WARNING TO VOTERS: Bush's Neocons Want to Bomb Iran (Steve Clemons)

[kpete]

Reminder to Voters: Bush's Neocons Want to Bomb Iran


In the latest issue of Foreign Policy, Joshua Muravchik -- a neoconservative fellow traveler -- has published a remarkable article, "Operation Comeback" that combines an offering of a mea culpa for much of the neocon-generated foreign policy mess America is in and then stunning bravado with encouragement that the President initiate a third war against a Muslim nation.

Muravchik's article is written as a memo to his "fellow neoconservatives."

There are a lot of disturbing zingers in the piece, but here is the part that every voter should be made aware of:

Prepare to Bomb Iran.

Make no mistake, President Bush will need to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities before leaving office. It is all but inconceivable that Iran will accept any peaceful inducements to abandon its drive for the bomb. Its rulers are religio-ideological fanatics who will not trade what they believe is their birthright to great power status for a mess of pottage. Even if things in Iraq get better, a nuclear-armed Iran will negate any progress there. Nothing will embolden terrorists and jihadists more than a nuclear-armed Iran.

The global thunder against Bush when he pulls the trigger will be deafening, and it will have many echoes at home. It will be an injection of steroids for organizations such as MoveOn.org. We need to pave the way intellectually now and be prepared to defend the action when it comes. In particular, we need to help people envision what the world would look like with a nuclear-armed Iran. Apart from the dangers of a direct attack on Israel or a suitcase bomb in Washington, it would mean the end of the global nonproliferation regime and the beginning of Iranian dominance in the Middle East.

This defense should be global in scope. There is a crying need in today's ideological wars for something akin to the Congress for Cultural Freedom of the Cold War, a global circle of intellectuals and public figures who share a devotion to democracy. The leaders of this movement might include Tony Blair, Vaclav Havel, and Anwar Ibrahim.

I don't want to appease Iran's appetite for nukes, and I do believe that a substantial portion of Iraq's governing elite want nuclear weapons despite overwhelming reasons for them to avoid that path -- but this kind of talk about bombing Iran further undermines American credibility and our ability to influence Iran's choices.

Kudos though to Josh Muravchik for truth in advertising.

more at:
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001721.php

[Tom Joad]

1. And warning to all of us, the Dems may let them get away with it.

[upi402]

3. I am thinking folks wont buy it

and if the media hypes it, people may actually see behind the curtain.

I dunno, you're probably right though. I better face it, we're a nation of whores and their cattle.

[OneBlueSky]

2. "President Bush will need to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities" . . .

the blatant hypocrisy of the neocons absolutely boggles the mind . . . if Bush must bomb Iran because they may constitute a nuclear threat at some time in the future, is it not logical that someone should take out U.S. nuclear facilities because they constitute a nuclear threat NOW? . . . we are, after all, the only country ever to have used nuclear weapons -- and on civilian populations . . . and Bush is just itching to do it again -- in Iran, in Korea, wherever . . . they're HIS toys, dammit, and he's gonna play with them!) . . .

the reality of the situation, of course, is that Iran's potential nuclear threat has never been BushCo's reason for wanting to attack that nation . . . just as with Iraq, it's their oil -- nothing more, nothing less . . . (this is, after all, an administration of oilmen -- and not very nice, wise, or intelligent ones) . . .

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. Clark sees a 50% to 70% chance of War with Iran after January

I saw Wes Clark speak in New Hampshire a week and a half ago and brought a tape recorder. Here are some of his comments about the chance of war with Iran:

"...I think that we're in a very dangerous position because not only is the clock ticking in North Korea, but the clock is ticking in Iran. The President has basically lined up his statements so that he can not live with the possibility of an Iranian nuclear weapon, and he has made a half hearted effort at diplomacy. We're not talking with Iran directly. He's made a half hearted effort at diplomacy, I believe, so that diplomacy will fail. And then, his plan is, sometime in the Spring of 2007, which is not so far away, he's going to come on Television, he's going to say:

'My fellow Americans. For 5 years we've watched the evil empire of Iran struggle to prepare nuclear weapons. Although our intelligence is not perfect, we have enough information to assure us that they're making progress.

As I told, and promised you, we will not allow the worst weapons to fall into the hands of the worst people. Iran is a state that supports Terrorists. For the good of humanity they can not be permitted to have nuclear weapons. We've asked our Allies to help, we've gone to the United Nations, we've asked the Iranians to forbear, nothing has worked. There is no option remaining, but to use America's military superiority to address this growing and gathering threat.

As I speak to you tonight, the first bombers are over Tehran. We will not falter, we will not fail, we will not be denied, and America will prevent Iran from having nuclear weapons.

Thank You my fellow Americans'

Now that's the speech, OK, that's what's going to happen. I'd say 50, 60, 70% likelihood after the first of the year, IF we don't get Democrats in Congress. Now when that happens, it will be very hard for Democrats to stand and say; 'Oh stop the bombing, we like it when Iran has nuclear weapons.' No we don't, we'll be back on the defensive again. That's why we've got to start speaking out now. We're being set up again, just like we were with Iraq, and what I've found in my life is, generally that if you want a war, you can have one.

Most people are about equally brave, most people will fight. Most people love their families, they love their homes, they believe that whatever they believe in is the single one way to truth, reconciliation and the after life, and most people will fight for it. Most people are not philosophical about it, and whether you're walking into a bar in New York City after the Red Sox have played the Yankees, or whether you're dealing with the Bosnians and the Serbs, or whether you're talking about Christians and Iranians. People will fight for what they believe in. So if we want a war with a billion Muslims, we can probably have one. I don't think we want one, we certainly don't need one, and we should do everything we can to prevent it. And that means this election is the crucial moment for doing that."