(Additional reporting Sue Pleming)
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved
I would pay good money to be able to pistol whip Chuck Hagel.
And the problem is....what?
When one is chasing rats, one needs to go where the rats live.
Right, we wouldn't want to interdict the IED supply lines. I mean what the hell would the press write about if not IED's killing American soldiers.
How did this great republic that was founded by the likes of the courageous George Washington elect such a bunch of lily-livered cowards into the US Senate?
" U.S. Democratic and Republican senators voiced strong concern on Thursday that the Iraq war could spread to neighboring Iran and Syria if the U.S. military were to chase militants across the border."
The new credo of the Senate Girls Fainting Society.
President - Joseph Robinette Biden
Vice President-Chick Hagel
Refreshment Committee- All Senate Democrats except Joe Lieberman
Oh lordy, lordy...don't make us hunt down Al Queda .
Oh lordy ,lordy ...don't make us behave like brutes and chase those nasty mens who set the IEDs that are kill US soldiers.
And please Lord, help us never to act like men .
Well, okay. I don't have a dog. If I didn't fish I'd have to beat my wife, and that would be just too dangerous for me (she'll fight back). You should know what she once did to a high school friend. And she really liked that friend.
how'd that go?
he who laughs and runs away
lives to fight another day...
bush needs to clean up the sanctuaries and the financiers
That was my first thought, and I just thought I'd cruise the thread to see if anyone else was of like mind. Didn't take long ; )
I can just imagine the Drudge siren....developing...Hagel attacked
After dragging Senator Hagel from under the skirts of Olympia Snowe, a woman pistol whipped the squealing coward. Other senators were stunned. Arlen Spectre was frantically researching Scottish law while Sen. Byrd awoke and began quoting the KKK oath. Hildebeast Clinton sought comfort in the arms of Babs Boxer. Cape Cod Orca Kennedy and Sen. Dodd were so agitated they started doing jello shots off the tummy of a young, female page.
The tag team of McCain and Graham were last seen plucking the doll hair from the head of Joe Biden. Trent Lott was leading cheers. Diane Fineswine was screeching in abject horror at the sight of a gun.
Last seen, Dusty Harry was running hand in hand down the hall with the "mom in tennis shoes".....stay tuned for updates.
It's gonna be a long two years, my friend.
I think we may need drugs.
And I would pay good money to watch!
There's something very odd about Chuck Hagel. He's been among a very small minority of Senators to vote against resolutions in support of Israel; and when the Israelis captured that Iranian vessel, the Karinna A., with arms destined for the Palestinians, he said immediately that we shouldn't believe the Israelis, that they were just trying to stir things up against Iran.
Well, we're getting quite a crowd here.............LOL.
Right in VA, I called it first......take a number!
I like it, really, really like it!
Hey, I did take a number. I get second crack at 'em.
Okay...you get the toaster, but I'm number two! ;^D
You know, now that you mention is, when I watched him tonight, I just kept saying to myself, "What could he possibly be thinking. He wants to run for POTUS. WHO does he think will vote for him."
Any thoughts on that? What "wing" of the party is he catering to?
I think the Dems have identified their "johnson option". If Johnson dies, Hagel is the guy who jumps ship to keep the senate in Dem hands.
The eunuch wing.
And now, they've lost the election, in which they lost their majority and they are still too stupid to understand.
It's time for someone in the Congressional Republican leadership to step up.
John McCain, please sit down......I don't mean you!
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