|  sollune | Mar 26, 11:44am | Is the Bush administration ramping up for an attack on Iran? The signs seem to point in that direction. On March 11, Navy Adm. William Fallon, commander of the U.S. forces in the Middle East, retired early because of differences with Washington on Iran policy. And now, Dick Cheney's current Middle East tour may be designed to prepare our Arab allies for an imminent "preemptive" war against Iran.
Bush and Cheney have long been rattling the sabers in Iran's direction. The disaster they created in Iraq isn't going well, no matter how they spin it. They may feel that engaging the United States militarily in Iran would make it harder to elect anyone other than the seasoned military man, John McCain. The Republican presidential candidate just happens to be touring Iraq with Sen. Joe Lieberman, one of the strongest advocates of a U.S. military strike on Iran. Lieberman is likely on McCain's short list for a vice-presidential running mate.
Admiral Fallon took early retirement after making comments that contradicted the Bush administration's aggressive stance on Iran. Fallon told the Arab television station Al Jazeera last fall that a "constant drumbeat of conflict" from the administration against Iran was "not helpful and not useful." After Fallon announced his retirement, the New York Times reported a senior administration official as saying Fallon's comments about U.S. Iran policy "left the perception he had a different foreign policy than the president." If Fallon wants to talk to Iran rather than attack it, then his policy differs from Bush's.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, however, has downplayed the significance of Admiral Fallon's abrupt retirement. Admiral Mullen proclaimed recently, "In my view, this should not be seen as a sign - at all - towards any kind of conflict with Iran." Perhaps the chairman doth protest too much.
The White House has been spewing pugilistic rhetoric toward Iran. In spite of the unanimous conclusion of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran is not developing nukes, Bush immediately declared, "I have said Iran is dangerous, and the NIE estimate doesn't do anything to change my opinion about the danger Iran poses to the world - quite the contrary."
(See marjoriecohn.com/2007/12/bush-still-spinning-nukes-in-iran.html [marjoriecohn.com/2007/12/bush-still-spinning-nukes-in-iran.html]).
News reports on Monday announced that Dick Cheney is on a surprise weeklong visit to Iraq, Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Turkey. High on Cheney's agenda is the topic of U.S. policy toward Iran.
Connect the dots. They paint a very frightening picture.
Marjorie Cohn is a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and the President of the National Lawyers Guild. She is the author of "Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law." Her articles are archived at marjoriecohn.com [marjoriecohn.com].
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| | PassionatePuppy | Mar 29, 4:29pm | | Yep, we are just waiting (well, not really waiting) This has been in the works for a long time |
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| | g-free | Apr 1, 8:40pm | hopefully not.
is peace on earth in the near future though, or even possible, considering the extremes that exist on the earth - #1 being Radical Islam, people lump Zionist Israel and America in the same group (something I'm not apt to do).
I grew up in Canada, moved to USA when I was 25, since then of course I went from not so sympathetic to USA/Americans to being in a strong military area with friends in the service. So my sympathies and experiences knowing them and their families keeps me from being my former radical self.
Something to respond with your opinion - I find politics in Iran very interesting - (although I don't necessarily trust that the info I get is the best or most up to date) BBC and NPR news both talk about how the Pres. of Iran is now falling more out of favor. What do you think will come of this. Also do you feel the sanctions are having the opposite of the intended effect? I am definitely not an isolationist, so it saddens me to see fearing mentalities pervading society. |
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| | sollune | Apr 2, 7:05am | "considering the extremes that exist on the earth - #1 being Radical Islam"
why would that be #1? because american TV tells you so?
"people lump Zionist Israel and America in the same group (something I'm not apt to do)"
why not? as a US resident you finance zionist atrocities. |
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| | g-free | Apr 2, 7:02pm | | exactly, i'm a puppet. i had to throw in the other viewpoint, it wouldn't be a discussion otherwise. If you disagree give me some reasons that I may not see on 'american t.v.' and i'll weigh them over. |
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Sponsor |  WasChabad | Apr 2, 7:21pm | | Why do you blame the Jews for everything? Israel doesn't set American policy. If you don't like American policy, blame Bush. You can blame the Jews for everything else lacking in your world. |
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| | g-free | Apr 2, 7:42pm | I had a longer response typed in but hit the wrong button - oops.
