Also see:Don't let Bush Trick Us into ANOTHER War. "There are experts that are indeed worried that the same playbook that was used to bring this country into the Iraq war is now being used toward Iran. The Administration is pushing suspect intelligence." - Rep. Maxine Waters Also see: Why Fallon's Resignation is Frightening
"I am pleased that we have taken time from our schedules to come to the floor tonight to sound the alarm. The saber rattling is going on by this administration. The remarks that we're hearing day in and day out are more accusatory toward Iran.
... we all know that U.S. strikes against Iran would be disastrous.
Middle East experts generally agree that Iran would respond to a U.S. strike by attacking U.S. and Israeli interests throughout the region and possibly globally. These strikes would lead to a greater Middle East war, including greater loss of life, financial burden, over stretch of our military and worse.
We're sounding the alarm this evening and we are sending a message to the President of the United States of America and to the Vice President, particularly now to the Vice President, who, when he was reminded by an ABC News reporter that the recent polls show that two-thirds of Americans say the fight in Iraq is not worth it, his response was, "and so?" Well, Mr. Vice President, our "and so" to you tonight is, and so the American people do not want us to continue this war in Iraq and to air strike in Iran. We're sounding the alarm.
We are made to believe that we are somehow being placed at a great threat by Iran.
And so we know where this is going. We know what this means, and we're saying, we must not rule out diplomacy. ...
We know that we've still got work to do on Iraq. We've still got to make many Members of this House feel comfortable with the idea that they can confront their President, that they can still be very, very patriotic as they stand up against war ...
We know that the work has to be done, but we've got to add to that work the fact that we can stop an airstrike on Iran and we can stop the notion that somehow we must send more soldiers in." - Rep. Maxine Waters April 15, 2008
Also see: Don't let Bush Trick Us into ANOTHER War. "There are experts that are indeed worried that the same playbook that was used to bring this country into the Iraq war is now being used toward Iran. The Administration is pushing suspect intelligence." - Rep. Maxine Waters Also see: Why Fallon's Resignation is Frightening
Why Fallon's Resignation is Frightening See Video: Defense Secretary Robert Gates did not have to accept Admiral Fallon's resignation. "The military people think basically that Admiral Fallon was PUSHED OUT" - Mark Thompson Time Magazine National Security Correspondent Fallon is described as "the one person in the military or Pentagon standing between the White House and war with Iran." See new video:NBC Makes Mockery of US Constitution & Rule of Law
Tell Your Senators NOW To Oppose Kyl-Lieberman Amendment on Iran! "The Kyl-Lieberman amendment, if passed, would put the Senate on the record supporting the "use of all instruments of United States national power in Iraq," including military force, to "combat, contain, and roll back" Iran's influence in Iraq."
Several bloggers and pundits have been pushing a lie that President Ahmadinejad of Iran is a "dictator." That is a lie. He is not a dictator, he was elected in 2005 and there will be another election in 2009. Last year, Ewen MacAskill and Simon Tisdall in Tehran reported in The Guardian that "Ahmadinejad was the clear favourite to win a second term in 2009" That is from a June 21, 2006 article called "A year on, Ahmadinejad's popularity is soaring"
Someone sent me an email today (see full text below) Here is my response:
You wrote, "I am going to have to take exception to your premise that Bush lied about the motive behind the 9/11 attack. During his first round of presidential debates , he clearly stated on national television , "Make no mistake , Israel is our friend."
Now what does that have to do with being dishonest about the motives for the 9/11 attacks? President Bush didn't say "Make no mistake, we are being targeted by terrorists because of our support for Israel." He went before the American people and had the audacity to lie about why we were attacked. Bush claimed, "America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world." You should take note of the fact that Michael Scheuer, the former Chief of the CIA's Bin Laden Unit, says Bush is simply lying: The politicians really are at great fault for not squaring with the American people. We're being attacked for what we do in the Islamic world, not for who we are or what we believe in or how we live. And there's a huge burden of guilt to be laid at Mr. Bush, Mr. Clinton, both parties for simply lying to the American people." - Michael Scheuer, Former CIA Bin Laden Unit Chief
Your e-mail indicates to me that you are in deep denial. You simply don't like it being proven that President Bush is a liar. President Bush played the same game that 9/11 Commissioners played, they "rejected mentioning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the report." Why? Because "In their view, listing U.S. support for Israel as a root cause of al Qaeda's opposition to the United States indicated that the United States should reassess that policy." So their priority, and President Bush's priority, was keeping the policy of US support of Israel from being reassessed rather than give a full and honest account of why it is that terrorists attacked the United States.Dishonesty about 9/11 motives robs Americans of the freedom to decide for ourselves if we want to put our lives at risk over specific foreign policies.
This is such a shameful violation of the American people. And this isn't the only life and death issue that Bush lies about. Bush lied or is insane or is so ignorant and incompetent that it isn't funny at all. Anyway you slice it, he is not fit to be commander in Chief. Bush thinks Saddam didn't let the inspectors in and that is why we attacked him! He has said it at least 3 times now and the media keeps letting him get away with it!
