Stop the Insanity: No War With Iran

It is a tragedy that in the midst of one failed war in Iraq, George Bush and Dick Cheney are pushing a second front of failure and gearing up to attack Iran. The "unilateral sanctions" recently imposed will hurt diplomatic progress in the region, and I find it disconcerting that so many Democrats supported President Bush in his saber-rattling.

Senator Clinton voted to enable George Bush when she voted for the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment. Senator Obama, skipped the Iran vote entirely.

Saber-rattling is not a good way to get the Iranians to cooperate and work with us for peace. But it is a tried and true method of laying the groundwork for another war -- a war that would be a disaster for the Middle East, for the United States and for the world. Saying that we're on a "path to diplomacy" while imposing these sanctions and increasing the war rhetoric only strengthens hard-line elements in the Iranian leadership and increases the risk of violence breaking out.

Further, a policy of "unilateral sanctions will actually diminish our diplomatic options. "Unilateral sanctions" are both ineffective and porous, and they will undermine the effort to get meaningful multilateral sanctions that the Iranians would possibly pay attention to.

Diplomacy continues to be the path not taken by the Bush administration.

Again and again, President Bush has shown a disdain for diplomacy and our own governmental institutions. The Democratic Congress needs to stand up to this president and prevent him from starting another needless war, which will further isolate us in the world and strengthen our enemies.

Bush's goal seems clear -- to keep ramping up the rhetoric and threats until he's managed to back us into another unwanted war. But what isn't clear to me is what Congress is going to do about it. Haven't we yet learned the lesson that if you give this president an inch on this aggression, he will take a mile?

I know this region. I spent 80 percent of my time as ambassador to the United Nations on Iraq and the Middle East issues. If we want to succeed in the region, we have to get all of our troops out of Iraq. We have to talk to the Iranians and back that up with global diplomacy to build strong support for tough sanctions. That is how we will be successful, not with the president's saber-rattling. Congress needs to stop him before he goes too far.

Of course, Congress just had a chance to stand up to Bush with an unequivocal "no war with Iran" vote. But they squandered the opportunity -- just as they, time and time again, have missed chances to stand up to Bush on Iraq.

Now is not the time for a "wait and see" attitude -- not on ending the war in Iraq and not on starting a war in Iran.

When it comes to Iraq, I want all the troops out, now. If the president won't do it, we need to convince Congress to stand up -- go to www.getourtroopsout.com to join us.

Comments

[rmirman]

There are various factions in Iran. An intelligent government would try to exploit that. Bush's policy is to push our enemies together so they will present a united front against us, so being more dangerous. The problem is, again, that the country is not being educated. If people understood this they would stop Bush and the Republicans. That is where the Democrats fail --- in educating. For comments on Iraq see
randomabsurdities.wordpress.com

[andySwellguy]

Richardson seems to be pro peace. Unfortuantely, Hilary is a Lieberman puppet. Either inept, or just hilary is pro-war. The world now sees a empire trying to use war, as a political tool. It ALWAYS FAILS. MOST WANT PEACE, & STOP IRAQ NO BID SCAM. Got to Love Olbermann on MSNBC, only one with some guts.

[bigbear]

You miss the point Bush and Cheany are not neo-fascist they are paleo-fascists the same people who put Hitler in power put this mindless puppet in power---( IG-Farben),Yes they are alive and well plus 100%

[Truthortradition]

Richardson seems to be the only leading candidate for the Democrats who understands the meaning of "United we stand, divided we Fall." He seems to have the most experience at playing the game. He did a great job at the debate the other night and his views on the situation in Iran show he's no greenhorn.

[jpclyons]

"Senator Clinton voted to enable George Bush when she voted for the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment. Senator Obama, skipped the Iran vote entirely."

Shame on the Governor for knocking Obama. Senator Obama was ready for the scheduled vote.
He did not vote on Kyle-Lieberman because he was told there would be no vote by Sen Reid, whose son works for Hillary Clinton - get the dirty politics picture?

Reid called for a vote when Obama was in New Hampshire preparing for the debates at UNH.

Is this just a coincidence? Not likely. And After the last debate, with his over the top defense of the "attacks" on on wittle poor Clinton, it looks like Billy Boy is solidifying his bid to be Veep under Billary.

I will be in Iowa to help the Senator win. Then all of this will be so much drivel.

Jim Lyons
http://eburgobama08.org

[Radman8]

Emperor Bush/Cheney will not go to Congress for approval to attack Iran; they will just do it. They will use the 'unitary executive theory' (which is only a theory made up by justice dept lawyers over the years) to justify their actions.

We should be impeaching these war criminals. I'd rather vote for a candidate who has seen a UFO (Kuch) than one who claims God tells him what to him.

Why isn't Bill at the head of the Pack? Because he makes too much sense.

[TheLar]

I completely agree - troops out of Iraq now! Oh, but then the terrorists will claim they've won! cry the chickenhawks. The terrorists ALWAYS claims they've won and they're winning. Osama does, Bush does it. See? Terrorists everywhere are doing it.

ALL TROOPS HOME NOW!

Larry Nocella
http://www.LarryNocella.com/

[JohnCitizen]

INSANITY RULES, ARMAGEDDON DEAD AHEAD!

WE GET THE GOVERNMENT WE DESERVE and, boy, we have really been getting it for the last 6 years! Truth, values, competence and results no longer matter in America.

THE PROBLEM: this President is not a rational thinker. His mind accepts information from only two sources: faith and experience. Because Bush is not rational (strictly empirical and subjective), objective facts and evidence such as the recent National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs) that found the Iraq war has created more jihadists and terrorists and made America less safe are meaningless to this anachronistic man of several millennia ago. The reality of Iraq is what he thinks it is from the beautiful White House, and so our country and our precious soldiers are in for much more of this endless strategic disaster.

