Bush Says U.S. Won't Attack Iran

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=3&u=/ap/20050218/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush


<snip>

"I hear all these rumors about military attacks, and it's just not the truth," said Bush, who leaves Sunday for Europe to mend fences with allies. "We want diplomacy to work."


The president sat down for a series of broadcast interviews with correspondents from Russia, France, Belgium, Slovakia and Germany in connection with a five-day trip to Europe. There were repeated questions about whether the United States would attack Iran.


"Listen, first of all, you never want a president to say 'never.' But military action is certainly not — it's never the president's first choice. Diplomacy is always the president's first — at least my first choice."


Bush said he supports European nations' efforts to persuade Iran to scrap its uranium enrichment program in exchange for technological, financial and political support. But he did not address U.S. reservations about Europe's approach. The United States has refused to get involved in the bargaining with Tehran or to make commitments, insisting that Iran abandon its program.


"I believe diplomacy can work so long as the Iranians don't divide Europe and the United States," Bush said. "There's a lot more diplomacy to be done."

[deadparrot]

1. He also said Iraq had WMDs. nt

[keithjx]

2. Sorry, but...

"You NEVER want a pResident to say 'Never'"?????
KJ

[IMayBeWrongBut]

3. I'm too lazy to find all the times he said that about Iraq...nt

nt

[bahrbearian]

14. We only attacked Iraq as a last resort.

We used diplomacy and the U.N first. We had no other choice.
(sarcasm on)

[Bluebear]

4. "Bush won't rule out attack on Iran"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1606454

Ah, if only it were comical.

[mike_c]

5. yeah but we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud....

:nuke:

[name not needed]

6. He also said we'd find Bin Laden

and that there were WMDs in Iraq.

My bullshit meter is overloading.

[maxsolomon]

7. Diplomacy is always the president's first — at least my first choice."

please cite an example.

surely you don't mean the groveling to the chinese over the spy plane back before the world collapsed?

[DemoTex]

33. More weasle words from the Bu$h Hall of Mirrors.

What is, seems. What seems, is.

[nonconformist]

42. Bush has shown remarkable restraint...

He's only went to war with 2 countries so far! He definitely looked to diplomacy when he didn't bomb those damn French-speaking Canadians after all.

[brainshrub]

8. That's b/c he's got Israel to do the dirty work:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/18/wiran18.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/02/18/ixnewstop.html

[FREEDOMRULES3]

34. yep isreal will

he gave isreal the greenlight to attack, then iran will attack our army.. the rest is history the i'm afraid. my niece is there and this scares me to death, she hates bush by the way.

[MnFats]

9. Oh, thank God! I feel much better now....

oh gee.
remember in August 2002 he was saying no decision had been made? I finally cleared out a couple stacks of newspapers the other day and found that one! "We're going to listen to all points of view."

Come to find out later he was saying to his inner circle, "Fuck Saddam! We're taking him out."

not attacking Iran....I'm so fucking sure.

[jpak]

10. The Chimp is correct

We won't attack Iran.

We'll just open secure air corridors through Iraqi airspace, provide AWACs and mid-air refueling support and let the Israeli Air Force attack Iran.

"I have no war plans on my desk" - I remember that one well...

[Dissent Is Patriotic]

36. turns it out it was half true...

he didn't have any actual plans...for the war part anyway...to busy divyying up the oil fields

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. How long before they are labeled as dividers?

Anyone want to speculate?

"I believe diplomacy can work so long as the Iranians don't divide Europe and the United States," Bush said. "There's a lot more diplomacy to be done."

[flygal]

59. That's his smoking gun

As soon as Europe doesn't do what he wants - that's the green light. Blame it on Iran - lock and load!

[TrogL]

12. horseshit

[Mr_Spock]

13. Blah, blah, blah - who cares what this stupid inept Chimp says

Neither me nor any other world leader cares - except to know when to "duck" from this retards bullets.

[Megahurtz]

15. Nice Bluff.....

And post #10 makes sense to me.

