Hersh: Bush's Case For Hitting Iran Has "Shifted," Now Focused On "Surgical Strikes" To "Sell" It

Think Progress:

Seymour Hersh, The New Yorker's Pulitzer-Prize winning investigative journalist, writes in a new article entitled "Shifting Targets" that there has been "a significant increase in the tempo of attack planning" for war with Iran inside the Bush administration.

Most significantly, Hersh -- who has been warning for months that the administration is seriously plotting for war with Iran -- reports the administration has switched its rationale for war. The focus has shifted from a broad bombing attack against Iran's nuclear facilities to "surgical" strikes again Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities in Tehran and elsewhere.

On CNN's Late Edition this morning, Hersh said the administration has adopted what it views as a rationale that can win over the public and international allies, while accomplishing its key objective of initiating a military conflict.

Read the whole story: Think Progress

Comments

[BrickSykes]

My sincerest Hope is that there are a Few Good Generals and Admirals who are seriously contemplating a Coup.....

Brick

[BuyRubles]

I've set aside $5,000 in a cash account that will be dumped in oil futures and gold in the event of war.

[getoffmedz]

There is NOTHING "surgical" about a nuclear weapon of any kind.

"Surgical" equals = Iraq's WMDs, Nigerian "yellow cake" and "the insurgency is in it's final throes."

Total bullshit, folks.

[GhostofBillHicks]

I know BushCo.is"selling it",i'm only worried about the stupid fucks that are"buying" it.
This is for that demented 30% that still thinks Bush is on the level,the correct"old saying"is:FOOL ME ONCE SHAME ON YOU,FOOL ME TWICE SHAME ON ME...DUMBASS!

[dryfactoidobotanoid]

the new ad campaign to bomb Iran.

brought to you by the Kyl/Lieberman enablers like Hillary Clinton.

(must. stay. calm. renunciation. serenity. awareness.)

[PPatt]

Perhaps the Bush addministration has learned something with Iraq -- that it is much easier to trash a country than occupy it.

Congress must decide, before Bush acts, whether it is able to stop Bush, whether it will stop Bush, and how it will stop him.

[Grunty1]

Bushco hasn't learned anything like that, or they wouldn't be trying to start another oil war. They are merely trying to find some public approval so they don't destroy the Republicans in the process, which also will not stop them for long.

[bookish]

Unless the military turns their back on him I don't know how we can stop Bush.

[MonkeyBoy]

I thought the attack on Iraq was basically supposed to be a surgical strike.

A little shock and awe and the whole country would gratefully roll over and do as told to.

Sounds like this is more wishful thinking to justify more war.

[bmermaid]

Ironically, the Christian Conservative nutcases were right- the end times are near.

They worked hard for it- they bought the right boy- that Idiot GWBush, and by every crooked means, they got him into the White House, and it looks like it will be the one thing in his failure ridden pathetic life that he will manage to accomplish- getting our planet blown to bits.

If Christ really were to show up, he'd damn them all to hell.

[SirReal1]

It is a precept of the religious right that as long as you believe, really, really believe, in Christ, all is forgiven and you will be welcome in heaven no matter what you did in your life.

It has long been my precept, that if Dick Cheney is in heaven when I get to the pearly gates, I'll ask to be sent to hell.

[ronspri]

I've always thought it would be interesting to see the rapture if it should occur. The look of suprise on the face of the fundies who's feet remain firmly planted on Terra firma would be priceless.

[JFCooper]

Certainly the Bush administration's willingness to pursue military adventures against sovereign nations despite their unpopularity is as frightening as their utter lack of adherence to the Constitution which every one of them has sworn to protect.

Indeed, an attack on Iran seems insane given the stressed and stretched state of our military. I wonder if they assume something like, "Well, since we're in the neighborhood..."

Certainly an unprovoked attack on Iran will classify as grounds for some serious consideration of impeachment.

[SirReal1]

See above!

The constitution is just a "god-damned piece of paper" when you are a true believer in the "literal word of God" that is the bible.

Do you really think that a little lie about "protecting" that document matters to these nutjobs, when they have "the book" to guide them?

Serious grounds for impeachment?

Surely you can't be serious. If the Democratic representatives were to attempt impeachment it might impact their ability to "win the white house" in '08, or some such inane rationale.

I'm sick of the lot of 'em!

We need a viable third party in this country so we can throw the entire "beltway gang" out (Dems, Repubs, and the "independent" Lieberman). The "politics" of D.C. have completely obfuscated both parties vision, and can do nothing good for the average American.

[BrickSykes]

Oh! By all means, let's do just that! First let's send all the politicians in DC back to their homes, and then we can wait until this next group of guys show up, and we can name them, and then we can tell them to go to work and fix everything! Geesh! That sounds like a great plan to me, SirUnReal!

I guess we're supposed to convince those presently in the Government that what you say is true, and then get them to appropriate enough money to accomplish it! Is that about right? How about if they don't think it's a very good idea? What Then?

I appreciate your frustration, but pie-in-the-sky solutions are a waste of time. They're Dreams and Fantasies and Wishful thinking. Like it or not we must work within our Constitution or agree we won't need one after your plan is done. In either case, that Third Party you're fond of will be made out of Americans, too, and I don't see where we're going to get any such Ideal Candidates anyway.

We stuck with the crowd we have because we weren't "Eternally Vigilant!" Maybe 'next time' we will be...

Brick

[leftLibertarian]

Both the green and libertarian parties have opposed the DC gang's Iraq for profit war.

[wadenelson1]

America will pay for Bush's unprovoked wars and occupations of foreign countries in no meaner currency than the Germans did for Hitler's aggression.

[jsantiago]

You are accurate. Most people don't think beyond the next elections. When the chickens finally come home to roost, people are shocked and don't understand...