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Iran: Bush’s Next Disaster?

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Posted on Jan 31, 2007

By Joe Conason

Whatever George W. Bush may tell us about his intentions toward Iran, every action and order indicates that he will seek to expand the war eastward from Iraq. Despite the warnings voiced by military and diplomatic advisers, the president still seems to be listening to the same discredited neoconservatives whose fantasies and falsehoods drove us into the Iraqi quagmire.

If their plotting succeeds in provoking military conflict with Iran, the resulting carnage could indeed make Iraq look like a “cakewalk,” to quote one of the more stupid predictions that preceded the current war.

Imagine firefights erupting along the Persian Gulf and violent uprisings among the Shiite masses in the Baghdad slums and southern Iraq—and then imagine the entire region convulsed by ethnic and religious conflict. The potential consequences could be catastrophic, from the closing of the gulf straits and a new oil crisis to ruptured political alliances and terrible American casualties.

Yet regardless of these risks, the Bush administration’s urge to provoke Iran is as unmistakable as its preparations for a wider war. Nearly every day, the White House sends obvious signals of belligerence to Tehran, with the same drumbeat heard during the months that led up to the invasion of Iraq.

The president announces that he will deploy Patriot batteries to the region, which can be useful only in shooting down Iranian missiles. The president sends another carrier battle group to the gulf, with an air wing poised to strike Iranian nuclear sites. The president appoints an admiral whose specialty is naval air combat to run Central Command for the Middle East region. The president orders an armed raid on an Iranian diplomatic office in northern Iraq, which nearly results in a shootout with Kurdish troops.

With great fanfare, the president issues a military directive allowing U.S. troops to kill Iranian agents discovered in Iraq, even though those same agents are often guests of the Iraqi government we support. And without irony, he declares that the Iranians—whose friendship with Iraq seems more durable than ours—will be held “accountable” for meddling in their neighbor’s internal affairs.

As in the march toward war with Iraq, the justification for military action against Iran is the looming threat supposedly posed by the regime’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. But according to Mohamed ElBaradei—the International Atomic Energy Agency chief whose assessment of Iraq proved correct—Iran cannot make an atomic weapon within the next five years. So the rush to war is premature. Those who now insist otherwise were wrong and dishonest about Saddam Hussein’s phantom arsenal.

If the Bush administration’s policies are meant to diminish Iran, they have been a dismal failure so far. Encouraging Israel to fight a proxy war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, for instance, only increased Iran’s regional prestige, while weakening more moderate Arab regimes, which rightly fear the aggressive extremism of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Is there an alternative to military confrontation with the mullahs? Only three years ago, Ahmadinejad’s predecessors secretly tried to open negotiations with the United States. According to a recent BBC report, Iranian leaders offered to reduce their support for armed Lebanese and Palestinian militants to help stabilize post-Saddam Iraq, and to open their nuclear program to full inspection; in return, they wanted to restore diplomatic relations and commerce. But former State Department officials confirm that the White House, under the baneful gaze of Vice President Dick Cheney, spurned that olive branch as an unacceptable compromise with “evil.”

By rejecting Iran’s tentative offer, the Bush administration abetted the rise of Ahmadinejad, a populist and fundamentalist who prefers confrontation to compromise. But that policy has entailed severe costs for the Iranian people, who are suffering from inflation and sanctions as well as from fear of war. The Iranians increasingly despise their own government, which faces constant rumors of its own fall.

What sustains Ahmadinejad against both his own people and world opinion is the prospect of military aggression by the United States. Americans are not the only people who feel the “rally effect” that brings populations together in times of external attack. The more we rely on such threats as the basis for U.S. policy, the more we bolster our enemies—and the closer we come to pulling the trigger, with incalculable consequences.

President Bush insists that he has no plans to attack Iran, but of course he promised that war on Iraq would be a last resort. Let’s hope he is telling the truth this time.

Joe Conason writes for The New York Observer (www.observer.com).

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By Jeff Badura, February 12, 2007 at 9:26 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

to Bert
The president has time to act militarily before the congress can stop him, yes your right in time they can stop Bush from bombing Iran but by then the mission will be complete !!

