Independent: Bush's tough tactics are a 'declaration of war' on Iran

[laststeamtrain]

Bush's tough tactics are a 'declaration of war' on Iran
By Anne Penketh, Diplomatic Editor
Published: 12 January 2007

American forces stormed Iranian government offices in northern Iraq, hours after President George Bush issued a warning to Tehran that was described as a "declaration of war".

The soldiers detained six people, including diplomats, according to the Iranians, and seized documents and computers in the pre-dawn raid which was condemned by Iran. A leading UK-based Iran specialist, Ali Ansari, said the incident was an "extreme provocation". Dr Ansari said that Mr Bush's speech on future Iraq strategy amounted to "a declaration of war" on Iran.

"The risk is a wider war. Because of the underlying tensions, we are transferring from a 'cold war' into a 'hot war'," he said.

In his speech, the President accused Iran and Syria of providing material support for attacks on US troops, and vowed to stop the "flow of support" from across the border. "We will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq," he said.

Dr Ansari argued that the Bush administration had decided to confront Iran at a time when public opinion has been focused on the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. "There's been a shift of emphasis without anyone noticing," he said.

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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2145136.ece

[Briar]

1. Detain is a compromised word

"kidnap" would be more accurate. These aren't the first Iranian diplomats to be so abused by the US either. "Blame Iran" seems to be the presidential strategy - its possible consequences in the real world are terrible to contemplate.

[ClintonTyree]

2. Bush is going to keep pushing and poking....

Iran with a stick until he provokes them into some sort of retaliation thus giving him what he thinks is just cause to bomb the crap out of Iran's nuclear facilities. He is escalating the "war on 'terra" to include several more fronts on which we'll have to fight giving no thought whatsoever to the consequences of those actions.

I disagree with Dr. Ansari about his statement, "There's been a shift of emphasis without anyone noticing". We're ALL noticing, and we don't like what we see. Bush has to go, and soon. His megalomaniacal vision of the world is inching us ever closer to a conflict that could never result in the "victory" he so desperately wants. Discretion is the better part of valor and Bush has no discretion whatsoever. His tough guy cowboy attitude is getting out country deeper and deeper into a hole from which there is no egress.

It's time to start talking impeachment in earnest and in a hurry.