AlterNet: Bush Could Usher in a Very Dangerous New Year

[marmar]

Bush Could Usher in a Very Dangerous New Year

By Robert Parry, Consortium News. Posted December 26, 2006.



Intelligence sources say President Bush -- along with Israel's Ehud Olmert and the UK's Tony Blair -- are weighing the possibility of Israeli-led attacks on Syria and Iran in early 2007, with the United States providing logistical back-up.

The first two or three months of 2007 represent a dangerous opening for an escalation of war in the Middle East, as George W. Bush will be tempted to "double-down" his gamble in Iraq by joining with Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair to strike at Syria and Iran, intelligence sources say.

President Bush's goal would be to transcend the bloody quagmire bogging down U.S. forces in Iraq by achieving "regime change" in Syria and by destroying nuclear facilities in Iran, two blows intended to weaken Islamic militants in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

The Israeli army and air force would carry the brunt of any new fighting albeit with the support of beefed-up U.S. ground and naval forces in the Middle East, the sources said. Bush is now considering a "surge" in U.S. troop levels in Iraq from about 140,000 to as many as 170,000. He also has dispatched a second aircraft carrier group to the coast of Iran.

So far, however, Bush has confronted stiff opposition from the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff to the plan for raising troop levels in Iraq, partly because the generals don't think it makes sense to commit more troops without a specific military mission.

But it's unclear how much the generals know about the expanded-war option which has been discussed sometimes in one-on-one meetings among the principals -- Bush, Olmert and Blair -- according to intelligence sources.

Since the Nov. 7 congressional elections, the three leaders have conducted a round-robin of meetings that on the surface seem to have little purpose. Olmert met privately with Bush on Nov. 13; Blair visited the White House on Dec. 7; and Blair conferred with Olmert in Israel on Dec. ...... (more)

The complete article is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/45852/

[Zynx]

1. That is a pathetic joke.

Britain is drawing down, not building up. Israel has proven itself incapable of launching a major military offensive and the Olmert government is in such weak standing it would not risk it. A "surge" of 30,000 troops is not even adequate for protecting our forces in Iraq, much less launching an offensive in Syria or Iran.

I'm willing to bet $1,000 this does not happen.

[marmar]

2. For a rational man, it would be....

:think:

[PFunk]

6. I also agree..

...as for the people who are now in charge of this mess are NOT rational in the least and are in full CYA mode.

[ixion]

8. never 'misunderestimate' the ineptitude and recklessness of BushCo

in short, they're freakin insane, IMO, and wouldn't think twice about escalating the situation in the ME.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Contact Congress against an attack on Iran...

Email Form:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/80

[tom_paine]

4. Could they be that insane? Yes they could. Easily.

They are madmen and monsters, almost to a person. Indifferent dandies. Whatever, a turd by and other name would reek just as bad.

But WILL they dare? That is another story. If they are crazy enough to instigate something like this, then they may truly have turned Armageddon into self-fufilling prophecy.

[flyarm]

5. i just don't see it..where is he going to get the $$$

the new congress will not give him the money..and besides we don't have the money!

we don't have the ground troops to beef up ourselves ...let alone Israel..

Tony Blair would be hung...not ousted..but hung!!

little lord pissy pants may want to do this..but he can't ..there would be a revolution...the american people will not allow this..we want our soldiers home..period

* is his own worst enemy now..he is a real lame duck...can't you hear that quacking going on??

fly

[ShockediSay]

7. Exactly what Sharon asked for a few years ago > Iraq, Syria

and Iran.

Who's running these United States anyway?

[jazzjunkysue]

9. The new house and senate won't approve the funds. Or the draft

necessary to carry it out. As much as Bushso would love to do this, no way.