Clinton never got authorization to bomb Serbia !! there is a constitutional debate on whether a president can act without congress ??

Report this

By Bert, February 11, 2007 at 9:21 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

They might try it, just to be in open defiance of the Democrat-led Congress. Congress has the authority, on paper anyway, to pull the plug on the entire enterprise. The question stands, ‘WILL they’? Many people have already described the Iraq war as an amoral, illegal, if not outright criminal enterprise. Calls have been made for Bush and Cheney both to resign. What I think should happen is that Congress, both senators and representatives, should be actively seeking the public view at home in their home states, and reach a national consensus on the issue, and then make a decision and implement it. Write your representative today…

Report this

By Wyatt_Hertz, February 8, 2007 at 4:18 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

THE MARTIAL MIRAGE OF IRAN, neocontinued

--CRAMPING THEIR GUILE--

Achille’$ Deal? --Pre-emptive War-mongering & the Hail Mary Pass of Courageous Common Sense

Link correction: ["Recu$al-for-Life" Question from San Francisco Bay Guardian article, re-posted @:

http://www.kyndmusic.com/2006/07/01/artist-general-war ning-recusal-question-bad-for-bush/ ]

~ADD TO THE TOP OF THE “ASK” LIST ‘INSIDE PLAYAS’
like HELL’S CHERUB
(aka, “Turd Blossom”, “Karl Rove")

ARTIST GENERAL’S WARNING:
Stoploss: Soul America:
From THE
Most Chickenhawked War in U.S. History
http://www.symbolman.com/chickenhawks.html

BLINDSIDED: THE WRAPTURE OF THE SHALLOW--LATTER-DAY WAR PHARISEES, BORNE AGAIN? --By their Fruits--the “Root of All Evil” and the Greenest-thumbed Powers-that-Be that America has ever endured, bar none.

REV. HOGTIE POTUS (COWBOY NOIR)

FROM PULPIT NONFICTION FOR A CHANGE:

~On ‘Religical’ Lust to Dominate Superpower Democracy as compared to:

The Faithful Truth and Moral Beauty of the Amish (Quaint as Geneva Conventions?)

http://www.kyndmusic.com/2006/10/09/the-truth-moral-be auty-of-the-amish/#more-826

Report this

By Wyatt_Hertz, February 5, 2007 at 11:18 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

YEAR-O’-THE-BOAR

[Re: see below: comment 51123: “FLAMMABLE QUESTION? START A FIRESTORM, STOP A WAR”
...BLUFF QUITZER PROFESSES LOVE FOR DEATHSTAR YE$MAN’S DAUGHTERS]

NEW IMPROVED PRODUCT ROLL-OUT

FREE HOG WASH WITH IRAN FILLUP!

WarPork-Flavored (Undisclosed Koolaid-Formula)
“Major-league-Asshole"--PIGtime" Flavored

(The [red] hands-down Favorite of Status-quo BA$E-ELITES)

Flag-draped returnees “visibly restrained” for Vi$ionthing $ecurity

Working-Classified Only

--Current War-Cabinet Chickenhawks, NeoCon Elites & Family-members Ineligible

ADMINISTRATION NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR “INADEQUATE” ARMOR*

(* ReNeoconfigured Moral Bankruptcy Laws Apply)

“Freedom” from “Information”, Suspension of Geneva Conventions, Suppression of Media Due Diligence, Official Vilification of Amnesty International etc,

--Authorized, Promoted, Overseen and Administered
by the President of the United States of America

ARTIST GENERAL’S WARNING:

Vice Precedent: VERMIN in Democracy’s Honeycomb. 

