(Israel + Iraq) John Warner (R-VA) thinks Israel is going overboard:

[originalpckelly]

Did anyone else catch CNN talking about Sen. John Warner? He is worried that this "crisis" (war) could hurt our troops in Iraq if Israel continues to go bat-shit insane on innocent Lebanese. I mean think about it:


Iraq is right between Syria and Iran. What if they get pissed off and invade Iraq? Wouldn't we be up shit creek without a paddle? Do you really think we could defend against that?

Here is a statement he put up on his website:
"While I fully recognize that Israel was the victim of provocative attacks on her people and sovereignty, I urge the Administration to think through very carefully how Israel’s extraordinary reaction could affect our operations in Iraq and our joint diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.

This is a very critical time for the U.S. in the Middle East, and the Israeli actions will certainly have an impact beyond Lebanon and Gaza."

I think we should all take everyone who talks about this with a grain of salt. He could be a person who thinks Jew has two syllables (anti-semite) or he could simply be worried about our troops; or some combination of both.

[Idioteque]

1. I wouldn't call John Warner a "total freeper"

The freepers hate him because he is pro-choice, pro gun control, and against the marriage amendment. (He voted for cloture but like Byrd, opposed the FMA)

[originalpckelly]

2. Put a better description up right before you posted...

thought about it.

[MADem]

3. By "they" do you mean Iran invading Iraq???

It's been tried before. The two sides spent ten years of recent history killing each other at an alarming rate--all those mass graves they've been finding? Much of that isn't "Saddam killin' his own people" those are IRANIAN war dead who have not been repatriated.

Or do you mean Syria and Iran teaming up?

Well, they've been known to accomodate one another, but the Ba'athist ideals of Syria don't sit well at all with the Islamist Ayatullahs. Saddam and Assad (both the elder and younger) had more in common (language, political views) than the non-Arab, Farsi-speaking Iranians and Arab Syrians ever will. They marry at times for convenience, but there's no grand love there. Plus, that's a suicide mission. Syria would be the easiest to take down, and they'd get it first. It could get dirty, but if they wanted to start WW3 they would end up losing. The place would be a grand crater, and that's without even exercising the nuke option.

Surely you aren't suggesting ISRAEL would invade Iraq--where would they get their weaponry refills? That's biting the hand that feeds them, after all.

I think Warner is stunned by what EVERYONE is stunned by...the crushing, overwhelming ABSENCE of US diplomacy in addressing this matter. It's like the Monkey could not be bothered.

It's not how we have done things in the past. If we cede center stage, we shouldn't be surprised if someone else grabs it.

[originalpckelly]

4. We have severely destabilized the region by invading Iraq...

and I am worried about alliances that may form out of the blue, that we simply would not expect. I wouldn't put anything past these two nations, now that Israel is becoming so reckless.

[MADem]

5. Well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and all that, but

Assad is no dummy and he's no Islamist. Syria is also an old pal of the Russkies, going back eons. It's not like he's hanging a non-aligned ass out in the breeze. He has friends.

His father knew how to play both ends against the middle, and he's at least as smart as his daddy. He'll go so far and no further.

IMO.

[originalpckelly]

6. I can't remember what TV character Assad sounds like...

but he is a complete dweeb. I remember a CNN interview he did long ago, boy GEEK ALERT! I honestly could not believe this dweeb was the man in Syria who is supposed to be so bad. :rofl:

[MADem]

7. Well, baby Assad is an eye doctor, and by all accounts, a nice guy

He really wasn't groomed for the job properly, he just got it because his daddy died.

His deddy, Hafiz, on the other hand, was one tough mutha. Steely-eyed, a brutal negotiator, no fool, no flies on that boy, and quite sartorial to boot. Knew how to play one against the other--I did admire his aplomb on the world stage, though I often found his tactics and alliances questionable.

[JackNewtown]

8. Warner's motives

Why should we question whether he is an anti-Semite simply because he isn't completely agreeing with Israel? He seems to be someone who is simply worried about American interests, not scoring political points in this crisis by taking the popular position on the crisis.