IRAN: US STRIKE IN APRIL, KHATAMI WARNS

[bemildred]

For what it's worth.

Teheran, 16 March (AKI) - The former reformist president of Iran, Mohammed Khatami, believes the option of a military strike by Washington is being seriously considered by the Pentagon. The daily Rooz on Line, close to the reformists, on Thursday reported that in a recent meeting in Tehran, Khatami revealed to a selected group some details of a message from the White House. According to the online daily, in the message relayed by an emissary of the White House to Khatami on a recent visit to Berlin, the American warned him of their intention to bomb Iran's nuclear installations if the government continued enriching uranium.

Rooz on Line goes on to quote Khatami, as saying that in the American message there was reference to an approximate date of an attack. "One month after the first meeting of the UN Security Council on the Iranian dossier," which is scheduled for Friday.

ADNKI

[SpiralHawk]

1. and if Iran sucessfully opens its Oil Bourse

And thereby inhibits the BushCo Cabal of Oil Cronies from Making MASSIVE OIL PROFITS.

[HereSince1628]

2. Well, there was a promise to China and Russis about not doing anything

until after March wasn't there?

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[OKNancy]

4. Can Bush do that without Congress?

Do past resolutions, etc allow him to do such a thing unilaterally?

[Lochloosa]

5. Even if they don't, Do you seriously think they care?

[Just Me]

6. It'll be asserted as the necessary second stage of the "war on terror".

I have no doubt, whatsoever, that the BushCO/neoconster regime already has its Orweillian, hocus pocus arguments all lined up not the least of which is the magical "unitary executive" theory dependent upon "times of war". Well, we're in a perpetual war on "terror" and the regime will claim the power to do whatever it wants whenever it wants.

[OKNancy]

7. probably true - I hope against hope

that the people and our representatives will rise up. This is super-scary to me.

[habitual]

8. that is what i am hoping for

i am just waiting to see if the people of this great nation will take back their right to democracy. the government is clearly operating within it's own agenda and not striving to do the work of the people, for the people. I am hoping that enough people will have their jaw dropped when we strike Iran's nuclear facilities in the middle of the night and then the bastards in the Admin start telling us it was for our own protection. RISE UP PEOPLE, you are being trampled on.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

11. now that's the kind of post I like to see at D.U.!!

Now we're talkin'!!

C'mon fellow D.U. argue-ers!
Let's see more posts like this one-
After all this IS supposed to be a Progressive discussion group!

Let's quit bickering about trivial non-sense and lets take Our country back ---
let's do it NOW!!!
before it's too late!...for everyone.

[Just Me]

10. I am concerned, too.

Frankly, I expected much more pressure by a growing and powerful oppositional constituency by now. I haven't really seen that pressure, yet, and my concern grows daily. The Iraq war is a bloody and destructive disaster (and was squarely unlawful), eating alive this nation's resources and energies and liberties and security. The neoconsters' eyes are so completely blindfolded by their ideological "vision" that they can't/won't consider any outcome other than that skewed "vision" (i.e. wage all out war and our children will sing ;( ). I have no reason whatsoever to anticipate a reversal on the neoconster's plans to control the M.E. and parts of Asia, and on their willingness to breaks laws, violate the Constitution, manipulate/lie/exploit the American people and treasure, attack liberties, etc.

Nevertheless, maybe, hopefully, I will witness a substantive move against this out-of-control executive. Otherwise, well, x(

[DavidDvorkin]

12. Congress will authorize it retroactively

if there's an outcry. If there's no outcry, they won't even bother doing that.

Just as with the spying outrage.

[951-Riverside]

13. He doesnt have to worry congress will vote for it again

*twitches* I love to slap a few people

[daleo]

21. What would they do, impeach him?

I mean, this wouldn't rise to the level of something serious, like a presidential blowjob.

Sorry for the sarcasm, but this is getting nuts.