Fourth Estate...WHERE is Thy STING?!

i.e., “INVITING” THE PLAUSIBLE POLITICAL TRAINWRECK OF EACH ‘HIGH-COMMAND’ MARTIAL PLANNER’S

("HESITANT"? “CONVOLUTED”? “EVA$IVE”? “$LIPPERY-$LOPE")

A N S W E R, as it whir:

TO THE QUESTION OF PERMANENTLY “RECU$ING” THEMSELVES FROM ANY PERSONAL PROFIT “DEMONSTRABLY CONNECTED” TO ANY WAR OR BLOODSHED ON THEIR WATCH…

[ http://www.kyndmusic.com/2006/07/01/artist-general-war ning-recusal-question-bad-for-bush/ ]

Any of you have any comments or ideas as to why such a simple question has gone unasked--even “rhetorically” in “progressive” editorials, radio programs, etc?  imagine if the ‘issue’ favored the chunk-style Wingnuttery...they’d have ‘made a show’ of pummelling us senseless with it at the first opportunity.

But, even now, on the verge of ANOTHER pre-emptive war, the Miss-Mannered ‘media-security’ detail ushers the Tom Paines from the Premise(s)…

and the Bloody Irony of “Other Prioritie$”, of W’s Burgeoning War-fatted inheritance, of Shotgun-Ridin’ Cheney’s untold Chenannigan$, ‘neocontinues’ with unmitigated abandon.

Such a simple question! For those of you who assume they’d dodge it without missing a beat--I refer you to W’s discomfitted response to a far-less ‘explosive’ question in the debate with Kerry--touching Very Gently on the possible “reach” of Presidential Portfolia: “anybody want some wood”?

imagine if the ‘moral point’ of the Recu$al-for-life question had been both posed, and pressed in that setting?

Even moreso now, it remains for the Asking.  At an absolutely useful MINIMUM--TO PUT THIS AND ALL FUTURE WAR-CABINETS ON THE ‘DEFENSIVE’. THAT YOUR “DUE” DOES NOT INCLUDE “BLOODMONEY"…

ARTIST GENERAL’S WARNING:

RollOVERdover. Old Dog$, Old Trick$. 
WarFair, Chickenhawk$ & CakeWalk$: Don’t Mix.

Report this

By Jeff Badura, February 5, 2007 at 11:06 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

the point of view of neo-con:

its not that we want war ???

war, is a by-product of self defense !! Iran is a chief sponsor of Islamic extremism, they have already declared war on the west!! its only our fecklessness and cowardice, because we refuse to face facts, and admit that we are in a long term global struggle, that is keeping us from doing the right thing and bombing the nuke facilities, and the military facilities, in Iran that are supporting the killing of US troops in Iraq !!

whether its today, or in 10 yrs, its only a matter of time before we are taking military action against our enemy’s in Iran !!

I leave you with the words of JFK- “The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe…Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” -John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961 - how far the Dem’s have fallen for they would never say such today

Report this

By george S Semsel, February 4, 2007 at 4:06 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Come on, you suckers. Ante up. We can always cut healthcare.

Report this

By Esther, February 4, 2007 at 5:43 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

I was going to add a comment, but Comment #51441 by Rickinsf says pretty much all that need be said.

Report this

By joneden, February 3, 2007 at 9:45 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The Double Trifecta

Prior to our engaging Iraq, there was a trifecta favoring a war with Iran: the mullahs in charge there, their position on our regime change list as a member of the axis of evil, and Iran’s refusal to stand down on uranium enrichment.

With the emerging of the Iraq quagmire, the probability of war with Iran became favored by a double trifecta: the preceding plus their interfering with our Iraq project, a US president who needs a wider war to shield his Iraq failure, and payback to Iran for being the grande beneficiary of that ignominious failure.

jon
Connecting the dots: From human behaviors to ecosystem collapse
http://StudentsForTheEarth.org

Report this

By FrostedFlakes, February 3, 2007 at 5:33 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Bush, Cheney, Rice, and all of their colleagues within JINSA (Jewish Institute For National Security Affairs)are frothing at the mouth for their opportunity to attack Iran. Iraq is only necessary because it gives the “hawks” a foothold to delve deeper into total regional control (Iran, Syria, Lebanon, etc...).

Report this

By Bluestocking, February 3, 2007 at 4:57 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I’ve learned the hard way that when what someone says contradicts what they’re doing, it’s a pretty safe bet that what they’re doing—for whatever reason—is the more accurate indicator of where they really stand.  What’s more, the kind of news that we’re hearing from the mainstream media with regard to Iran is eerily similar to the sort of reports we heard during the build-up for the War In Iraq.  I think there’s every reason to believe that the President is considering an attack on Iran, regardless of what he might say on the matter.

