US denies military plans against Iran, Syria

Reuters ^ | 12 Jan 2007 20:31:38 GMT | Reuters Staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The United States denied on Friday it was preparing for military action against Iran and Syria, after President George W. Bush issued a stern warning to them, raising concerns of a spillover from the Iraq war.

Bush, in his speech on Wednesday unveiling his revised Iraq strategy, accused Tehran and Damascus of allowing use of their territory for launching attacks inside Iraq, and vowed "we will interrupt the flow of support."

U.S. lawmakers voiced concern on Thursday the Iraq war could spread to neighboring Iran and Syria if U.S. troops were to chase militants across the border. But U.S. officials insisted the plan was to disrupt supply lines from inside Iraq.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said he wanted to knock down an "urban legend" that Bush was "trying to prepare the way for war with either country and that there were war preparations under way."

"There are not," he told reporters. "What the president was talking about is defending American forces within Iraq."

"There's lots of war gaming," he added. "This notion that somehow the president was announcing as a precursor to planned military action, a planned war against Iran, that's just not the case."

Snow reiterated that Washington was focusing on diplomatic means against Iran over its nuclear program. Western powers say Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says it wants nuclear technology for civilian power generation.

The United States has repeatedly accused Shi'ite Iran of meddling in Iraq, where the long-oppressed Shi'ite majority is now in power and sectarian violence is raging. Tehran denies U.S. charges that it supplies Shi'ite militias with weapons.

Bush also said he had ordered an additional aircraft carrier strike group to the region and would deploy Patriot missile defense systems to "reassure our friends and allies" -- steps widely seen as a warning to Iran and Syria.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden bluntly told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday he did not think Bush had the authority to launch attacks against militant networks in Iran and Syria.

[AdvisorB]

Bodansky says in this book that the US lost in Iraq when it didn't realize it was fighting a regional war that included Syria and Iran. We are fighting a four (and possibly more) front war against the alqaeda/baathist/criminals, Sadrite mahdi army, syria, and Iran. Today we are only taking on the former. We need to take off the velvet glove and smash them all with the iron fist....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

thanks.

[phillyfanatic]

Are the B-52's warming up? I hope that our missing nukes over the last 20 years are now found in Stealth bombers as they wing over Iran.

[Marine_Uncle]

Frigen Biden is about a big *sshole as they come. What a pompous ass with little real knowledge of what the hell is going on. Either that or he is actually a moron who simply does not have the skill sets to analyis information and connect the dots, as the modern adage goes.
I for one have tired of his crap many years back.
Every time he, Boxer, Feinstein, Kerry, Kennedy, Murtha, Pelosi, Rangle open their mouths, nothing approaching the truth appears to be emitted. And millions upon millions of American dopes over the years have keeped these goons on the pay rolls.

[himno hero]

but you know,
the dope dealers got the message they were going to get busted
and they relocated their activities down the street

all that nuclear activity? come to a grinding stop at all locations

and relocated down the street ////or//// like saddam's wmd... next door