Basically, in response to sollune's questions - I believe Israel has a right to peaceful existence at its current borders, without the strife brought on by Islamic terrorists or as it were, Iranian presidents. Besides believing that, I have friends who've immigrated to Israel and I desire peace on all sides for them.
If you could show me one major Islamic leader in the Middle East who truly believes Israel deserves continuous peace and success at its current state, i would be very surprised. Seems to me not only do they all desire for Israel to cease to exist, their plans to accomplish this involves trying to get USA to stop supporting Israel - thus we have 9/11 as well as economic, cyber, and many other methods.
I think there are many in Canada that support Israel as well but maybe not as outspoken.
Maybe one day you can take a trip to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. to remind yourself of why the world powers created the state of Israel in the first place. |
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| | sollune | Apr 3, 6:18am | 6: "Why do you blame the Jews for everything?"
was that a question for g-free or what? I don't see anyone here blaming the jews for everything. personally, I like the jews, especially those who, like me, blame the zionist for the zionist atrocities.
"If you don't like American policy, blame Bush."
as if he decides anything. pff.
7: Izrael (like the USA & Canada, among others) exist on stolen land. no amount of occupation will ever change that and legitimise their existence.
"Maybe one day you can take a trip to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. to remind yourself of why the world powers created the state of Israel in the first place."
or I could visit Gaza and see the same thing being recreated live. |
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Sponsor | | WasChabad | Apr 3, 6:39am | Israel does not live on stolen land. Jews have been living in Israel for thousands of years, but you were the one who brought Israel into this thread. Israel does not set American policy. If you want to talk about atrocities, almost every country in the world has committed atrocities that would make Israel by comparison, the nicest, friendliest country in the world.
Muslims have more rights in Israel than in any Muslim country in the world. So you want Israel to treat them worse?
Tell us the "atrocities" you are talking about. |
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| | sollune | Apr 3, 2:02pm | "Israel does not live on stolen land."
of course not, it's a thing, a fabrication. it doesn't "live"
- it exists. and it exists on stolen land, as does the USA.
denial isn't helping you.
"Jews have been living in Israel for thousands of years"
so? Palestinians too, and in much greater numbers. but anyway we're not talking about Jews, we're talking about the criminal zionist regime responsible for atrocities, which only assimilates itself to Jews by design and by convenience, to manipulate them.
"you were the one who brought Israel into this thread"
no I didn't. g-free said "people lump Zionist Israel and America in the same group" in #2. I only responded to that.
"Israel does not set American policy."
more denials, hardly convincing despite your repeating this twice already. the zionist lobby does heavily influence USian foreign AND internal policies, it's a widely recognised fact (although evidently disputed by said lobby). and US taxes buy weapons to further imprison and decimate defenseless, resourceless indigenous people.
"If you want to talk about atrocities, almost every country in the world has committed atrocities that would make Israel by comparison, the nicest, friendliest country in the world."
I don't dismiss crimes because of alleged or supposed or even proven crimes elsewhere. nothing going on elsewhere in space or time justifies the criminal activities of the zionist regime.
"Muslims have more rights in Israel than in any Muslim country in the world. So you want Israel to treat them worse?"
lay off the propaganda bullshit, it's not good for your sanity.
"Tell us the "atrocities" you are talking about."
google "israel atrocities", or better yet search for that in Youtube.
but basically:
1- the continuous illegal occupation of Palestinian lands in defiance of repeated UN resolutions and violation of established borders
2- the continuous destruction of Palestinian homes and displacement of Palestinian people
3- the continuous implantation of illegal settlements on Palestinian lands
4- the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of checkpoints limiting Palestinian circulation
5- interference in Palestinian political processes; assassinations; terrorism
6- the wall
7- regular bombings / killings / murder of Palestinian people
8- the strangling of Palestinian economy
9- uninterrupted propaganda aiming to de-humanise and demonise Palestinians
10- the imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians
11- the planned destruction of the Dome of the Rock
to name a few, off the top of my head.
also the repeated attacks on neighbours
and in particular Lebanon,
and this upcoming Iran thing. |
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