You know what they say...fool me once, shame on you—fool me twice, shame on me.

Report this

By Jon B, February 3, 2007 at 1:41 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Only the binding resolutions wouls stop Bush’s defiance and war on Iran. Sadly, it falls short of majority. Presidential candidates including but not limited to H.Clinton, McCain are all against the binding resolutions. They voted for the war on Iraq and now they don’t want the troop pullback and there isn;t a word on possible Iran war. These candidates are no different than Bush. Whoever with the largest campaign war chests are pretty much leashed by political, business and foreign interests.

If you are tired of mindless bloodshed and all the false pretense associated with the war, cast your ballot on candidate who didn’t vote for the war and want the troop withdrawal.

We want consistency, not jive talking.

Report this

By william johnson, February 3, 2007 at 1:41 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I think Joe is pretty close to right about the intentions of this administration, but I hope enough pressure can be brought tp bear on congress to prevent it. It is possible I guess, that jellyfish can develope a spine, but I wouldn’t bet a dime on it.
Instead, I see an attack on Iran shutting down the oil fields of southern Iraq, Kuwait and Saudia Arabia, since Iran has the ability to do this, unless the attack is nuclear. What then? $400 a barrel for oil? More? Who Knows? Who profits? Murder always has a motive! Isn’t that what war is? Murder by a state. When will this stop?
Want to stop this nonesense and insanity? Don’t rely on congress. Go see the folks that have the motive to stay in Iraq and attack Iran. Murder always has a motive, remember? Trust me, they are nothing but wimps with money and they want to keep what they have. If suddenly they become fearful for their own persons, watch the end to war in Iraq and no war with Iran and watch how fast it happens.
Who are these people? Check the stock market.
It’s public information. These are the folks that control Congress and the White House. Not you or I.
While they may be some of the most greedy and corrupt people on the face of the earth, and care not a bit how many people die to pad their bottom line, they are also scared little boys, knowing they are wrong, but so far, no one has given them a reason to change. Give em one.

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By Rickinsf, February 3, 2007 at 9:57 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Just to be sure we’re not kidding ourselves; Iran has been the objective all along.

Iraq under Saddam was a contained irritant, but Iran has always been the prize sought by the neocons.

In their pipedream, “liberated Iraq” would’ve happily allowed their territory to be used as a staging area for an attack on their neighbor by Christian foreigners.

I’m sure the plan made sense at some time. You think?

Report this

By yours truly, February 2, 2007 at 10:38 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

“Let’s hope that he’s telling the truth this time”?  Hope?  Is that what the continued existence of life on earth depends upon?  What about us, don’t we have a say?  What sort of democracy is this anyway, since we have no say in whether or not our loved ones are marched off to war, some to return in body bags.  A phony democracy, that’s what!  Oh, but what about Congress, doesn’t it express the will of the people?  On some matters, perhaps, but not on the most crucial decision of them all, do we or do we not go to war, because if Congress really did represent us, there’d be no Iraq war, since most of us opposed it from the start.

Fortunately there is a way that we can turn our nation into a democracy.  How?  We see to it that Congress cuts off all funding for the Iraq war, that’s how.  And then we get Congress to impeach President George Bush, after which he’s sent to the International Court of Criminal Justice, to be tried there for his crimes against humanity, whereupon empire collapses.  And then?  It’ll be up to us.

Report this

By felicity, February 2, 2007 at 11:23 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Old-hat but true, tigers can’t change their stripes. 

In the Fall of ‘02 the UN ordered Iraq to produce a report on its weapons programs. Iraq reported that it had no weapons programs.  Bush said it did.  (In his 2004 SOTU Bush said that he would never seek a “permission slip” from any world body to do whatever he wanted.)

Iran can scream to the housetops that it has no nuclear weapon sites and no plans to have any.  Bush will say it’s lying.

