Kucinich Demands Answers From Administration About US Troops In Iran

[bigtree]

Sends Letter To The President (http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0414-06.htm):

Dear President Bush:

Recently, it has been reported that U.S. troops are conducting military operations in Iran. If true, it appears that you have already made the decision to commit U.S. military forces to a unilateral conflict with Iran, even before direct or indirect negotiations with the government of Iran had been attempted, without UN support and without authorization from the U.S. Congress.

The presence of U.S. troops in Iran constitutes a hostile act against that country. At a time when diplomacy is urgently needed, it escalates an international crisis. It undermines any attempt to negotiate with the government of Iran. And it will undermine U.S. diplomatic efforts at the U.N.

Furthermore, it places U.S. troops occupying neighboring Iraq in greater danger. The achievement of stability and a transition to Iraqi security control will be compromised, reversing any progress that has been cited by the Administration.

It would be hard to believe that such an imprudent decision had been taken, but for the number and variety of sources confirming it. In the last week, the national media have reported that you have in fact commenced a military operation in Iran. Today, retired Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner related on CNN that the Iranian Ambassador to the IAEA, Aliasghar Soltaniyeh, reported to him that the Iranians have captured dissident forces who have confessed to working with U.S. troops in Iran. Earlier in the week, Seymour Hersh reported that a U.S. source had told him that U.S. marines were operating in the Baluchi, Azeri and Kurdish regions of Iran.

Any military deployment to Iran would constitute an urgent matter of national significance. I urge you to report immediately to Congress on all activities involving American forces in Iran. I look forward to a prompt response.

Sincerely,
Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress

he'll get right back to you congressman

[saltpoint]

1. Clear head, good heart, strong voice. Dennis Kucinich rocks. -- n/t

[CountAllVotes]

2. "he'll get right back to you congressman"

While I am sure you are right, I commend DK for doing something about this! At least he IS doing something which is more than I can say for the rest of the members of the House & Senate.

:loveya: Cong. Dennis Kucinich!!

and yes, WE DEMAND ANSWERS & ANSWERS NOW!!!

We want to know :wtf: is going on!!!


:dem: :kick:

[bigtree]

23. I like Dennis

I'm glad he's still fighting for us

[MuseRider]

3. YOU GO!

Go Dennis. We know we can always count on you. If I were one to worship people this would be the guy. :yourock:

[fooj]

4. Thank you, Congressman.

Peace.

[bananas]

5. "hard to believe that such an imprudent decision had been taken"

"It would be hard to believe that such an imprudent decision had been taken, but for the number and variety of sources confirming it."

[SnowGoose]

6. And god help any US troops that get taken prisoner.

I guess there's always the chance they will be treated with the respect we *did't* accord our prisoners, but we can't expect that anymore.

Also:
"The presence of U.S. troops in Iran constitutes a hostile act against that country."

If it were the other way around we would call it an act of war.

(edited for spelling)

[longship]

7. Chimp *did* report to Congress*

*Republican Congresspersons, only.

[lovuian]

9. and Liberman the traitor!!!

this is so terrible!!!

[lovuian]

8. I LOVE DENNIS!!! He's trying to stop the madness and this

is why the generals retired they don't want to be part of WWIII and a preemptive war with Iran has started!!!

[TAPat]

10. Voted for him then & thought it was

damn near the smartest thing I'd ever done. I'd vote for him again in a flash! :)
Oh, dream on girlfriend!; Like the DNC would ever give him another chance - no matter how slight... :(

[HereSince1628]

11. So, if they told Pelosi and swore her to secrecy would she leak this one?

I think they could have told the Congressional leadership that they were up to this a year ago and no one would have said a word.

[vssmith]

12. Bush doesn't give a shit what Kucinich thinks!

He only listens to a higher authority.

[Jeanette in FL]

38. I can hear Bush now

"Fuck off Dennis Koo-che-koo, whatcha gonna do about it!"

Good for Dennis, I voted for him too, down here in the Florida primary even though a decision had already been made as to who was going to be the front runner in 2004.

*edit, had to give Dennis a Bush nickname.

[DS1]

13. Dennis is more naive than I thought

Of course we're going into Iran, or rather, we're already there.

The problem is, people aren't going do anything about it until it's too late.

[Radical Activist]

14. What has this letter got to do with naivety?

You lament that people aren't going to do anything about it, but Dennis is doing something. Bringing this to the attention of the public, asserting the power of Congressional oversight, and thus setting more precedent for impeachment if he refuses, is doing something about it.

[DS1]

15. The words "If true" lead me to believe he's naive

[Radical Activist]

17. That's a credibility issue

It would be foolish to insist its true without full proof. It makes the letter sound more reasonable. Otherwise the response would be "Kucinich doesn't have real proof! Where's his proof?!" and the remaining arguments would be ignored and compromised. The fact that he was willing to write and publicly release this letter suggests that he believes it to be true.

[DS1]

20. We all know it's bullcrap

It's time for someone to say it.

[Radical Activist]

21. Damn right. And someone just did say it.

Cool huh?

[DS1]

22. No, he said "if"

[Radical Activist]

24. I think he also

forgot to dot an i somewhere. I guess I should disregard the whole effort since he didn't use the exact wording that pleases me.

[Douglas Carpenter]

33. it would have sounded rude and improper if he had phrased it otherwise

He might be accused of being diplomatic, but not naive

[happydreams]

39. I think he's just getting it in the record. nt

[NotGivingUp]

16. Alright, Dennis! He's always on the right side of the coin.

[partylessinOhio]

18. Dennis is a wonderful congressman!

I met him many years ago when he was a mayor. I wish I was in his district!

[Pharaoh]

34. Welcome to DU partyless!

:toast:

[LiberalEsto]

19. I just wrote to my congressman, Chris Van Hollen

and asked him to join Kucinich's inquiry.

[MaggieSwanson]

25. K&R

Does anyone have Olbermann's email address?

I'd like to hear some mention of this by the media.

Dennis, :yourock: !

[nicknameless]

26. K&R

[sandyd921]

27. K & R

[lala_rawraw]

28. yep, worried about MEK and units on the ground me thinks:)

[BelgianMadCow]

29. .

MEK

[Tom Joad]

30. I suspect he is nearly alone in questioning US war plans against Iran

among Congressmembers.

[Dartagnan]

31. Why?

Why can't a Dem do something like this from the floor of the House and Senate every day? Get everything on the record! Leave a historical record of at least a sign of an opposition party!

[TheBaldyMan]

32. Kuchinich for President in '08 (or when Bush&Cheney is impeached)

K&R'd

[bloom]

35. If nothing else - it's good to have it documented and on the record

... by some congressperson.


And for all of those congresspeople with their heads in the sand (or somewhere else) - they aren't much use now - are they?

[stevedeshazer]

36. He should be President, but Secretary of Peace would be nice.

Truth-teller in Congress. What a concept!

[Justice Is Comin]

37. This will be another war crime letter

that goes unanswered.

We can frame them and put them on the walls of the new Democratic committee chairman offices after November.

[Independent_Liberal]

40. Another for the impeachment tally.

I'm updating my articles of impeachment right now.

:)