Do you realize how vile it is that Bush lies about why he attacked Iraq? So much for your "president who means what he says." You have to make an effort to stop living in denial. The stakes are too high. President Bush is telling flat out lies about Iran. Bush lied when he claimed that the President of Iran "threatened countries with nuclear weapons." Bush lied when he claimed that the President of Iran had said he "wants a nuclear weapon."
This is a gravely serious mater. We have seen the track record, Bush lies in order to justify starting wars. How about making an effort to protect our country instead of living in a dream world which places us at grave risk?
-Tom
( I didn't even get around to responding to her petty comment about the price of the T-Shirts. The emailer doesn't like the message so she claims the shirts are "overpriced." I marked the price up by 50 cents, hardly an extreme profit margin. For example, the base price, the money which goes to Cafepress, is $8.99 and I add a measly 50 cents to that:
I am going to have to take exception to your premise that Bush lied about the motive behind the 9/11 attack. During his first round of presidential debates , he clearly stated on national television , "Make no mistake , Israel is our friend." GWB has never once retracted that statement. Perhaps Americans as a whole have become accustomed to politicians who say one thing , and do something different. Let me remind you that Osama Bin Ladin very clearly stated the attacks against the West were because of their support of Israel and Middle East policies which favor Israel. I can not understand why such a large number of Americans do not understand a president who means what he says. The hatred of the West for supporting Israel has been growing since the Carter administration. Are ye daft? Or just trying to sell overpriced Tshirts?
President Bush Pushes War Propaganda Tricking People Into Supporting An Attack On Iran
President Bush illegally attacked Iraq and his actions have put the United States at greater risk of terrorism. Please see this link and the links in the post: The Bush Administration is committing fraud again in order to sell another war to the American people. In particular take note of the link that shows that Bush was not telling the truth when he made claims that the intelligence was saying Saddam has weapons of mass destruction and his lie about Saddam and al-Qaeda. "On the issue of the Saddam regime's relations with terrorist groups, the intelligence community, in the assessments it produced on that subject, never judged that there was anything close to an alliance with al-Qaeda."
And now we have to worry this lunatic is going to attack Iran or will give a wink to Israel to attack Iran. In a recent article, Jonathan Cook, points out that Bush is telling a falsehood which serves a propaganda effort to push another war agenda, it is a lie which is told to sell the public on the outrageous idea of attacking Iran: "What is the basis for Israel’s dire forecasts -- the ideological scaffolding being erected, presumably, to justify an attack on Iran? Helpfully, as George Bush defended his Iraq policies last month, he reminded us yet again of the menace Iran supposedly poses: it is “threatening to wipe Israel off the map”.
This myth has been endlessly recycled since a translating error was made of a speech Ahmadinejad delivered nearly two years ago. Farsi experts have verified that the Iranian president, far from threatening to destroy Israel, was quoting from an earlier speech by the late Ayatollah Khomeini in which he reassured supporters of the Palestinians that “the Zionist regime in Jerusalem” would “vanish from the page of time”.
He was not threatening to exterminate Jews or even Israel. He was comparing Israel’s occupation of the Palestinians with other illegitimate systems of rule whose time had passed, including the Shahs who once ruled Iran, apartheid South Africa and the Soviet empire. Nonetheless, this erroneous translation has survived and prospered because Israel and her supporters have exploited it for their own crude propaganda purposes." - Israel’s Jewish problem in Tehran - So why hasn’t Iran started by wiping its own Jews off the map? by Jonathan Cook
Bush is obviously trying to justify starting yet another war(for the public or even in his own mind, perhaps truth means nothing to him) . See this link: Bush is Ignorant and Extremely Dangerous (either way, either he knows he is telling falsehoods or he is ignorant, either way, the man is not fit to be commander in chief and he must be immediately stripped of the powers he has abused.) He must be stopped, we must demand that our representatives impeach him and remove him from office immediately. This is too dangerous a situation to allow to continue:
Bush is Ignorant and Extremely Dangerous Stop the 'War President' before he starts WWIII.
PELLEY: What would you say right now in this interview to the Iranian president about the meddling in Iraq?
BUSH: I'd say, first of all, to him, "You've made terrible choices for your people. You've isolated your nation. You've taken a nation of proud and honorable people, and you've made your country the pariah of the world. You've threatened countries with nuclear weapons. You've said you want a nuclear weapon. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/14/60minutes/main2359119_page5.shtml
Ahmadinejad wrote in his letter to Bush, "are we to understand that allowing the original inhabitants of these lands - inside and outside Palestine - whether they are Christian, Muslim or Jew, to determine their fate, runs contrary to principles of democracy, human rights and the teachings of prophets?" THE MEDIA DIDN'T REPORT THAT PART OF HIS LETTER!