During the build-up to Iraq, the administration made lame attempts to prove Iraq was lying. Given that today Bush looks like and sounds like a cornered animal, it’s doubtful that there will be any attempts made to “prove” Iran is lying. More likely Bush will act like a cornered animal. (It’s unlikely, however, that he’ll “ride” a bomb down ala Slim Pickens in “Doctor Strangelove.")

Report this

By Wyatt Hertz, February 2, 2007 at 10:27 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

RE: DECONSTRUCTION ZONE

DIGITAL BROADSIDER (WYATT HERTZ) TO ESTHER:

We have a ‘chef’ serving toxic roadkill and you handwring over ‘table-manners’…

oops--metaphor...how ‘bout this, proper grammer, no gratituitous ‘caps’:

“We have very bad leadership in a time of war and crisis, and we should do something about their unchecked access to undue profits from same...”

What didn’t you understand about the “Recu$al” Question? the article by Steve Jones in the SF Bay Guardian IS ‘straight to the point’ [ http://www.kyndmusic.com/2006/07/01/artist-general-war ning-recusal-question-bad-for-bush/ ]

AN “OATH” OF MARTIAL OFFICE

.........get it? a pretty basic concept, no?  stay with me:

FOR A DEMOCRACY: A MODEST PROPOSAL INDEED

.........why “modest”?  because we’re A DEMOCRACY!

To Strike or Not-to-Strike?
~A Potentially National
Moral Funnybone

.........okay, this maybe is stretching; “funnybone” is used “literally"--a ‘fixating’ moment of truth from a seemingly small ‘bump’…

In Requesting of Public Servants Exercising Fatal Authority In Our Name A Formal

“DECLARATION OF DISOWNERSHIP”

--A For-the-Record Concession
That NO ENTITLEMENT EXISTS

.......i.e., their “take” on our Bloody Dime shouldn’t be allowed…

to Present or Future Personal Profit ‘Demonstrably Connected’ to Any War (or Bloodshed) Authorized, Promoted, Advanced or Otherwise “Engaged on Their Watch”:

We the People Hold Ourselves
Deserving of “An Explanation”

Should the Answer to This “Recu$al-for-Life” Question be “No”.

.......again, an explicit reference to fundamental Democratic Principle

If the Answer is “Yes”,
Then Be It Understood:

Martial Planner Agrees to Surrender-on-Demand
Said Profit--
(Deliberate or “Unintentional”, Exposed or “Discovered")
to Veteran Benefit Groups, College Funds For Children of the Fallen, etc…

..........what could be more bitterly fair-minded, in this most chickenhawked war in U.S. History?

TRUTH TO POWER:

Healthy for the Media,
Good for Democracy--

Bad for “Our Due” Mind$et
Public Servants

MORAL MULTI-TASKING:

~A Question of Courage
in a Measure of Character~

~For the Asking!

.........."Healthy for the Media, Good for Democracy”.........an occasion for both journalist & public servant to “rise” to...FOR the ASKING!!  imagine!  If We Only Had...a Reliably-Functional Media (i.e., THE IMMUNE SYSTEM OF DEMOCRACY...alas, Ours, it seems, has AIDS...)

Report this

By Esther, February 2, 2007 at 8:35 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

To Wyatt Hertz:

If you want people to read your posts, perhaps you should not make them annoyingly long, fragmented, rambling, indirect, and full of cute capitalizations and other typing gimmicks.

But of course, if your aim is to put people off, so that they stop reading after a glance, then you’re doing just fine.

Report this

By Steve Hammons, February 2, 2007 at 8:28 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Based on many press reports, some citing insider information from US military and intelligence personnel, it looks like Bush and Cheney plan to attack Iran ... soon.

The article below looks at some of the factors involved:

Will Bush, Cheney attack Iran? When and why?