[oasis]

16. Bush didn't realize that he lacked occupation forces before he challenged

Iran to a pissing contest. He so often talks tough just to play the imaginary cowboy hero.

After Syria and Russia weighed in, the Chimpster had to back off.:scared:

[KayLaw]

17. Yes

That's what I think too, Oasis.

[oasis]

21. Bush's "mouth is writing checks than his ass can't cash." As they say

in the streets.

[whistle]

18. That's right they are going to let Israel attack Iran....

[KitchenWitch]

19. meaning * personally will not be there

while Iran is being attached by "allied" (read US) forces.

[latteromden]

20. We won't attack Iran.

They want Syria, and now they'll claim they have a reason to attack.

What the hell's with "...you never want a president to say 'never.' But military action is... never the president's first choice" anyway?

[LynnTheDem]

22. bush was great with diplomacy and Iraq, kicking the UN weapons insps' out

That was SO diplomatic first, war last.

:eyes:

[aquart]

23. Damn. That means we're going to attack Iran.

[Laurab]

52. My immediate thought, too

No is yes, up is down, black is white, and "we're not going to attack Iran" means we are. Although I do think we'll do it through Israel.

[Redstone]

24. so long as the IRANIANS don't divide Europe and the United States??

You stupid snotball, YOU are the one who divided Europe and the United states!

And you enjoyed it!

Redstone

[Anakin Skywalker]

25. Just Believe the Opposite.

Whatever Shrub says, he has a pattern of doing the opposite. I cannot trust him, can you?

[CoffeeCat]

26. Chimpy actually thinks people listen to his verbal diarrhea

New levels of stupidity have crossed the synaptic gaps of *'s brain.

Does the man ACTUALLY think that anyone--but the cultist fundies--believe one word he says?
Does he realize, that when he speaks--people roll their eyes, walk away and then fix their tuna noodle casserole and don't even contemplate one word he says? Cuz, it's all the blatherings of a nimrod!

Hey, Chimpy! The fact that you would say that "Diplomacy is my first choice" is cause for a collective guffaw! Did you think that we forgot your steamrolling, speed train into Iraq that practically knocked over weapons inspectors, while they were still conducting inspections? You went into Iraq with the precision and caution of the Tasmanian Devil on a bad acid trip.

You're an idiot, because you don't even know what a ginormous idiot you are.

Just stop talking and go cut some more school-breakfast programs for homeless elementary-school children!

[Rex]

27. So now he verified we will.

Said the same thing about Iraq.

[SOS]

28. "There are no war plans on my desk"

nt

[glitch]

29. Whatever - who believes, or even listens to, proven LIARS?

Media just parrots his words. Nobody actually listens to the fool.

[4nemesis]

30. It"s Still the Media stupid

Bush and his Pnac buddies want a lot of wars, but it's the corporate media that does all the selling. Without the media, Bush is nothing.

So what can be done about a deceitful media? Any ideas?

[IndianaGreen]

31. Is it a coincidence that this was right after Putin vouched for Iran?

If anything illustrates better the need for another superpower to restraint American greed, as it was during the days of the USSR, is that once Putin spoke in favor of Iran, our boy emperor had to back down as all bullies do.

Last Updated: Friday, 18 February, 2005, 12:43 GMT

Russia backs Iran in nuclear row

Russian President Vladimir Putin says recent moves by Iran have convinced him it is not trying to build nuclear arms.

He said Moscow would continue working with Tehran in all fields, including nuclear power, adding that he had accepted an invitation to Iran.

His comments came at a meeting in Moscow with chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4276829.stm

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[bunny planet]

32. well then, if he says it, it must be true.

[leesa]

35. Oh, how very nice of us! Who would believe a word this lying sack of shit

says?? Bush has zero credibility. What a GOOD christian!

[DebinTx]

37. He's given Israel the green light to attack Iran.

Link

[flaminbats]

43. perhaps he's given Iranian terrorists the green light to attack Europe..