"They're certainly issuing threats very publicly and openly. Not only the words but even the actions. So, for example, the last couple of years, the United States has provided to Israel over a hundred advanced jet bombers openly advertised as capable of bombing Iran and returning. I don't think a word about that has been published in the United States but it's public information. You can read it in the Israeli press, you can read it in military journals. Certainly Iranian intelligence knows it.
Furthermore, deploying major naval forces in the Gulf, right off shore from Iran, is an obvious threat. I mean, if Iran was deploying major naval forces in the English Channel or the Caribbean, you can bet that the United States and London would be pretty upset about it. In fact, they'd go to war.
Capturing Iranian officials in northern Iraq, that's provocation. The United States is almost certainly - we, you know, can't prove it but the evidence is pretty strong - is supporting secessionist groups - terrorist groups in fact, in Iran. Recently, there was an attack from Baluchi based, Pakistani based terrorists, other groups are being supported. You know, all that is very provocative. That's all over and above the overt threat. The overt threats to Iran are a crime. They're a major violation of the United Nations Charter which outlaws the threat or use of force in international affairs. Threat of force is a violation of the Charter, it's a violation of law. In outlaw states, like the United States and Britain where law doesn't matter much, there's very little comment on that. But definitely the threats are there and all of this could lead to just an accidental war." - Noam ChomskyNOTE: This is an edited version of what Chomsky said excerpted from a video recorded 6/5/07. See this link for the aprox. 10 min. long video source: Noam Chomsky - Q&A @ Sussex University (2a)
Below are some examples of background info:
"Experts say the ultra-sophisticated development of the battle-tested F16 Fighting Falcon, to be named Sufa (Storm in Hebrew), sports a much-increased range of 1,500 kilometres (around 930 miles) without needing in-flight refuelling, allowing them to reach anywhere in the Middle East.
Media reports said this new capability could allow the Israeli Air Force (IAF) to hit suspected nuclear targets in Iran, as it did in Iraq in June 1981 when it bombed the Osirak reactor near Baghdad.
Built by US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin
The procurement of 102 of the two-seater jets at an estimated cost of 4.5 billion dollars is the biggest defense deal in Israel's history.
For its part, Lockheed Martin is committed to 2.6 billion dollars worth of reciprocal procurements, of which 1.1 billion has already been made.
Funding for the contract comes from US military aid to Israel which totals around two billion dollars per year.
Israel placed its first order for 50 aircraft in 1999, with a second order made in 2001. Delivery is slated for completion by 2009.
"The Israel Air Force has significantly upgraded the level of its cooperation with the United States Air Force and now receives regular updates on American procurement decisions, The Jerusalem Post has learned. ... We are interested in many of the same platforms and systems, and the Americans look at us as a small-scale laboratory of themselves," a high-ranking IAF officer told the Post. "Now every time the USAF signs a contract and purchases something new, they will update us." - IAF, USAF greatly upgrade cooperation By YAAKOV KATZ, The Jerusalem Post
"The Hebrew daily Maariv is reporting thatIsrael is preparing to attack Iran's nuclear weapons sites in cooperation with the United States.The paper reports that the Israel Air Force has been training on long-range flights, including refueling in mid-flight. The training has apparently been going on for some time, but it was only released for publication today." - Israel preparing to strike Iran, Maariv, June 22, 2007
Here is what the blog called "theblotter" at abcnews.com was willing to report about the U.S. support of terrorists based in the Baluchistan province in Pakistan who attack inside Iran:
"A Pakistani tribal militant group [ABC doesn't use the word terrorist, is this because the U.S. is supporting them?] responsible for a series of deadly guerrilla raids inside Iranhas been secretly encouraged and advised by American officials since 2005, U.S. and Pakistani intelligence sources tell ABC News.
The group, called Jundullah, is made up of members of the Baluchi tribe and operates out of the Baluchistan province in Pakistan, just across the border from Iran.
It has taken responsibility for the deaths and kidnappings of more than a dozen Iranian soldiers and officials.
"The results of an attack on Iran could be horrendous. After all, according to a recent study of "the Iraq effect" by terrorism specialists Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank, using government and Rand Corporation data, the Iraq invasion has already led to a seven-fold increase in terror. The "Iran effect" would probably be far more severe and long-lasting. British military historian Corelli Barnett speaks for many when he warns that "an attack on Iran would effectively launch World War III." - Noam Chomsky SEE VIDEO: Why Fallon's Resignation is Frightening See Video: Also see: A Warmongering War President Catapulting the Propaganda and God Help Us All If We Don't Impeach Him Fast
Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul are the only two in the U.S. House of Representatives who voted against the horrible war propaganda resolution, H CON RES 21.
"I object to resolutions that lay the groundwork for an offensive, unprovoked war. The resolution passed by the House today sets a dangerous precedent in foreign affairs. A mistranslation could become a cause of war. The United States House may unwittingly be setting the stage for a war with Iran." - Dennis Kucinich (D)
"I rise in strong opposition to this resolution. This resolution is an exercise in propaganda that serves one purpose: to move us closer to initiating a war against Iran." - Ron Paul (R)
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