…Despite recent election results reflecting Americans’ concerns about the Iraq War and related matters, will George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and their associates choose to use U.S. military forces to attack Iran?
Or, maybe the correct question is: When will they choose to attack? April? March? February? …
Despite recent election results reflecting Americans’ concerns about the Iraq War and related matters, will George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and their associates choose to use U.S. military forces to attack Iran?
Or, maybe the correct question is: When will they choose to attack? April? March? February?
Many intelligent observers, some with inside information, have reported that the Bush administration and a certain group of their supporters have been planning to attack Iran for some time.
A second U.S. Navy aircraft carrier group has recently been deployed to the region.
U.S. special operations forces are reportedly deployed for military reconnaissance, development of human assets and other missions relating to Iran.
With political and legal pressures mounting against Bush, Cheney and others because of alleged irregularities of various kinds, what steps is the Bush administration taking to move toward attacking Iran through U.S. aircraft, missiles and other military platforms?
Is there a “window of opportunity,” in the minds of the Bush administration and their associates in which the attacks should be launched?
PREVENTING GREATER DISASTER
The consequences and “blowback” from such an attack have been discussed in many circles, private and public.
There are grave concerns about the potential consequences, obviously including a tremendous escalation of war in the region and terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
What other factors are in play in this complex situation? Political, legal, social, psychological, military, scientific, economic and other elements are all intertwined in this dangerous scenario.
Responsible and intelligent people within the U.S. and international community want a peaceful resolution to the problem of Iran’s pursuit of dangerous nuclear technology.
There is legitimate international concern about the current leadership in Iran and the desire to develop nuclear technology that could result in the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons.
There is also appropriate concern about terrorists obtaining nuclear devices and deploying them.
Ongoing conventional and unconventional war and violence also continue to represent serious problems for the international community, and especially for the human beings affected by this violence.
Dealing with homicidal and suicidal terrorist groups, cults and nations in the world is an important challenge.
Of course, there are many players and factors involved in these current threats. And there are many hot spots that need attention and intelligent intervention.
Countering these threats can include “hard power” military force as well as “soft power” diplomatic efforts, effective and accurate intelligence, economic leverage, persuasion and information operations as well as unconventional operations of different kinds.
However, continued reports indicate that the Bush administration is planning to use military force against Iran. These reports are surfacing while the situation in Iraq deteriorates and plans are made to escalate the war there, and while Afghanistan is also increasingly problematic.
Related to these factors, restricting the Bush administration’s apparent continued desire for expanded war is foremost on the minds of many people.
WAR PRESIDENT (AND VICE-PRESIDENT)
What psychological, political, legal or other factors are influencing Bush, Cheney and their associates?
Bush stated early in his administration that he had become a “war president.” Why was he apparently so eager to assume this title? And who encouraged him to become such a war president, and why?
It has been widely reported that from the earliest days of the Bush administration there was a desire within administration circles to invade Iraq. Secondary to this, “Axis of Evil” member Iran was also in the crosshairs.
The 9/11 attacks provided the apparent motive and opportunity for the administration to attack Afghanistan. Through the expert efforts of U.S. Army Special Forces, CIA operatives, U.S. air power and other assets, the Taliban was easily driven from power.
The success of that operation and a kind of military and psychological momentum led to a window of opportunity for the Bush administration to push for the rapid subsequent invasion of Iraq.
So rapid, in fact, that important U.S. military assets still dealing with Afghanistan were sent to Iraq.
To gain support and provide cover for the invasion of Iraq, the administration made great efforts at persuasion aimed at the American people and the international community about intelligence on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.
The Bush administration created its own intelligence groups, such as the Office of Special Plans, to circumvent the U.S. intelligence community.
Friendly journalists and media outlets who were supporters of the Bush administration and their associates helped spread false information and tried to deceive the American people and the international community.
So, the invasion of Iraq was begun.
