ABC: Bush Says Invading Iran 'Not the Plan'

[sabra]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=2835270&page=1

EXCLUSIVE: Bush Says Invading Iran 'Not the Plan'
President Talks With ABC News About Strong Economy, Iraq War and Global Warming
Bush

Jan. 30, 2007 — President Bush believes he might have been misunderstood when he started speaking about the need to go after Iran for its involvement in aiding the insurgency in Iraq.

...

"Nobody's talking about that," he told ABC News' Betsy Stark. "To say that defending ourselves in Iraq … has some greater goal is just simply not the case."

...

Rather, Bush is going after those who may try to harm U.S. troops. "We'll deal with it by finding their supply chains and their agents and … arresting them, getting them out of harm's way. In other words, we're going to protect our troops," Bush said. "It's not tough talk to say that the commander in chief expects our troops to be protected."

And he hopes he can use diplomacy to convince the Iranians to "get rid of their nuclear weapons ambitions."

"And the best way to do so is to continue rallying other nations to join us and expressing ourselves very clear to the Iranians that 'You will be isolated, that you won't be able to achieve your greatness, that you'll hurt your people economically if you continue to insist upon a nuclear weapon,'" he said.

[spinbaby]

1. We don't have the manpower to invade

Bombing them is the plan.

[theHandpuppet]

3. Just what I was thinking too, spinbaby

And the MSM is being fully compliant in ratcheting up the "Terra! Iran!" propaganda machine. It's pathetic.

[twilight_sailing]

7. What do we do when they counter attack?

Then we will need the manpower we do not have. Hence, my guess is that we will not attack Iran.

[spinbaby]

9. They can't plan that far ahead

Remember--they had no plan for what they were going to do in Iraq after the invasion.

[twilight_sailing]

10. Good point but not convincing

[atreides1]

18. You Trust Bush that Much????

If the administration was being led by someone who was reasonable, I would concede your point!

But this administration has failed to show that they even comprehend what the word reasonable means, do you truly believe that just because they don't have the number of troops that would be required
to fight a war with Iran, that they won't attack?

[twilight_sailing]

19. Nope.

I don't trust Bush. But do think that the Pentagon will tell Bush that he can't have his war. We just can't do it no matter how much Bush might want it.

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. Ah, but remember, we dropped two bombs on Japan while they

were still fighting, and still had millions of men under arms, and they surrendered in a week.

Therefore, obviously, all you have to do to get someone to surrender is drop two bombs on them.

right?

[AndyTiedye]

28. That Will Be The Excuse They Are Looking For To Start Up The Draft

[dysfunctional press]

40. there's not going to be a draft.

training soldiers these days is so costly and time-consuming, that they're looking for people who are there by choice, and aren't just going to leave in 2-4 years.

[spotbird]

16. Shock and Awe

I'm serious, they plan to bomb them to liberate the people, who won't fight back.

It worked so well last time.

[MUAD_DIB]

2. Sounds all too familiar. We also don't have the troops so he

could just order bombing raids on Iran and still not be lying.

It's all in the wording.

[calimary]

39. Yep. I see the questioning stopped with the verb "invade." I wonder

if anybody tried substituting other verbs in there and asking bush - "okay, if you don't plan an invasion, are you going to order bombings? Considering tactical nukes perhaps? If you're not going for invasion - does that mean no military personnel or the black ops and mercenaries as well?

You have to think seriously about all the little word-gymnastics and other little weasely ways he's undoubtedly looking at, to get around this. That is his pattern. That is his WELL-established modus operendi. Anyone who takes what he says at sheer face value and doesn't try to analyze it and double-think it is just asking for it. And also - were both his hands visible at the time he made these remarks? Or did he perhaps have fingers crossed behind his back?

I swear, I wouldn't trust ANYTHING he says - any farther than I could throw a jumbo jet.

[The Count]

4. Not "THE" plan, "A" plan. Along with nuking, shock and awing etc

[Merrill]

5. Meanwhile

meanwhile:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldbriefing/story/0,,2002232,00.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070130/ap_on_go_co/us_iran

[Toucano]

6. Why invade when you've got BOMBS? n/t

[NMDemDist2]

8. now where have I heard this before??... hmmmm

:think:

oh yeah! from May 2002

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/05/23/gen.war.on.terror/

Bush: 'No war plans on my desk' for Iraq
May 23, 2002 Posted: 12:58 PM EDT (1658 GMT)


President Bush attempted to reassure critics of the war on terror at a joint news conference Thursday with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin.


BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- President Bush reiterated Thursday that Iraq remains a significant threat, but he stopped short of saying the United States will go to war with the Middle Eastern country.

"I have no war plans on my desk," Bush said at a Berlin news conference during the first stop of his European tour. "We've got to use all means at our disposal to deal with Saddam Hussein."

His statement was in answer to a question about U.S. plans regarding Iraq and heightened concerns voiced throughout the world about the war on terror.

[Tin Man]

12. Ding! I'm thinking the same thing - "No war plans on my desk"

...they're in the drawer.

