Posted on 04/14/2008 6:06:15 PM PDT by pissant
The neocons may yet get their war on Iran.
Ever since President Nouri al-Maliki ordered the attacks in Basra on the Mahdi Army, Gen. David Petraeus has been laying the predicate for U.S. air strikes on Iran and a wider war in the Middle East.
Iran, Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee, has "fueled the recent violence in a particularly damaging way through its lethal support of the special groups."
These "special groups" are "funded, trained, armed and directed by Iran's Quds Force with help from Lebanese Hezbollah. It was these groups that launched Iranian rockets and mortar rounds at Iraq's seat of government (the Green Zone) ... causing loss of innocent life and fear in the capital."
Is the Iranian government aware of this -- and behind it?
"President Ahmadinejad and other Iranian leaders" promised to end their "support for the special groups," said the general, but the "nefarious activities of the Quds force have continued."
Are Iranians then murdering Americans, asked Joe Lieberman:
"Is it fair to say that the Iranian-backed special groups in Iraq are responsible for the murder of hundreds of American soldiers and thousands of Iraqi soldiers and civilians?"
"It certainly is. ... That is correct," said Petraeus.
The following day, Petraeus told the House Armed Services Committee, "Unchecked, the 'special groups' pose the greatest long-term threat to the viability of a democratic Iraq."
Translation: The United States is now fighting the proxies of Iran for the future of Iraq.
The general's testimony is forcing Bush's hand, for consider the question it logically raises: If the Quds Force and Hezbollah, both designated as terrorist organizations, are arming, training and directing "special groups" to "murder" Americans, and rocket and mortar the Green Zone to kill our diplomats, and they now represent the No. 1 threat to a free Iraq, why has Bush failed to neutralize these base camps of terror and aggression?
Hence, be not surprised if President Bush appears before the TV cameras, one day soon, to declare:
"My commanding general in Iraq, David Petraeus, has told me that Iran, with the knowledge of President Ahmadinejad, has become a privileged sanctuary for two terrorist organizations -- Hezbollah and the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard -- to train, arm and direct terrorist attacks on U.S. and coalition forces, despite repeated promises to halt this murderous practice.
"I have therefore directed U.S. air and naval forces to begin air strikes on these base camps of terror. Our attacks will continue until the Iranian attacks cease."
Because of the failures of a Democratic Congress elected to end the war, Bush can now make a compelling case that he would be acting fully within his authority as commander in chief.
In early 2007, Nancy Pelosi pulled down a resolution that would have denied Bush the authority to attack Iran without congressional approval. In September, both Houses passed the Kyl-Lieberman resolution designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.
Courtesy of Congress, Bush thus has a blank check for war on Iran. And the signs are growing that he intends to fill it in and cash it.
Israel has been hurling invective at Iran and conducting security drills to prepare its population for rocket barrages worse than those Hezbollah delivered in the Lebanon War.
Adm. William "Fox" Fallon, the Central Command head who opposed war with Iran, has been removed. Hamas and Hezbollah have been stocking up on Qassam and Katyusha rockets.
Vice President Cheney has lately toured Arab capitals.
And President Ahmadinejad just made international headlines by declaring that Tehran will begin installing 6,000 advanced centrifuges to accelerate Iran's enrichment of uranium.
This is Bush's last chance to strike and, when Iran responds, to effect its nuclear castration. Are Bush and Cheney likely to pass up this last chance to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities and effect the election of John McCain? For any attack on Iran's "terrorist bases" would rally the GOP and drive a wedge between Obama and Hillary.
Indeed, Sen. Clinton, who voted to declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization, could hardly denounce Bush for ordering air strikes on the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, when Petraeus testified, in her presence, that it is behind the serial murder of U.S. soldiers.
The Iranians may sense what is afoot. For Tehran helped broker the truce in the Maliki-Sadr clash in Basra, and has called for a halt to the mortar and rocket attacks on the Green Zone.
With a friendly regime in Baghdad that rolled out the red carpet for Ahmadinejad, Iran has nothing to gain by war. Already, it is the big winner from the U.S. wars that took down Tehran's Taliban enemies, decimated its al-Qaida enemies and destroyed its Sunni enemies, Saddam and his Baath Party.
No, it is not Iran that wants a war with the United States. It is the United States that has reasons to want a short, sharp war with Iran.
It is only a matter of time before war errupts in the Middle East. It is going to happen, no matter what.
What Buchanan & the rest of the clowns on the McLaugh-In Group, except for Tony Blankley, have failed to realize all these many years is that sooner or later we are going to have to give the Muzzies the Jihad they so desperately want.
Although with Iran, Gen. McInerney says that their nuclear facilities could be taken out in a weekend by the U.S.A.F. Although I expect the Israelis will do the deed.
I like Pat and he is sometimes insightful. Other times, like now, he is in another solar system.
Pat Buchanan is an isolationist.
That particular war’s been going for thirty years. It’s just that so far, only one side’s been fighting.
Let me help Pat out, they don't want a conventional war.
They want to use terror and extortion to gain power. And once they have the power they need to wage a war, Israel will be the first to be attacked.
Well observed and well said.
I think Ron Paul is a true isolationist; Pat is an anti-Semite.
He talks y about restraining Israel from bombing Iran and criticized Israel piss poor performance in Israel as wanton agression.
A true isolationist would not want foreign aid anywhere on the globe, but Pat wants it with Hamas so it can destroy the 5.5 million Jews of Israel.
Well, I think Pat presents a compelling case for an attack on Iran rather than suggesting reasons to oppose it, as he does.
In addition to what Pat wrote (and, you know, Senator Lieberman’s question was set up, duh), many other signs, many blatant, some inconclusive in isolation but portentous in combination, suggest a war is not too far away in the ME, less than six months I’d guess, but just a guess as I know nothing.
Still, it seems sorta obvious that Israel and Hezbollah are heading toward a showdown soon.
Despite Pat’s implication that the US calls the shots, a lot of the reasons why it will happen are beyond our influence to stop unless we threatened to nuke all of them. But it may take more than threats. So, because that won’t work, we may as well see that it happens on our terms.
Finally, I do not feel in my gut that Bush will leave office with Iran unmolested and increasingly belligerent: The final and most dangerous player in his trio of evil.
Add everything up, including the Nov. election, and I’d say watch for a new moon in June.
Come now, Pat, I think you're seriously underestimating what that woman is capable of doing.
George Washington was an isolationist.
Pat is correct in his analysis as usual. Bush has the upper hand with the congressional mealy mouths and they will rubber stamp any action he takes against Iran.
Orville & Wilbur Wright’s parents were probably isolationists too.
Things changed with the next generation.
LOLOL!!!
I was thinking the same thing as I read Pat's article. Add to that all of the articles that have been posted on FR over the past few weeks offering compelling information about this topic and it seems very likely Bush has intentions of setting Iran back a decade or so in their acquisition of nuclear weapons and long range delivery systems.
Aside from the moonbat peaceniks, and the iranians, who would seriously oppose this, Russia?
""Is it fair to say that the Iranian-backed special groups in Iraq are responsible for the murder of hundreds of American soldiers and thousands of Iraqi soldiers and civilians?"
"It certainly is. ... That is correct," said Petraeus. "
"...Petraeus testified, in her presence, that it is behind the serial murder of U.S. soldiers."
I like Pat, probably one of the few FReepers who do, but his incessant criticisms of Bush are lacking objectivity in my view.
This going into Iran shoulda happened already.
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