Steve Hammons
American Chronicle
February 1, 2007

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle. asp?articleID=20093

Report this

By Alejandro, February 2, 2007 at 7:41 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Yea, Bush is up to the same old B.S and if we the people do not act forcefully. We will surelly suffer the wrath of our own stupidity. Our government does not give a damm about what the people think. They want to treat us like children (to been seen and not heard). I hope people remember that it was MCCain and Warner that back-doored the bill that would allow the continuation of the administrations zeal for torcher and secrecy. I believe, the only way to stop this madness is to surround all of Capital Hill, the residence and the ranch in crawford with tens of millions of people. Let’s face it, even with a Democratic majority and a clear message sent in Nov. Congress is nothing but a toothless paper Tiger. Their only concern, is re-election in 2008. To be fair their are a handfull that are willing to put it on the line. The sad thing is, they are blowin in the wind. WE The People Of The United States Of America are being ignored by both Congress and the Administration, while we promote Democracy in the rest of the world. If the death and destruction that we have wrot on our own kids and on a essencially defensless people, I might be laughing right now.

Report this

By Steve Hammons, February 1, 2007 at 8:42 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

From various sources, many with inside intelligence connections, there are strong indications that Bush and Cheney plan to use US forces to attack Iran.

For more information on aspects of this situation, see:

Will Bush, Cheney attack Iran? When and why?

Steve Hammons
American Chronicle
February 1, 2007

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle. asp?articleID=20093

Report this

By John Hanks, February 1, 2007 at 5:56 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I wouldn’t confuse incompetence with criminality.  Iran will be another bonanza for Republican traitors and crooks, while another deliberate disaster for this nation.  The graft and corruption out of Iran will make Iraq pale in comparison.  We are about to be milked again - perhaps for the final time.  (It is the duty of every Republican to lie, cheat, and steal.)

Report this

By Woody, February 1, 2007 at 4:07 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

During the time I’ve been telling this to everyone I could for at least the last two years, I’ve been considered a hysterical conspiracy-theorist, but now--Surprise!--none of those people seem to remember that they had this from me.  Not the first time.  I’m already on to my next observations no one wants to hear, and already being called a conspiracy-theorist over them ...

Report this

By Christopher Robin, February 1, 2007 at 3:28 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Fox & Friends?

Why doesn’t Fox “News” run these join the Army spots?

It would only be an extension of their patriotic journalistic duties they deform on a regular basis. Then these true believers can pack up and participate in this war, they have been supporting chair side for so long now.

All in spite of revelation after revelation of being mislead, and the situation being far worse than those Fox viewers were led by the nose to believe.

Recall? the years of complaints about the media not giving enough “good news” on Iraq.....Well my Fox followers ....please go, it’s only as bad in the minds of the rest of the free thinking world. Not in your isolated military lusting fantasy land.

How about see Radioactive Iran? campaign?

It’s a natural fit....Idiotic/simplistic story on the demons in Iran....followed by conspiracy commentary by nattering heads, in groups of three.....Add one “new” just in time breaking news Pentagon revelation..... Then close with a station break to volunteer for the Army......follow up with a false terror alert.

and all this before lunch too.

Report this

By Wyatt_Hertz, February 1, 2007 at 1:54 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

FLAMMABLE QUESTION? ~START A FIRESTORM, STOP A WAR…

Remember the “ironman” of cable on CNN--(the most rusted name in news) Bluff Quitzer, in ginger obsequity “folding” to the Vice Precedent’s Pokersnout?  ...A “question” , Cheney scolding, “out of line"…

is THIS question “INline”?  What do YOU think?  What if “Bluff” had “called” Cheney on his shameless hand? Say, like THIS, for example: “MR. VICE PRECEDENT [SIC]...share your thoughts on this concept if you would...that Public Servants “Exercising fatal authority in our name” have “NO ENTITLEMENT” TO PRESENT OR FUTURE PERSONAL PROFIT TRACEABLE TO ANY BLOODSHED ON THEIR WATCH--AND SHOULD AGREE, OR IN ANY CASE BE ASKED FOR A “YES” OR “NO"--TO “SURRENDER ON DEMAND” ANY SUCH PROFIT ("DISCOVERED" OR “EXPOSED”, “DELIBERATE” OR “UNINTENTIONAL")..." TO VETERAN’S BENEFIT GROUPS, COLLEGE FUNDS FOR CHILDREN OF THE FALLEN, ETC...”

imagine a “wrong” response from Cheney...and then on through the rest of the War Cabinet, one by one, “Yes” or “No"… including W--who has the additional potential “$acrifice” of his War-fattened “inheritance” to “neoconsider"…

from THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN:

~Steven T. Jones

Sept 29--Oct 5 2004

“ Artist General’s Warning: Recu$al question could be bad for Bush’s political health…

...The question is this:

Will you agree never to accept
any personal profits flowing from any military action you authorize or promote?

