Dr. Strangelove: The Sequel

Very, very, very disturbing article in the New Yorker by veteran journalist Seymour Hersh. There ain't no funny in this one... Some excerpts:

"The Bush Administration, while publicly advocating diplomacy in order to stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon, has increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified planning for a possible major air attack. Current and former American military and intelligence officials said that Air Force planning groups are drawing up lists of targets, and teams of American combat troops have been ordered into Iran, under cover, to collect targeting data and to establish contact with anti-government ethnic-minority groups. The officials say that President Bush is determined to deny the Iranian regime the opportunity to begin a pilot program, planned for this spring, to enrich uranium."

That's right, more pre-emptive war. And that worked out so well the last time. The people planning this one aren't any more realistic than they were the last time.

"One former defense official, who still deals with sensitive issues for the Bush Administration, told me that the military planning was premised on a belief that “a sustained bombing campaign in Iran will humiliate the religious leadership and lead the public to rise up and overthrow the government.” He added, “I was shocked when I heard it, and asked myself, ‘What are they smoking?’ ”"

Wasn't that part of the rationale behind Shock and Awe? Look how well that worked. When the iraqis finally rose up, they rose up against us.

"In recent weeks, the President has quietly initiated a series of talks on plans for Iran with a few key senators and members of Congress, including at least one Democrat. A senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, who did not take part in the meetings but has discussed their content with his colleagues, told me that there had been “no formal briefings,” because “they’re reluctant to brief the minority. They’re doing the Senate, somewhat selectively.”"

In other words, they aren't approaching congress as the executive branch, but as lobbyists. Lobbyists have goals, clear cut and drawn up. These are not people seeking advice, these are people seeking allies. And 'one democrat'? Ten buck says this is the oft suggested successor to Rumsfeld - Joe Leiberman. He's a hawk, he's still supportive of the idea of pre-emptive war, and he's very anti-iran. The only good thing about Gore losing was Leiberman losing.

And here's the clincher. Just about everyone involved is hot to use bunker-busting nukes. That's right, nukes. I'm sure the muslim world won't mind us raining mass death down on ancient Persia.

I can't do the article justice here, go read it. All I can do is say, just when you think that there's a limit to crazy, someone comes along and proves you wrong.

--Wisco
(Keywords: politics, war, Iran, Israel, nuclear weapons, WMD, death, war, strife, war, war, war, sick bastards want war )