What a fucking liar.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. I've been quite alarmed over the similarities of comments made

about Iraq before the invasion and comments about Iran now. It's almost like they've been recycled.

[sandnsea]

17. And even in fall 2002

Maybe people will start remembering what actually happened. He said the same thing at the time of the vote, when we now know was a bold-faced lie because of the war plans discussed in the DSM. At the time of the IWR, he was constantly saying he had no intention to go to war.


Sept 19, 2002

"I am sending suggested language for a resolution. I want -- I've asked for Congress' support to enable the administration to keep the peace...If you want to keep the peace, you've got to have the authorization to use force. But it's -- this will be -- this is a chance for Congress to indicate support. It's a chance for Congress to say, we support the administration's ability to keep the peace. That's what this is all about."

Sept 23, 2002

"I believe we can achieve peace. Oh, I know the kids hear all the war rhetoric and tough talk, and that's necessary to send a message."

Sept 27, 2002

"I'm willing to give peace a chance to work... People who are willing to work with us to send a clear message to the world, a unified message, a strong resolution which defines our vision for peace... I want you to know that behind the rhetoric of war is a deep desire for peace."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/11/11/21327/054

[underpants]

11. Wow they really don't tell you anything in that bubble huh?

we are "defending ourselves" in Iraq now?

Sounds like a not so good situation. Surely something more chiefs can help with.

[peace13]

13. Ut- Oh..in the *ush world of opposites we are screwed! n/t

[Eugene]

14. Regime change is the plan, invasion is an option.

Under the rosy scenario, the Iranian regime can be toppled
by crippling trade sanctions and air strikes as necessary.
The Iranian people will rise up against their regime and
returning exiles (and the CIA) will be on hand to guide
things along.

Of course, all of that is kids' stuff compared to the
horrors Saddam inflicted on Iran during the 1980's.

[SOS]

21. Key word: invade

No, they plan airstrikes provoking a regional war.
It looks like President Cheney is modeling his Mideast policy on the "divide and conquer" concept that worked so well for the British from 1692 to 1956.

[Kagemusha]

22. You mean aside from that little rebellion in the American colonies?

Just a little footnote to history, that.

[SOS]

27. Yes

How is the divide and conquer method employed by the British empire in India, Ireland, the Middle East and Africa even remotely comparable to the American Revolution?
The American rebels were British colonists who wanted independence.
The position of King Faisal in 1920 Baghdad can't be compared to George Washington.

[tabasco]

23. Riiiight. That's why the Giant Wurlitzer is cranking out "Iran Did It" on a constant basis.

They are lying us into war just like in Iraq!

Just how stupid are the American people?

How many of them can you fool all the time?

[Supersedeas]

24. Air strikes do not an invasion make

[GeorgeGist]

25. To say that we are defending ourselves in Iraq …

is complete and utter BS.

[LordshipLadyship]

26. EXCLUSIVE: Bush Says Invading Iran 'Not the Plan'

In other news, Bush says birds don't fly. Fish don't swim. Cheney's health situation is exaggerated. DU is actually a Bush supporters forum. Fitz is not a lawyer. The aspens aren't turning. Alaska is not cold. The American people love me..heh heh heh. War killing men and women? Nah, only flesh wounds.


Edwards' house is not big. (actually that isn't even his house, that's his dog's house, the actual house John lives in is bigger. )

Nothing to see here, people, move along.

[killbotfactory]

29. Right, we're just going to bomb the bejesus out of them.

[dysfunctional press]

38. if we bomb iran...

a million or more iranian REAL soldiers will attack our troops in iraq, and the persian gulf will be awash in sunburn missiles.

* had better think twice before he taunts iran to "bring it on"...because they can, and they WILL.

[SunDrop23]

30. He may as well have said "Pigs can fly"...the man is a LIAR.

FUGWB

[kohodog]

31. It's not the plan, it's the AGENDA

What do you think the definition of "diplomacy" is in Bushworld?

[rocktivity]

32. ROCKNATION: Bush Saying That Invading Iran 'Not the Plan'

Confirms That It DEFINITELY IS 'The Plan'

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[Megahurtz]

33. Only Twisted Words.

Didn't say you wouldn't bomb them, did you?

[EndElectoral]

34. What the hell is his plan? We've been waiting four years for one.

[bdamomma]

37. just like when * says we have to finish the mission in Iraq,

what is the fucking mission huh? we have a warped man who is creating his own crusade, this man thinks only ideologically.

[ohio2007]

35. The plan?

maybe the plan will be to haul away some of those leased oil platforms the Iranians use to extract whats under the sea?
It's been done in the recent past by a private oil company for Iran stiffing them on rental fees.
Other than that, attacking Iran's vital interests elsewhere in the middle east is most likely "in the plans".
The MSM has been crying wolf for two years on an invasion of Iran. They will continue to cry wolf for two more years.

[bdamomma]

36. do not fool us again you dimwit.

he has such a low opinion of Americans and of people in general.