Bombing Iran: Europe and the U.S. have given Israel their "blessing" for a strike against Iran

[babsbunny]

http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2007/07/noted.html

Lieberman said the Western powers acknowledged the severity of the Iranian nuclear threat to the Jewish state, but said that ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq are “going to prevent the leaders of countries in Europe and America from deciding on the use of force to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities,” even if diplomacy ultimately fails.
What threat to the Jewish state? Let us suppose that Iran suddenly possessed ten nuke-equipped ICBMs. How could they use them without fear of annihilation?

Jack Burkman, conservative pundit, was on the DC Madam's list.

The party of suck. Republicans like Burkman and Vitter aren't the really naughty ones. In North Carolina, State Representative David Almond is alleged to have displayed the Little Almond to a female employee while yelling a romantic suggestion to "Suck it, bitch!" Strangely, this line failed to have its intended seductive effect.

One wag has suggested that the GOP adopt this phrase as its new slogan.

[regnaD kciN]

1. Wouldn't surprise me...

Olhmert, currently with even a lower approval rating than Bush, given the go-ahead by the U.S. to bomb Iran just before the next elections there, hoping that it will result in a wave of "we must support our leader in this time of war" patriotism that will sweep him back into office.

[NCarolinawoman]

2. I've always heard that Israel bombing Iran wold be perceived by Muslims as US bombing Iran.

Lieberman doesn't care----he wants us to be drawn in; as does Cheney and the other Neo-cons

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Wes Clark and Dennis Kucinich talk sense about Iran

However, no offense to Dennis, but the Democrat best positioned to fight the insanity of pushing war with Iran right now is General Wes Clark. Clark has the background and experience, and the creds gained as an American patriot who dedicated his life to keeping America safe from foreign threats, to be listened to by the broad range of Americans, both inside and out of postions of power, who have to be reached to stop this madness. And Wes Clark has tirelessly been using his influence to oppose the Neocon orchestrated push for war with Iran.

Clark took on two advocates for bombing Iran recently on MSNBC's Kudlow & Co:

"GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Larry, the invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein done by the Bush administration was a victory for Iran. HE was their big enemy. We got rid of him. We did the Iranians a huge favor. Now, the truth is that Iran came, has come to us at least three times since 2002 looking for an opening and a way to talk, and we've rebuffed them. So, we haven't tried diplomacy. This administration's not trying. This administration is-

Jed Babbin: (sigh)

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: -on a countdown, and here's what's waiting at the end of the road: a nice air strike, 14 days or so of air strikes, Special Forces operations. We've already got SF going in there. We've got over-flights, at least that's what I'm told. So, we're, as far as the Iranians are concerned, we're doing to them what they're-

Jed Babbin: (sigh)

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: doing to us. And at the end of it, if we are able to execute this strike and we've really got Iran then up in arms against us, what is accomplished other than a five year or so delay in the nuclear.

Jed Babbin: Well-

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: We don't have the capacity to occupy Iran. We don't have to capacity to calm down the Islamic world after the strike."
http://securingamerica.com/node/2530

And when advocates for military action against Iran attempt to exploit any indication of Iranian involvement inside of Iraq that is adversarial to American efforts there, Wes Clark has the guts to turn the tables and point out how the United States is already supporting conducting operations against Iran, and that the United States gives Iran every incentive to make Americans lives hell inside Iraq because the Bush Administration has long made it clear that their true intention has always been to overthrow Iran's government. Wes Clark recently made this comment in reply to that type of accusation against Iran on Diane Rehm's PBS show 7/12/07:

"GENERAL WESLEY CLARK We've known from the beginning that when we went into Iraq, as we told everybody, including a lot of the NeoCons who testified before Congress that Iraq was just the first step. So we gave Iran and Syria every reason to oppose us. If you were in the Iranian's position right now, you'd see themselves surrounded by US forces with US aircraft carriers there, an insurgency trying to be fomented from Baluchistan which would be hard-pressed not to blame on the United States, the continuing rumors of special forces operations inside Iran and perhaps overflights from unmanned aerial vehicles."
http://securingamerica.com/node/2544

Clark is constantly blasting the Bush Administration for refusing to engage in real negotiations with Iran, and he always points out that the U.S. has more than enough cards to play without being forced to use military force. He made the following comment during a speech at UCLA's Law School in January:

“We need to keep the threat of Iran in perspective. And in dealing with them we have to realize that we are the most powerful country in the world. We have incredible economic strength. We hold the key to the G-8, the World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund...the key to advanced technology, energy development—We have that. So when I hear rumors that the President is unable to talk to Iran right now because we don’t have “leverage”...

--- If you have 1000 feet of leverage – do you need another half inch?

We have 1000 feet of leverage over Iran. We’re completely dominant over the country. Cant the most powerful nation in the world deign to speak to an aspiring regional power?"
http://securingamerica.com/ccn/node/10663

Clark is the only Democrat I know willing to tell the American people the hardships they will face if we get dragged into a larger Middle Eastern War. Clark said this in July of 2006 in front of a live FOX TV audiance:

"If you agree with people, the diplomacy is different. When you don’t agree with people, it’s even more important to talk, to box them in, to understand what they want, to help them see the world differently. Keep the force in reserve. Otherwise, you’re just going to end up raising a 10-million man army to invade the Middle East and that’s something we don’t want the United States to do and I don’t think your viewers want all their children to spend the rest of their lives in uniform."

You can view the longer exchange on YouTube. It's worth watching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N79-4cyqfl0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Enewshounds%2Eus%2F2006%2F07%2F24%2Ffox%5Fundercuts%5Fwesley%5Fclarks%5Fsane%5Fwords%2Ephp