Masley has been harassing journalists all over the country, trying to get them to ask it of Bush and the rest of his war cabinet…

...After all,

Vice President Dick Cheney has profited

handsomely

from actions he took as Poppy Bush’s secretary of defense, most notably deciding to outsource many military functions and then becoming CEO of Halliburton, which then got the no-bid contracts to do that work.

Who knows, maybe mainstream journalists might even begin questioning why a war cabinet of Texas oilmen lied their way into occupying some of the most oil-rich regions of the world. Or maybe that’s asking too much. “

http://www.sfbg.com/38/53/x_trail_mix.html

WHOA!
Takin’ us to WAR?

~You ForGOT to “ReCU$E” Yourselves!

AND NOW
TO A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION
OF RIGHT & WRONG
WAITING

LIKE AN ELEPHANT IN THE BUSH-ESTATE
FORTUNE$-O’-WAR ROOM

MORAL ARGUMENT(S)
AGAINST ASKING IT?

~NONE.

WATCHIN’ ‘EM SQUIRM?
PRICELESS.

“ANYBODY-WANT-SOME-WOOD?”

--W, “nervously”, in debate with Kerry Re: Presidential Portfolia, Conflict of interest question…

CRAMP THEIR GUILE

Imperfect but Plausibly-"Effective" Compliance
to be “Increasingly” Monitored by the Blogosphere:


FROM PATRIOTS FOR A FAIR
CONTRACT WITH AMERICA:

AN “OATH” OF MARTIAL OFFICE

FOR A DEMOCRACY: A MODEST PROPOSAL INDEED

To Strike or Not-to-Strike?
~A Potentially National
Moral Funnybone

In Requesting of Public Servants Exercising Fatal Authority In Our Name A Formal

“DECLARATION OF DISOWNERSHIP”

--A For-the-Record Concession
That NO ENTITLEMENT EXISTS

to Present or Future Personal Profit ‘Demonstrably Connected’ to Any War (or Bloodshed) Authorized, Promoted, Advanced or Otherwise “Engaged on Their Watch”:

We the People Hold Ourselves
Deserving of “An Explanation”

Should the Answer to This “Recu$al-for-Life” Question be “No”.

If the Answer is “Yes”,
Then Be It Understood:

Martial Planner Agrees to Surrender-on-Demand
Said Profit--
(Deliberate or “Unintentional”, Exposed or “Discovered")
to Veteran Benefit Groups, College Funds For Children of the Fallen, etc…

TRUTH TO POWER:

Healthy for the Media,
Good for Democracy--

Bad for “Our Due” Mind$et
Public Servants

MORAL MULTI-TASKING:

~A Question of Courage
in a Measure of Character~

~For the Asking!

Reposted July ‘06 @:

http://www.kyndmusic.com/2006/07/01/artist-general-war ning-recusal-question-bad-for-bush/

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By dick, February 1, 2007 at 12:05 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Iran is next, and soon. It’s all been planned for years, read “Securing the Realm” on the web, for Israel by the same neocons who prepared a similar plan, “Project for the New American Century” on the web, for the US, and these same neocons, listed as authors in these documents, are now in control of Bush. The Congress is controled by the Israel pacs and lobbys so there is no obvious way of stopping the Iran/US war. The power elite want it too. The mass of society is powerless and has no influence on them.  .

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By Quy Tran, February 1, 2007 at 10:49 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

If he’s still on his damned throne, the whole civilized world is his disater, not only Iran !

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By david, February 1, 2007 at 9:48 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

What war?

