Bush denies preparing attack against Iran

[truthpusher]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1126b14a-ad6f-11db-8709-0000779e2340.html

Bush denies preparing attack against Iran
By Edward Luce in Washington

Published: January 26 2007 19:37 | Last updated: January 26 2007 19:37

George W. Bush on Friday sought to deny widespread rumours his administration was preparing some kind of military action against Iran. Mr Bush confirmed a report in Friday’s Washington Post that he had authorised US troops to shoot and kill Iranian operatives in Iraq, but denied this was a prelude to stronger action.

“We believe we can solve our problems with Iran diplomatically,” said the US president. “It makes sense that if somebody is trying to harm our troops, or stop us from achieving our goal, or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, that we will stop them.”

(snip)

Last week, Mr Bush ordered a second US aircraft carrier to the Gulf and the deployment of more Patriot missiles in US military bases there. Richard Haass, former head of policy planning at the State Department in the first Bush administration, said the US president was leaving both the diplomatic and military option open.

“You could interpret Bush’s recent actions towards Iran in two ways – either he is increasing pressure on the regime in order to soften it up for talks over its uranium enrichment plans, or this is classic gunboat diplomacy in which the US is preparing for some kind of punitive action,” said Mr Haass. “My guess is that Mr Bush’s actions leave room for either scenario and the Bush administration remains divided over which to pursue.”



link: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1126b14a-ad6f-11db-8709-0000779e2340.html

[jpak]

1. This is the "I have no war plans on my desk" popular war president, yes????

He's a fucking liar...

[aquart]

2. Oh, damn. Georgie's gonna invade.

We're gonna get the shit kicked out of us. If only George was a real leader, instead of just a decider, then he'd be out in front.

[grytpype]

9. Yep, for sure.

He's gonna order a three week bombing campaign followed by the Marines. What's left of them.

[Turbineguy]

3. Excuse me, I missed that

was that Iraq with a Q or Iran with an N?

[Wiley50]

4. Sounds Like Time For A "Gulf Of Persia" Incident To Me

" Gee, I really didn't DECIDE to attack them
But they Attacked Us"

Right.

[MADem]

5. Naaah, he wants them to attack us. That's why he has sicced US forces

on Iranians operating over the border (and we know how iffy those borders are, eh?). He's told our personnel to attack and engage anyone they find 'over the line.' I'm guessing he's hoping that if they catch some guys, and they fight back, it could be construed as an "attack on our troops" requiring a response...

I hope he doesn't go that way. I really don't. I fear being recalled if that's the case, and I'm too old for that shit.

[PFunk]

6. Me thinks he's finially feeling the heat. Not from us mind you but...

...from the chinese,russians, and euros telling him not to they would hit us in the "pocketbook".

[AzDar]

7. My 10-year-old has been watching the CNN reports today, and said

"God, Mom, this is just what they said before they invaded IRAQ, are they gonna try this AGAIN?"

I mean, a CHILD can see what they are up to...

Unbelievable.

[hippiechick]

8. Right, because it's not really him that's doing the planning ...

... its Darth and all the profiteering flunkies.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. I would be newsworthy if * for once was telling the truth.

I'm inured to his penchant for lying pathologically.

[blues90]

11. Bush not only dropped hints in the SOTU

But reinforced this today and then allowing the troops , actually telling them to seek out Iranians as if they can spot the difference and kill them . Sounds to me bush is following cheneys plan to force this attack on Iran . As if he hasn't been for a while now .

More and more this becomes more a real thing than one we hoped would fade out .

[NastyRiffraff]

12. Here we go again...

Where have we heard this shit before? Yeah, like we believe anything the decider says. If he said the sun is going to rise in the east in the morning, I'd have to get up early to check.

[knight_of_the_star]

13. Beautiful

So our exit strategy is to exit Iraq by invading Iran then, that's going to explode in our faces.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. He's probably telling the truth

He'll attack Iran, but true to form, he won't prepare for it.

[sakabatou]

15. Just like Iraq, huh?

[Matilda]

16. Of course he's lying.

But does he need Congress to approve finance for an invasion of Iran?

[fNord]

17. READ MY LIPS:

:nuke:NO NEW ATTACKS!!!:nuke:

[Jersey Ginny]

18. It's true, he's not preparing plans, they were prepared years ago

No more preparing. He's ready to attack.

[Frank Cannon]

19. Ah, jeez

[PATRICK]

20. "widespread rumors????"

he should be called down by the whole press corps for that one.

Long term open plans.
ADDITION of weak WMD claims
Pursuing actions without the world
Aligning assets all around the Gulf
USING assets against Iranians
Deploying of agents within Iran.
Undinting threats and saber rattling.
Slavishly following the patterns of the Iraq invasion with totally transparent disingenous lack of effort to conceal
The implacable rationale of the ME strategy
The expectations of everyone in the ME

Even IF Bush had changed his mind if not the course of mobilization of a strike force, he must offer clearer signs to the people with most cause to see and believe the inevitable- other than sending another carrier strike force toward Iran, on propitious schedule.

Call the lying bastard on it. he is no president and never has been except for mammoth failures below him emptying their souls to become courtiers to war criminals.

[Fovea]

21. I have heard this song before.

Will he laugh when the Iranians desperately try to get him to the table?

Will he set them the same impossible conditions, and kick aside the UN like the last time?

Will our government stand by and let him?
I am not sure the people will.

[Vidar]

22. Diplomacy without talking--what a concept!