Coincidentally, my internet radio is playing “Won’t get fooled again” as I write this. As it is also in my sig, I think more and more people are starting to realize that if enough of us don’t speak up and vociferously call bullshit on this all-hat-no-cattle bloviating about Iran’s “meddling” in Iraq then the psychotic lunatics who have hijacked our foreign policy and crashed it into Iraq are going to back that car up and head straight for Iran.
And maybe, just maybe, we are seeing a forceful enough pushback that, if kept up, we can actually avoid having Iran replace Iraq as the “ most dangerous foreign policy blunder” in nearly half a century.
Sure, there are some who are the cheerleaders, since war sells. But since there is no shortage of dumb war decisions over the past five years, how many more are needed anyway? With a growing number of high level military officials, and even some in the Bush administration who had orgasmic fantasies about making Saddam the United States’ bitch (disclaimer: please don’t take that as a personal attack against female dogs or anything other than a colorful description of the asininity of the US Iraq policy. And yes, asininity is a word) speaking out on this Iran “evidence”, we may not be hurtling towards Armageddon after all.
Talk about a potential Constitutional crisis – what would happen if Cheney and his minions continue to press for military action on Iran based on evidence that is simply not believable, or even if it is, doesn’t warrant air strikes or mass bombings? And what happens if the military doesn’t believe this evidence is credible or warranted? And what happens if US opinion is overwhelmingly against such action (or doesn’t necessarily believe the validity of such evidence)? Would the top military finally refuse to follow the insane orders of the unhinged Executive Branch? What if they don’t refuse, even though they don’t think it is credible or justified?
We know that earlier in the week, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Peter Pace expressed his concern over this evidence:
“We know that the explosively formed projectiles are manufactured in Iran. What I would not say is that the Iranian government per se knows about this,” Pace replied. “It is clear that Iranians are involved and it is clear that materials from Iran are involved. But I would not say based on what I know that the Iranian government clearly knows or is complicit.”
Not exactly a vote of confidence in this evidence. And we know that while Tony Snow is stumbling and fumbling his way around these comments, a member of Pace’s staff has indicated that Pace stands by his comments.
We also heard National Security Advisor (whose fingers were all over the Iraq disaster) Stephen Hadley call the evidence “overstated”.
Just today, Pace was joined by CentCom Commander William Fallon joined in on the “bullshit calling”:
Today on CNN, CentCom Commander William Fallon, the top commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, was asked about the administration’s claim. Fallon said, “I have no idea who may be actually with hands-on in this stuff.”
A late January article from the LA Times not only indicated that the evidence is “scant” but also alluded to a “grasping at straws” by the Bush administration:
Some U.S. officials have also suggested that Iran, a Shiite theocracy, has provided aid to the Sunni insurgents, who have led most of the attacks against U.S. forces. Private analysts and other U.S. officials doubt that.
Iran helping the Sunnis. Yeah, right. But we do know who is financing the Sunnis and it ain’t Iran.
Even the ultra-conservative (or ultra-neoconish) US News & World Report is reporting this with the headline Another Blow to Bush’s Credibility? The article cites NBC Nightly News, CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight, McClatchy, the Washington Post and even Fox News as reporting about the lack of credibility of this Administration.
Even Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki’s office (who should be at least a bit of an ally to the US) is doubting the evidence. According to this week’s TIME:
But an official in the Prime Minister’s office questioned the credibility of U.S. intelligence, pointing to recent reports of evidence-fudging at the Pentagon in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq. “They need a scapegoat, so they conveniently point to their old enemy, Iran,” said the official, who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to talk to the media. “But these days American intelligence is a discredited commodity. Who can believe them?”
No doubt that as the push to beat the war drum grows louder, more people will start to focus on Iran and this supposed “evidence”. But this time, many more are starting to ask questions. Even some in the press are calling bullshit on these assertions.
We know that Cheney and his insane followers aren’t going to let up. And we can’t either. We are pushing the Overton Window back into sanity range. We need to keep pushing, and keep pushing hard. It is working.
Nobody thinks this is a good idea. That is, nobody except the lunatics that gave us the Iraq disaster. We aren’t getting fooled again.
also in orange
It’s not only important to distinguish Iranian “factions” or supporters using Iranian routes to Iraq from the Iranian government (and even from the various factions within that government)…
…But it’s vital to remind the press and public that other nations are blatantly interfering as well. Saudis are supporting the Sunni, both by sending tons of money and militants. Syrian routes are being used. And there are many other nations interfering in this disaster.
We can’t declare war on everyone who is interfering in Iraq!
He is unhinged. Hes talking like Iran already has nukes now. He is not sidestepping an attack on Iran. Blaming it on IEDs. Full out like its already been decided. Very very scary!
And yet, on CNN, after the president’s comments, some news commentators on the runner on CNN presented ‘evidence’ of Iranian weapons in Iraq as a fait accompli.
I agree, Clammy. A major constitutional crisis is looming. And as a favorite line from “The Siege” goes, the most committed wins.
How committed are we, really, in Congress? How much backbone fills that hall?
This is the coming test. I hope our guys pass, because if they don’t, the world may never forgive us.
the CNN idiot is linked in the first line below the fold as one of the cheerleaders.
But it is getting to the point where it reminds me of a Simpsons line (as nearly everything does):
(cue the music) “hens love roosters, geese love ganders, everyone else loves Ned Flanders”
Homer: “I don’t!!!”
music again: “everyone who counts loves Ned Flanders!”
My favorite part of this is the pictures of “Iranian” mortar shells with markings in English characters and numbers.
English markings and calendar dating may be explainable if these were made “for export” to the world market.
I wouldn’t be suprised at all if Iran sent weapons to IRaq – Iran has been supporting Iraqis for decades, even when the US was supporting Saddam. Who do you think is supporting the current govt in IRaq?
However that still doesn’t prove that Iran sent weapons to Iraq with the intention of killing Americans, nor does it detract from the fact that vast majority of US casualties were NOT linked to Iran. So trying to blame the mess on Iran is a laughable evasion.