Lame Duckzilla speaketh. M

Published on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 by Asia Times
Bush ‘Plans Iran Air Strike by August’

by Muhammad Cohen

NEW YORK - The George W Bush administration plans to launch an air strike against Iran within the next two months, an informed source tells Asia Times Online, echoing other reports that have surfaced in the media in the United States recently.

Two key US senators briefed on the attack planned to go public with their opposition to the move, according to the source, but their projected New York Times op-ed piece has yet to appear.

The source, a retired US career diplomat and former assistant secretary of state still active in the foreign affairs community, speaking anonymously, said last week that that the US plans an air strike against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The air strike would target the headquarters of the IRGC’s elite Quds force. With an estimated strength of up to 90,000 fighters, the Quds’ stated mission is to spread Iran’s revolution of 1979 throughout the region.

Targets could include IRGC garrisons in southern and southwestern Iran, near the border with Iraq. US officials have repeatedly claimed Iran is aiding Iraqi insurgents. In January 2007, US forces raided the Iranian consulate general in Erbil, Iraq, arresting five staff members, including two Iranian diplomats it held until November. Last September, the US Senate approved a resolution by a vote of 76-22 urging President George W Bush to declare the IRGC a terrorist organization. Following this non-binding “sense of the senate” resolution, the White House declared sanctions against the Quds Force as a terrorist group in October. The Bush administration has also accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons program, though most intelligence analysts say the program has been abandoned.

Go to this link to read the entire article
URL to article: Bush - CommonDreams.org

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On a side note, am I the only one who gets irritated by "unnamed sources"? How are we supposed to gauge how credible this information is, if the source won't man up and go on record. Could be the janitor in the office, for all we know.

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Unfortunately, the Founders did not address the possibility of this nation becoming populated with obnoxious twits.

"The source, a retired US career diplomat and former assistant secretary of state still active in the foreign affairs community" will probably be enough to name him along with a position that we should not bomb Iran.

Bombing BEFORE the elections does not make sense. There would be a political backlash against Republicans. However, I am indeed wary of Bush / Cheney conducting airstrikes after the election, as they have nothing to lose.

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It's no secret Shrub wants to expand the war to include Iran. But if there's no imminent threat, he should leave Iran to the next president.

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Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime. ~Potter Stewart

Wow, Bush is taking the worst president in history moniker seriously. He must not be satisfied with a 27% approval rating. He apparently wants 2%. (Yes there are some American psycho maniacs out there that would approve of killing more innocent familes by dropping bombs on them).

I don't put much credence into stories that do not have a REAL source. Sounds like Elliot "Mohammad" Cohen could have an agenda of his own for writing this article. Shame on him for running with a story that only has ONE UNNAMED SOURCE. Sounds like some more propaganda IMO.

The source, a retired US career diplomat and former assistant secretary of state still active in the foreign affairs community, speaking anonymously,

Where are these other "echoing reports that have surfaced in the media lately" and how credible are their sources??

"echoing other reports that have surfaced in the media in the United States recently."

In addition, it is not a secret that Iran has been attempting to develop nuclear weapons. The writer of this article makes it sound like it's Bush's paranoia.

"The Bush administration has also accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons program, though most intelligence analysts say the program has been abandoned."

Say's who??

By your rationale, AD, the Washington Post would have never quoted Deep Throat & brought down a president. Where there's smoke, sometimes there's fire.

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Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime. ~Potter Stewart

i keep hearing this too, but seriously doubt it. congress would be in a huge uproar, both dems and repubs. that would destroy any remaining republican chances since this is an election year.

besides, after the iraq fiasco, just dont see the majority of americans buying into it at all.

dec? well perhaps, since at that point not much can/will be done to bush since he would be out in a month anyway. i still just cant see us attempting to bomb iran.

the opposition would not be just around the world from countries that despise us, but from our allies (those left) and from within the US as well

fwiw - deep throat was not really an unnamed informant. apparently the reporters, and maybe even publisher, DID know deep throats name. just kept confidential for obvious reasons. i believe that once he (or she dies) then they CAN release deep throats name

I'm assuming this reporter also knows his informant's name, he's just not naming him. Hence, "unnamed." FWIW.

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Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime. ~Potter Stewart

According to "sources" Cheney has been whining for airstrikes for almost two years now. Neutralizing Iran and a possible regime change would fit the PNAC neo con agenda as well as invading Iraq. Pre-emptive strikes are clearly spelled out in this think tank's manifesto published in 1998.

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