How much of your money can Bush have to 'spur' democracy in Iran?

[bigtree]

Bush wants extra $75 ml to spur Iran democracy

Wed Feb 15, 2006 9:07 AM


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush will ask Congress to authorize an extra $75 million in funds to help the United States spur democracy in Iran, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will ask later Wednesday at a congressional hearing for the money in a supplemental budget request for fiscal year 2006, said the official, who asked not to be named because the announcement was not yet formal. The 2006 budget already has $10 million for such funds, he added.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-02-15T140733Z_01_N15186768_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAN-USA.xml



Never mind that Iran just had an election. The leader they elected happens to hate America. That disqualifies their government in the Bush cabal's rhetoric from achieving their blessing of being called a democracy. Their elected leader's stated hatred of the Bush regime is enough for Rice to petition for money to effect his overthrow. Just like in Iraq with Chalabi and his lies.

The Iraq Liberation Act, passed in 1998, sanctioned the new U.S. policy of regime change. Almost $100 million in taxpayer funds was provided to the 'Iraqi National Congress' headed by Chalabi. Next thing we know, the Bush cabal is racing to war, using the lies they bought from Chalabi to justify invading Iraq and overthrowing Saddam.

This $75 million Rice wants is going to go to yet another expatriate shill who will work to subvert the elected government in Iran, undermining democracy there, instead of 'spurring' it as Rice claims to want. Moreover, Bush's objective in this is laid bare in the face of what he's already done to Iraq, first claiming a threat to the U.S., then claiming that his invasion and occupation was to 'liberate' the Iraqi people, then the line about spreading democracy.

Further, his administration has openly discussed the possibility of using military force against Iran, despite their admission that Iran does not yet have any capability to build any nuclear weapon or anything else which would remotely threaten America outside of Iran's borders.

Just what does constitute a democracy anymore? There doesn't seem to be any measure that has any significance or consequence outside of the active interests of the United States, and the definition mostly hinges on whether we tolerate a sovereign government or set about the business of overthrowing it.

There are those regimes which are clearly not democracies - like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan - where each one is afforded as much recognition and relationship as we determine them to be compliant to our interests. Coups, repressions, dictatorships aren't necessarily obstacles to a cozy relationship with this Bush cabal. However, if you're in the way of this U.S. oligarchy's ambition for greed and conquest you will come to face their imperious scorn, and you risk incurring the warmongering weight of their repressive regime.

Here comes Condi, dressed to kill . . . literally.

[Bellamia]

1. $4.00

That's what I owe the IRS this year.

[magellan]

2. I'm still waiting on a refund for Iraq.

If Bush** wants it, he can let his contributors pay for it. I'm sure Abramoff will help.

[bigtree]

3. next day

State Dept. tells how U.S. plans to confront Iran

Washington Post
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/02/16/MNGJRH9JFI1.DTL

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Washington -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asked Congress on Wednesday to provide $75 million in emergency funding to step up pressure on the Iranian government, including expanding radio and television broadcasts into Iran and promoting internal opposition to the rule of religious leaders.

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who has called for $100 million to promote democracy in Iran, applauded the initiative as the "absolutely right move at this point in time."

"The first step was Afghanistan, then Iraq, and now you're seeing an increasing focus on Iran," he said.

Martin Indyk, a former Clinton administration official who heads the Saban Center on Middle East policy at the Brookings Institution, said the democratic forces that the administration wants to support have failed in the past to take on the clerics and have little basis of support -- and would be tainted by U.S. aid.

"It's hard to see how $75 million makes a dent in that political reality," Indyk said.