On the warpath to Damascus

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EK27Ak04.html

At this time last year, it was difficult to get people to take the threat of war on Iraq seriously. This year, the threat to Syria is more explicit than that against Saddam Hussein, but many people dismiss any such thought.

But paranoia pays. We should have noted by now that the Bush administration is motivated in mysterious ways, but does clearly signal its intentions no matter how seemingly irrational they appear to others. The neo-conservatives and their friends in the administration may, as the current unplanned Iraqi occupation experience indicates, be out of tune with reality in the rest of the world. But the fact that they achieved their first goal - the invasion and occupation of Iraq - indicates that they know all too well how Washington works. Which should make us worry about their second goal; most of them are on the record supporting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's suggestion that Syria is next.

The passage of the Syria Accountability Act in the House of Representatives with only four votes against it on October 15 could be dismissed as mere pandering by legislators eager to prove how earnestly pro-Israel they are in the run-up to a costly election campaign. But even if Representatives only voted for it out of callow expediency, the act threatens to mean much more.

The road to Damascus

In fact, the honorable gentlemen and women have lent their names and votes to a set of assertions that paves a forensic trail for tanks on the road to Damascus. The Accountability Act sets out, in even more detail than the administration had done over Iraq, a host of reasons for an invasion of Syria. And of course President George W Bush did not forget to mention the lack of democracy in Syria in his speech to the National Endowment for Democracy on November 6, where he invoked democratization as his expediently retrospective rationale for invading Iraq.
<snip>

[saigon68]

1. APOCALYPSE NOW IRAQ-NAM REDUX

If you liked the original, stay tuned for the sequel.

[izzie]

2. I have been thinking about a few things.

The polls are down and we vote next year, 100.000 called up to 'replace' army in Iraq in Jan. or so, (new year), and House pulls this thing on Syria. Does it mean we go in in the cool weather and be sure we keep the DOD corp. making arms and people on edge so Geo. can be sure to get in.DOD has a lot more money right now also. Is anyone putting any of this together or am I nuts?I can believe anything as He seems to have Congress in his hands. Can Bush do another war on that last vote, for war, congress gave him? Does he need to just say it is part of Iraqi war?Anyone got an item or site on this?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Herr Pretzelmeister needs no other authorization than the following...

Authorization for Use of Military Force
S.J.Res. 23
<http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/terrorism/sjres23.enr.html>

"(a) IN GENERAL- That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.

(b) War Powers Resolution Requirements-

(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS- Nothing in this resolution supercedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution."
=================================================

In other words, Congress GAVE the Squatter-in-Chief UNLIMITED powers to conduct war against ANY COUNTRY OF HIS CHOOSING as long as he can justify it under the wording of the very broad provisions noted above. There is absolutely no requirement that he seek ANY additional authorizations from Congress.

Welcome to the Never-Ending War.

[fshrink]

4. And we're talking, what, 99% of the US Congress? nt

[Supormom]

5. Yes, his justification will be that it is a continuation of

the war on terror. Syria and then Iran. Anyone else catch the fact that Faux news last week was reporting they have evidence that OBL is living in Iran? Another indication of things to come.