:nuke: n/t

[Gyre]

44. This is the "other" part of that story

"....His comments appeared to be a departure from the administration's line that there are no plans to attack at present and that Washington backs European diplomatic efforts. The remarks may have reflected Mr Bush's personal thinking on an issue causing deep concern in Washington."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/18/wiran18.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/02/18/ixnewstop.html

Gyre

[yorkiemommie1]

38. if his mouth was moving when he said it...

then i don't believe him.

[LinuxInsurgent]

39. Look at this quote

"Listen, first of all, you never want a president to say 'never.'

He's expressing the idea that you should keep a "card up your sleeve" to bluff the enemy into thinking that military action is always an option.

The problem with this stupid Bush rationale is that the U.S. DOESN"T have a military option.

It does not have the troops to invade...and the risks to invading Iran would be defeat in Iran, and destabilization of the Iraq scenario.

Iran knows that Bush is now effectively a barking dog (which does not bite).

Id laugh at the proposition that Bush will go to Iran...because if he does, he faces certain defeat. There's no way we can occupy Iran...no way...and the consequences would make any Iran venture VERY costly for us...

[bling bling]

40. I speak fluent "neo-con":

You just have to have a fundamental understanding of antonyms. Whatever they say, they "mean" the opposite.

Translation: We're headed to Iran as soon as we figure out a way to manipulate the situation.

[cosmicdot]

41. "There's a lot more diplomacy to be done."

I'm trying to imagine what might have been had a real leader used '911' as a road to build a lasting peace ... building upon the goodwill toward 'security through peace' ... not war ... but, other things got in the way: PNAC, the Carlyle Group, Cheney's Energy Task Force, profiteering ... the net result is one Bu$h-Cheney-Rice-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz-Perle et al, disaster after another ...

he doesn't have the patience for diplomacy ... he gets bored ...

and, there's not much profit in it ...

is he wondering:
have we done enough diplomacy yet?
when do I get to tell them to disarm now or else?


... now, watch this drive ...

[SammyWinstonJack]

45. Did he hear it on the Internets?

Honestly who in the Hell would believe anything this Hugh Liar says? :crazy:

[DemocracyInaction]

46. He forgot to add "until the spring of 2006"..and I'm not being flippant

Really. He won't attack now or this summer or next fall. This is the 2006 rally. It's the lead up to the midterm elections. He will get the mindless assholes who already have their futures mortagaged up the butt by his spending and have an army spread so thin it couldn't fight jock itch much less any more enemies, in a drunken orgy, waving their flags and calling Dems "pieces of unpatriotic shit" as they beeeeelieve in Georgie again. And as they vote republican in 2006. Come on--do you have any doubts?? Fine.....invade Iran...and let our mindless minions eat shit. Whatever. I give up on the whole lot of them.

[PurityOfEssence]

47. Israel'll be more than happy to oblige

What? They did WHAT?

Shocking.

[ckramer]

48. Translation:

"We want diplomacy to work" = "damn, I wish I have more troops!"

[Erika]

49. * divided the U.S and Europe

No, he won't attack. He's killing and maiming too many of our troops now and recruitment levels are down.

It seems like our kids aren't rushing into death and mayhem for the great imperialist.

[Laurab]

54. That makes sense & I'd like it to be right

but they've never let reality stop them before, which is what scares me.

[superconnected]

50. shall I list that before or after won't change social security

and will find bin laden at all costs.

[superconnected]

51. oh wait, I got it, I'll stick it next to he's going to make the world safe

from tyranny.

[Mountainman]

53. "There are no plans on my desk to attack Iraq." Remember?

Why would anyone but the knuckle dragging wingnuts believe him?

[Hillary08]

55. Hope he's telling the truth

We are spread WAY too thin already. Even chimpy can't possibly be considering yet another front to fight on!!

[proudbluestater]

56. "We want diplomacy to work." Oops, forgot to check with Wolfowitz first!

[moondust]

57. I saw the clip. He was lying his ass off.

It was soooo obvious.

[Pachamama]

58. Well, * also calls something "The Clean Air Act" doesn't make it so...

He's a lying sack of sh*t....Can't trust a word he or this administration says...

