Washington Note: "Did the President Declare 'Secret War' Against Syria and Iran?"

[Hissyspit]

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001869.php

Did the President Declare "Secret War" Against Syria and Iran?

January 11, 2007

Washington intelligence, military and foreign policy circles are abuzz today with speculation that the President, yesterday or in recent days, sent a secret Executive Order to the Secretary of Defense and to the Director of the CIA to launch military operations against Syria and Iran.

The President may have started a new secret, informal war against Syria and Iran without the consent of Congress or any broad discussion with the country.

- snip -

Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity and stabilizing the region in the face of extremist challenges. This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops. We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We'll interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.

- snip -

Adding fuel to the speculation is that U.S. forces today raided an Iranian Consulate in Arbil, Iraq and detained five Iranian staff members. Given that Iran showed little deference to the political sanctity of the US Embassy in Tehran 29 years ago, it would be ironic for Iran to hyperventilate much about the raid.

- snip -

Bush may really have pushed the escalation pedal more than any of us realize.

-- Steve Clemons

UPDATE: This exchange today in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee between Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden and Senator Chuck Hagel with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is full of non-denial denials and evasive answers to Biden's query about the President's ability to authorize military operations against forces within Iran and Syria:

MORE AT LINK

[Imagevision]

1. Bush placed a carrier group in the middle east and ships from Norfolk and San Diego

left for the middle east 10 days ago.

Note: these ships are not there for Iraq!!!

[originalpckelly]

2. Oh my GOD!

:scared:

This is not good, not one bit at all. I guess the only thing which protects us from Iran going ape shit, is the fact that they have done that to one of our embassies.

[EFerrari]

3. We already know they will do anything. n/t

[ContraCommando]

4. Here’s how the freeps responded to that article.

Freeptard fascists want war with Iran

Did the President Declare "Secret War" Against Syria and Iran?

I say yes.

I say we have easy plausible deniability. How many bad news Baathists would love to get out of prison free and spend some time disrupting civil affairs in Iranian communities.

You could probably do the same thing with some Shiites for Syria.

I hope this is true.
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This writer doesn't like the idea. I like it.
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Works for me. Insert sniper teams, and aim for the generals.
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I hope so, now let's let the secret out in the form of an all out bombing raid or targeted nukes.
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OK Mr. President. Start sinking the Iranian Navy. make their ships slip into the deep in the dark of night. I'd say sink the Syrian Navy too, but I'm not sure they have one.
I'll have more advice later on. Ta Ta.
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IIRC Congress did not put a location restriction on his authorization to take out the terrorists.
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I SURE HOPE SO!
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As an avid Middle East watcher, I've been keeping my eye on something for awhile now. I'm waiting for a transition from Iraq to Iran...an excuse to attack Iran.

Yesterday I noticed that the president is shifting focus to Iran. Look for more signs. I believe that we will be poking at Iran to provoke them, but I don't see that happening for about six months or more. Ultimately it will look like we had no choice but to respond.
The president cannot declare war against Iran, and he has no public support to do so. However, if we escalate a situation to war, then the country has no choice.
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We can only hope.
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I hope so.

The road to victory in Iraq runs through Tehran and Damascus
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Me: I sure hope that when the fighting starts, Bush drafts these turds first - seeing as though they want this war so much.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1766270/posts

[izzie]

5. Bush has his own arny I think. He does as he likes with it.

Only Congress can do something but I am still not sure they will. We are in a place that our 'founders' did not want. A one man rule of going to war.. That is why Congress has the power to pull the cash and it is time they did it. People seem to for get it took two men who wanted us into WW1 and WW2 years to talk this country into going to those wars.

[AndyTiedye]

6. Nothing Will Stop Bush** Except Impeachment