[regnaD kciN]

22. We bombed Libya and Serb-controlled Kosovo...

...without Congressional approval. I believe the War Powers Act only applies to "boots on the ground," not bombs delivered from a distance. And I would expect this "bombing raid" to be carried out by cruise missles rather than B-52s.

[Swamp Rat]

9. If WWIII hasn't started yet, this will surely do it.

:hide:

[madmunchie]

14. My son in Iraq seems to think that an attack on Iran is coming within

weeks. He is reading foreign sources. I hope to God he is wrong, but low and behold; he was talking to me this morning and told me this and I then look at DU and this post surfaces. Let us all pray (for those of us that believe in prayer) and the rest maybe cross your fingers. I think that I'll do both.

[qazplm]

15. I dont see it...

besides, you have to wait til the fall to roll out a new product ;)

[Norquist Nemesis]

17. I'm thinking June

Bush's re-affirmation of the "Bush Doctrine" as well as the rhetoric is going at hyperspeed. It occurred to me after seeing how he's re-affirming his pre-emption justification, it well...it sounds like a perverse expression of Israel's "we will defend ourselves against terrorists". I'll probably get flamed for that, but it's JMHO that they've somehow taken it and applied it as a super power would on a global scale.

Also, the statement about how (paraphrasing) the best way to keep Democracy safe in America is to make the world a democracy. Can you imagine what the U.S. would be doing if China or North Korea were effecting PR campaigns saying that about Communism?

The only difference this time is that the forces are already in place.

[regnaD kciN]

23. I would assume that any "attack"...

...would take the form of bombing, not an invasion. Iran is three times the size of Iraq, and we're not exactly having a cakewalk (sorry, Rumsfeld) there. Invading Iran would require a massive committment of U.S. troops beyond those already in Iraq (enough that we probably wouldn't even be able to maintain a presence anywere else, including right here), and the logistics of moving them into attack positions would be too lengthy and obvious for anyone to miss it.

[coalition_unwilling]

25. Iran's regular army has 850,000+ soldiers

They have given us fair warning of what to expect should we try to bomb them. And I have to say that I will not blame them, should they unleash their regular and irregular forces on our troops in Iraq.

[Gman]

16. Bullshit!

Everyone knows, and Iran ought to know the bombing will commence in September, 6 weeks to 2 months before the elections.

How stupid can anyone be thinking it would be any other time?

[phusion]

18. how will Iran react to bombings?

Close off the Strait of Hormuz? ???

[Norquist Nemesis]

19. Not to mention

Iraq and Hamas/Palestine

[superconnected]

20. I believe him.

I bet Bushco is more interested in diverting more of the newly grown budget to halibuton, bechtel and carlyle, than they are in an election.

Their whole point is to loot us while bush is in. We're seeing the last lag. It's a free for all run on american money and assets. Who knows if the next repuke candidate will see it their way.

I bet the biggest decision they have to make is wether or not to hand back control of amerika.

Bin Laden will be a product of iran any minute now.

[regnaD kciN]

24. I think you're right...

Their whole point is to loot us while bush is in. We're seeing the last lag. It's a free for all run on american money and assets.

When previous administrations have plunged in popularity, they've made at least an effort to moderate their policies and regain popular support. This crew, on the other hand, has pretty much reacted by thumbing its nose at the public and redoubling their most extreme efforts. "Hey, American people -- you don't like us anymore? Guess what? We've decided we can spy on you any time we want. And we've decided we can torture you if we like. And we're going to put someone who supports unlimited executive privilege on the Supreme Court. And we're going to give our buddies in the oil industry the green light to start hiking gas prices again. How do you like them apples?"

I think their goal is to move quickly to a) establish that our previous concepts of democracy and civil liberties are now "inoperative," and b) to force the economy into a major crisis that will further eliminate the middle class, and divide us into the rich (including, of course, Bush and his buddies) and a powerless working class that are mostly slaves to recent "back to the sweatshops" labor policies and consumer debt.

The question is, can we stop them in time?