The doublespeak is rampant....

[theHandpuppet]

60. Check out the scenario I predicted back in June of '04...

(Read several of the posts within the thread, #5 in particular)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1886776

[theHandpuppet]

62. One thing occurred to me as I was rereading that thread

I predicted that if a move against Iran (read: airstrike) were to be made it would come before an Iraqi-elected govt could become firmly established. With the recent vote to appoint those who would now draw up the Iraqi Constitution being dominated by an Iranian-friendly Shia majority, the timeline has now been established. That's why this fever pitch to paint Iran as the next "mushroom cloud" on our horizon. The PNACers know they will have to make their move within the next few months before the Shias really take power in Iraq.

[PROUDNWLIBERAL]

61. Who Will Attack Iran

I predict that Israel will use American air bases in Iraq to attack Irans'nuclear facilities.Will the U. S. take out Syria---stay tuned. Read your Mien Kampf---oh sorry---PNAC.

[orleans]

63. In other words:

buckle your seatbelts---we're going in!

[Syrinx]

64. Bush Denies Plans to Attack Iran

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (AP) - President Bush said Friday that the United
States did not intend to attack Iran to crush a nuclear weapons
program that it is suspected of having, but "you never want a
president to say 'never.' "

He expressed hope that a European diplomatic initiative would lead
Iran to abandon its uranium enrichment activities, which the United
States believes are for military purposes and Iran insists exist to
meet civilian energy needs.

In interviews with European journalists at the White House, Mr. Bush
was asked about a poll finding 70 percent of Germans believe the
United States is planning military action against Iran. "I hear all
these rumors about military attacks, and it's just not the truth,"
said Mr. Bush, who will leave Sunday for a five-day trip to Europe to
mend fences with allies. "We want diplomacy to work."

Asked repeatedly whether the United States would attack Iran, he
answered: "Listen, first of all, you never want a president to say
'never.' But military action is certainly not - it's never the
president's first choice. Diplomacy is always the president's first,
at least my first choice."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/19/politics/19iran.html

[Elidor]

65. "I don't know why you say we're headed for war in Iraq"

"I hope we're not headed for war in Iraq. I'm the person who gets to decide, not you."
-Chimp in Chief, before the Iraq Invasion

[DemBones DemBones]

66. Now, just how is this supposed to be Late Breaking News?

/sarcasm off/

[EFerrari]

67. HIde the kids, he's denying the next war.

And talking about himself in the third person.

God, and I thought the Cuban missile crisis was scary.

[lebkuchen]

68. I just think the US should do something about the Triangle of Death

it's created around Iraq, not to mention the U.S., before it gets itself involved in another endless money pump to Halliburton.

[Occulus]

69. "You NEVER want a president to say NEVER."

Oh- he's so glib.

:eyes:

[physioex]

70. It's so amazing that more than half the population......

Will fall for these lies.

[Occulus]

71. Daddy figure.

"Role model."

"Good Christian man."

I'll be doing this all night. :grr:

[China_cat]

72. And we're supposed to believe this?

With his record of doing the exact opposite of what he says?

[radfringe]

73. troops in IraN don't believe it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3141952

[T_i_B]

74. He's been interviewed by the UK Daily Telegraph

I'll see if I can get some Torygraph links here for your info

Bush rejects moves to boost EU military might
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;sessionid=VVAAQUBP50RXHQFIQMGSNAGAVCBQWJVC?xml=/news/2005/02/19/wbush19.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/02/19/ixportaltop.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=51760

'I will be straightforward. I don't see how you can deal with people if you aren't'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/19/wbush119.xml

'We must confront the ideology of hate'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/19/wbush219.xml

In fact I might even post this lot in GD for dissemination by DU!

[rjbny62]

75. Deja Vu (May 2002) - *: No Plans to Attack IRAQ

2002
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/5/23/140128.shtml

2005
http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/02/18/bush.ap/index.html

[earth mom]

76. More LIES. Didn't * also say he's a WAR president? eom