Join Hands and Bomb Iran
06 July 2007 8:55 am by Taylor Marsh
Join Hands and Bomb Iran updated below
Mr. Lieberman needs to decide quickly what is in the best interests of the
United States. It’s clear he isn’t sure right now. Writing an op-ed in the Wall
Street Journal pontificating that Democrats intend to be pushed out
of Afghanistan or walk away from our role in the Middle East is the most egregious
of lies. On the contrary, what Democrats pushing for a change in Iraq want is
it to withdraw from the civil war and refocus our efforts on Afghanistan, as
well as the ever expanding Palestinian – Hamas – Israeli conflict, which has
been ignored to the point of abdication since George W. Bush took office. Democrats
want to redouble our counterterrorism efforts beyond Iraq, to include what’s
happening between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban are reasserting
themselves. Lieberman and his ilk, including the number one bomb Iran Bushie
Dick Cheney, want to spread our forces out even further to engage and militarily
target Iran. It is only the latest example of the lengths neoconservatives will
go to in order to put a wider war to change the Middle East in front of our
own national security.
I hope the new revelations about Iran’s behavior will also temper the enthusiasm
of some of those in Congress who are advocating the immediate withdrawal of
U.S. forces from Iraq. Iran’s purpose in sponsoring attacks on American soldiers,
after all, is clear: It hopes to push the U.S. out of Iraq and Afghanistan,
so that its proxies can then dominate these states. Tehran knows that an American
retreat under fire would send an unmistakable message throughout the region
that Iran is on the rise and America is on the run. That would be a disaster
for the region and the U.S.The threat posed by Iran to our soldiers’ lives, our security as a nation
and our allies in the Middle East is a truth that cannot be wished or waved
away. It must be confronted head-on. The regime in Iran is betting that our
political disunity in Washington will constrain us in responding to its attacks.
For the sake of our nation’s security, we must unite and prove them wrong.Iran’s
Proxy War
Tehran is on the offensive against us throughout the Middle East. Will Congress
respond?
It seems The Question is being asked again, though never outright. It hovers over any conversation about Iran and short circuits our rational thinking every time.
Iran does not pose any threat to “our security as a nation.”
No doubt, there are elements within the Iranian regime who are hell bent on
taking advantage of the incredibly stupid and incompetent way in which the Bush-Cheney
administration has handled Iraq and the foreign policy of this nation. But how
is further stretching our military, not to mention our treasury, towards a fight
with Iran going to help? How is this going to help us fight radical jihadism
worldwide when we so desperately need allies to solve the challenges raging in Iraq? America is at
an all time low in the world’s eyes. How does targeting Iran help?
The picture that emerges here is conclusively clear. In virtually every area
of the world — Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia —
overwhelming majorities of people viewed the U.S. favorably prior to the Bush
presidency. But in virtually every single country in each of those regions,
the percentage which now views the U.S. favorably has collapsed, and is now
confined only to minorities, often tiny minorities.The precipitous drop in U.S. credibility — from levels of great respect
to levels of widespread contempt — is as stark among America’s traditional
allies as it is in less friendly regions. Contrary to claims found among both
America’s right and some on Europe’s left, the U.S. enjoyed great moral credibility
among its Western European allies prior to the Bush presidency… ..The
tragic collapse of America’s standing in the world, by Glenn Greenwald
When talking about “our allies in the Middle East,” we all know Joe
is talking about Israel. But he needs to understand that moderate Arabs are
our allies too. These same moderates are Israel’s only hope. What is Mr. Lieberman
thinking?
There is no hope of uniting the Congress right now, especially after all the
betrayals of Messrs. Bush and Cheney. A more muscular diplomacy must begin and it couldn’t be soon enough. If that’s what Mr. Lieberman is referring to, I’m all in, but we all know it is not.
To add ignorance on top of a tremendously bad idea, to take on Iran because
of their alleged involvement in Iraq is to ignore the reality between these
two countries over decades of strife. Since the Iran – Iraq war and Saddam’s
murderous reign, Iraqis have been going in and out of Iran for a very long time.
There is not a solid divide between these countries. Things are not so simple
as Joe Lieberman asserts. If it reminds you of the easy rhetoric spewing out
of the mouths of those pro Iraq war neocons there’s a good reason. What he’s
suggesting his incredibly dangerous, even foolhardy and most assuredly short-sided.
It is simply bad policy.
How will actionable aggression against Iran, starting next week if Joe has
his way, help us in Iraq? There is still so much left to be done and further
alienating ourselves from countries and leaders who must play a part in helping
Iraq able to govern itself, whether we like it or not, is too dangerous
to blithely suggest on some right-wing op-ed page.
Joe Lieberman is wrong again. That he wants to follow Dick Cheney,
Bill Kristol and other neocons back into the abyss one more time is as frightening
as it is against America’s best interest. But that doesn’t mean these short sided men won’t try to get
the job done. Wingnut radio and the likes of Sean Hannity are always eager to
wage another war, no matter the consequences for our own country, which seems
to be taken into account as an afterthought every time. If there’s an election coming up, for Republicans, it must be bombs away.
UPDATE: Spencer Ackerman is reporting a “New Iran Regime-Change Think Tank Opens in DC.” Isn’t this all very convenient? Trouble ahead.