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By osisbs, February 1, 2007 at 9:18 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Trying to stop Bush from invading Iran is like telling Hitler not to invade Russia.  The reason Hitler is not around today and that the Nazi Party isn’t on every ballot you’ve ever filled out is that nature ran its course.  Hiter always invades Russia and Bush always invades Iran.  This is called “natural selection” and Darwin, not God, will be the final arbitor of Bush’s fate.

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By James Levy, February 1, 2007 at 8:34 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Dear Mr. Conason,

I know you are trying to sound very reasonable and stay within the confines of the American journalistic fold, but your comment about war with Iran being, among other things, “premature” is wrong and counterproductive. What we have to say is this: unless and until Iran attacks this nation or a nation with a binding military alliance with the United States, any military action that kills Iranians is illegal and immoral. Period. Let’s just draw the line where we all used to believe it was. Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, you go to war. Germany invades Poland, Britian and France honor thier pledge and go to war. Wars of choice? Violations of the Nuremburg Principles and international law. We must stand unalterably against the idea that Presidents can launch sneak attacks against other states in order to “protect” us.

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By Ivan Hentschel, February 1, 2007 at 8:06 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Anyone who does not believe this article, and take it seriously, has their head in the sand (no pun intended). We are headed for yet another unwinnable and bloody theatre of war and the congress seems coweringly gutless to stand up to the administration.Americans should stand up and speak out, loudly, before this catastrophe becomes unavoidable and countless thousands more die to satisfy the egos of Bush, Cheney and the neocons. It is a frightening prospect.

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By JKoch, February 1, 2007 at 8:00 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

If Bush really wants to scare Ahmadinejad, better to write the Iranian a letter (with authentic bad syntax and spelling) that invites him to become a brother in Christ and join the Chosen of God in a Final Battle as prophesized in Revelation.  Add something from the Koran that extols the destruction of false believers.  Madmen lose their nerve when they see that their opponent is crazier than they are.

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By Big Al, February 1, 2007 at 6:06 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Bush and Cheney are all set to start a huge new war against Iran, very soon. The “defense” contractors and the Israel lobby can’t wait for the fun to begin - a crime that will make the Iraq fiasco look like a fart in an elevator.

Only removal from office can stop them.

Congress is hopelessly behind the curve on this. They’re blithely chatting away in their little eternal Washington cocktail party.

We need to crash that party, get in their faces, and scream “Impeach, impeach, impeach!”. We need to make a scene.

For the phone numbers of your senators and congressperson, call the congressional siwtchboard at 1-800-839-5276.

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By Antoinette, February 1, 2007 at 5:00 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

“Imagine” Iran hitting the Green Zone’ with one strike. Perhaps even getting Malaki & his Government out of danger, before they do it.

After all, Malaki spent some of his years in Exile in Iran.

Isnt it imaginative’ of the Rocket scientist President of our’s to pick ‘n’ choose a great Puppet Leader and he ended up with Malaki with his Iranian cronies?

“Guest of the Iraqi Government “ indeed.

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By Wayne Smyer, February 1, 2007 at 3:43 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

You can bet money on it! The “Chimp” is not just stupid and incompetent! He is floridly psychotic, with no reality contact and marked paranoid ideation! Two more years of Bush, Cheney and Gonzalez will destroy our country! Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!

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By Reg, January 31, 2007 at 10:26 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

We thought it would happen before the midterm election....but it was only an error in timing.  Why is there no major uprising to unseat these murderers?

IF YOU’RE NOT VERY AFRAID, YOU HAVEN’T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION!

CLICK HERE

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By vet240, January 31, 2007 at 9:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

If the Democratic Congress and the Senate don’t tell bush formally that he is not to undertake any military action under any circumstances against Iran. Bush and the military will probably make up an excuse for doing so. Someone needs to remind Congress they are the ones who decide to make wars, not the President.

Somebody then needs to tell Bush he doesn’t have the power to interpret laws passed by Congress. His Constitutional responsibility is to facilitate those laws. Someone probably needs to point to the Webster Dictionary the definition of the word Facilitate.

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By DennisD, January 31, 2007 at 9:25 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Bu$h is a walking talking cluster f**k. There is no end to the disasters this man is capable of now and in the future. He is like the Neocon “gift” that keeps on giving.

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