Now, four years later, and despite, or perhaps because the Iraq occupation has become such a disaster, the Bush administration may now be planning an attack on Iran.
Throughout each of these developments, the fear of terrorist attacks, the Afghanistan operation, the invasion of Iraq, the “global war on terror” and now possible war with Iran, the Bush administration pursued a radical expansion of their power and a disturbing disrespect for the Constitutional rights of Americans and the human rights of others.
There also may be other motivations to attack Iran that are not yet clear.
JUSTICE CONVERGING, EMERGING
As plans are reportedly being made to attack Iran, the American public, press, legal authorities, government officials and others are looking more closely at allegations of irregularities in the justifications by the Bush administration for the invasion of Iraq.
Other areas receiving increased scrutiny and investigation are:
– War profiteering and corruption
– Wiretapping and surveillance of American citizens in violation of U.S. law
– Suspension of Constitutional protections
– Kidnapping and torture in violation of U.S. and international law
– War crimes
Of current importance is the trial of the former aide to Cheney, L. “Scooter” Libby, regarding the alleged intentional disclosure of the identity of a covert CIA employee who was involved in dangerous undercover work overseas.
This CIA employee, Valerie Plame Wilson, was working in a secret capacity trying to gather intelligence on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Not only was she personally compromised, the covert networks and human assets she was involved with were also revealed, with probably serious consequences.
In addition to these legal matters, the deaths of over 3,000 U.S. military personnel, the severe injuries to thousands more and the tragedies for U.S. military families also are weighing heavily on the American people.
Deaths of and injuries to tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis, including women and children, also require an explanation as to why this was justified and why U.S. military forces were directed by the Bush administration to conduct the invasion and botched occupation of Iraq.
And this bloodbath continues.
Who is responsible and what are the moral and legal consequences for them?
Recently, press reports have noted that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is quietly forcing out experienced federal U.S. attorneys and replacing them with people loyal to the Bush administration.
Taken as a whole, these factors indicate that many legal and political forces may be closing in on the Bush administration and their supporters. People are being charged with crimes and going to trial. More may follow.
These factors, too, might be influencing the timetable for an attack on Iran.
AMERICAN, IRANIAN PEOPLE SPOKE
In recent U.S. elections, the American people sent a strong message to the Bush administration and their supporters in Congress: The Iraq War and the direction the Bush administration has led the country is of great concern.
Americans saw that the killing and destruction in Iraq are beginning to seem pointless. The damage to our military and the financial costs to our nation do not seem worthwhile. The reasons for and intelligence prior to the Iraq invasion may have been fraudulent – consciously and purposely fraudulent.
Americans voted for moderate and progressive candidates to try to put a stop to this and lead the U.S. in a better direction.
In recent elections in Iran, candidates for office who were allied with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were soundly defeated.
The Iranian people seemed to be saying that they did not approve of the bellicose and threatening statements and style of Ahmadinejad. The direction he is taking their country apparently has created great concern among Iranians.
The Iranian people voted for relatively progressive and moderate candidates to try to put a stop to this and lead Iran in a better direction.
Still, the political leaders of both the U.S. and Iran seem to continue this escalating confrontation, placing the safety and welfare of their people and their nations, as well as the international community, at grave risk.
Leaders who are determined to provoke war, who seem to have extreme political and religious agendas and who are willing to bring death and destruction are not unique to our times now. There have always been leaders who sought to acquire, use and abuse power for all the wrong reasons.
Leaders like this have long been a threat to peace-loving, decent people who would rather help their fellow human beings and create a better world for their children and grandchildren.
It is the responsibility of these good people to do what they can to restrain the forces for destruction within their societies and nations.
Americans, Iranians and the entire international community have a stake in these developments.
by Steve Hammons [send him email], who is the author of Mission into Light and Light’s Hand, which are two novels about a U.S. Government and military joint-service research team investigating unusual phenomena. Steve is a Populist Party columnist.
