A few years back…I can’t put my finger on it….Those things that Bush and His Evil Minions™ have been saying about Iraq Iran,”And Iran’s active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust,” sounds strangely familiar.
It’s almost like I’ve heard this before, maybe about 5 years ago.
Seriously. It appears that Cheney is determined to bomb Iran.
These people are dangerous morons. Khomeni consolidated power because Saddam Hussein attacked them.
External threats always, and I mean Always shores up unpopular governments.
So now we are going to create our own little Reichstag fire for the Iranian theocracy.
Impeach Dick Cheney today. Impeach George W. Bush Tomorrow.
Bush just quietly announced that he willVeto any measure that limits his ability to bomb Iran.
From the White House Statement of Administration Policy(pdf):
Amendments on Iran: The Administration strongly opposes amendments to the bill to restrict the ability of the United States to deal effectively with the threats to regional security posed by the conduct of Iran, including Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons. The Administration also notes that provisions of law that purport to direct or prohibit international negotiations, covert action, or use of the armed forces are inconsistent with the Constitution’s commitment exclusively to the presidency of the executive power, the function of Commander-in-Chief, and the authority to conduct the Nation’s foreign policy. If the bill were presented to the President with provisions that would prevent the President from protecting America and allied and cooperating nations from threats posed by Iran, the President’ senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.
I’m feeling much better now.
It’s the hed for a Foreign Policy Magazine article about the Iranian president, and how his general cluelessness is leading to his irrelevancy, and possible removal.
That being said, the article is substantive, and right off, it makes the important point:
Iran’s radical president is sinking fast, and he knows it. Now, there’s only one man who can keep Mahmoud Ahmadinejad out of the unemployment line: George W. Bush.
There has been no greater resource for fundamentalist dictatorships and terrorists than George W. Bush, and his crusade against his father the norms of international behavior.
George W. Bush: Generating capital for terrorists and religious fundamentalists since 2001.
Generally, I see Stone as a a silly conspiracy obsessed figure, but he nails this one.
Iranian president: Stone part of ‘Great Satan’
….
“I have been called a lot of things, but never a great satan,” Stone said in the statement. “I wish the Iranian people well, and only hope their experience with an inept, rigid ideologue president goes better than ours.”
…..
The program is splitting Europe because it is poorly conceived and dishonestly presented.
Again, I refer you to my post on the patent system to provide some perspective on the level of performance of this administration
NATO Struggles With Missile Defense(Subscription Required)
Russian pressure heightens missile defense concerns within NATO
Printed headline: Out of Sync
NATO nations are growing increasingly divided over how to move forward plans to establish European missile defenses, with unease exacerbated by concern over Russia’s strategic objectives.
Officials at NATO Headquarters in Brussels say the U.S. plan to station a radar site and 10 interceptor missiles in the Czech Republic and Poland, using bilateral agreements, is throwing NATO’s own approach off balance. NATO worries are being aggravated by what one official describes as ‘well-orchestrated Russian pressure on all chess boards simultaneously, ranging from the CFE [Conventional Armed Forces in Europe] treaty to energy, Estonia, Kosovo, NATO expansion and missile defense.’ Moscow’s latest gambit is the offer of a joint missile defense system to be sited in Azerbaijan.
The crux of the problem is that the U.S. system is designed to provide protection for the continental U.S., and will only give some European coverage, through the proposed Polish and Czech sites. The NATO missile defense architecture would protect all of Europe. Command and control also remains an area of contention.
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Let’s be clear. This is directed at Russia, Iran is just a pretext here.
That’s why Putin’s proposal of locating the radar in Azerbaijan made the Bushies look like fools.
It’s better to protect Europe, and does not threaten the Russians, which is the real objective of the US, Poland, and the Czech Republic.