GOOD NEWS though... God is speaking directly to George Bush (again) and telling him to go to war with Iran. This new war should go as well as the Iraq war (his last guidance from a higher authority, another Father than Bush41) and further help over one billion Muslims in their decision to fight America in a mutual holy war. The Crusades of long ago are living history in the Middle East, and Muslims are already primed for another war with Christian invaders. Our bring-it-on cowboy President is only rekindling and fueling this centuries-old fire.

Of course, TALKING WITH ADVERSARIES (INSTEAD OF WAR) REQUIRES RATIONAL THOUGHT; thus with Bush, American diplomacy is an oxymoron. It will never happen! If past is prelude, Bush diplomacy with Iran will be perfunctory and rigged; our mentally unbalanced, messianic President needs to provoke a war, AND HE WILL FIND A WAY!

WITHOUT RATIONAL THINKING, bumping into reality is always a shock! FUTURE SHOCK: roiled Pakistan is just one assassin bullet away from going under. When the President finally increases the level of hatred against the United States to where it engulfs Pakistan, then we face nuclear terror, and Biblical Armageddon becomes real and a self-fulfilling prophecy. Oh, the joy, the Rapture!

[pilarmedea]

i am tired, very tired of this adminodictatorship. My father asked me if i wanted to volunteer at the polls, i said "hell no, i'll do it if they pay me, i don't have enough faith in the voting system here, to volunteer. you go ahead and volunteer doing that, and i will volunteer at a food line, or other homeless or childrens organizati­on." turns out they are paying him, and my dad does a lot of other volunteer work too, just thought i'd add that, so it doesn't sound like i'm bashing my dad, but rather merely our government.
signed
please forgive my poor and insufferable grammar and punctuation, i find, my mind works better when i don't worry too much about all things academia. [but if i were getting paid, i'd concern myself a bit]

[janmB]

If you are TOO nice---testy-people will often use that as you are WEAK and walk all over you. SO there is a balance there where you still keep communicating a will to resolve issues.

This goes for countries too. You need not be TOO NICE by not standing up for yourself but should keep communicating a wish ---for civility in resolving problems.

[Macready]

You are so right . . . diplomacy is the only option available . . . and yes, we have to get the troops out of Iraq . . . and impeachment must be put onto the agenda . . . nothing will happen without impeachment .. . if fear the fact that a lot of Dems have gone in for "sabre rattling" is because they are complicit with the administration . . . impeachment is the first step to a real change in American foreign policy and it has to happen now!

[buske]

Hello again Bill,

I wrote you a message earlier but I guess that message was lost somehow. So, I'm trying again.

All I wanted to say was that Bush is not the biggest problem: Cheney is. I think we should concentrate on getting rid of Cheney through an impeachment. I am convinced that impeaching Cheney would prevent a war with Iran.

[ApolloSpeaks]

COMPOUNDING THE STUPIDITY OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION

Bill Richardson says:

I know this region. I spent 80 percent of my time as ambassador to the United Nations on Iraq and the Middle East issues. If we want to succeed in the region, we have to get all of our troops out of Iraq.

Apollo Speaks:

If global dipolmacy and tough sanctions failed with Saddam Hussein why would they succeed with the mullahs? Before we invaded Iraq when had diplomacy ever worked with them? Where did it get us? What do we have to show for it? After 28 years we have NOTHING!

Why would a President Richardson succeed in changing and moderating Iran's behavior when Bill Clinton so miserably failed? What would you do differently, Bill? Remove our troops from Iraq? Is that your answer? I'm all for quiting that country, Bill. We should have done that yesterday. But what would you do with the troops? Where would you send them? Back home to put out forest fires? How would that help your diplomatic effort with Iran, Bill? Or would you do the smart thing and redeploy the troops to, let us say, Kurdistan where Tehran would view them with alarm as a credible and serious threat? Only if we hold a loaded gun to their heads will the mullahs grow reasonable.

As long as our forces are tied down in Iraq, where the mullahs and their allies in the Maliki government want them to be, threats made against Tehran would at best be half credible. There is no peace in a predatory world without strength. But to bring the troops home would only compound the abysmal stupidity of this administration and embolden the radical mullahs to reckless deeds.

[AntiFascistMajority]

What ought to worry us all is that Congress continues to provide the Pentagon with a blank check while ignoring the urgent need to impeach Bush-Cheney for these and other reasons:


1) attacking & occupying Iraq
2) lying about motive
3) ordering attacks on civilians
4) wiretapping
5) changing Iraq’s government
6) authorizing torture
7) false statements re WMD
8) violating “Supreme Law of the Land”
9) stripping citizens of their rights
10) indefinite detention without charge
11) authorizing atty gen to override orders
12) secret tribunals
13) refusing to ID persons detained
14) secret arrests in and out of US
15) monitoring atty-client communication
16) seizure of assets prior to hearing
17) criminal neglect after Katrina
18) racial & religious profiling
19) refusal to provide info for legis oversight
20) rejecting treaties, terminating ABM

Full text:

http://www.impeachbush.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr001=d1ofe35711.app1b&page=NewsArticle&id=5054&news_iv_ctrl=1061

[NorCalNative]

Governor Richardson, thank you for speaking out against war with Iran. You are correct to point to Kyl-Lieberman votes as problematic for Democrats and especially Hillary Clinton.

As you mention, this administration disdains both diplomacy and our own governmental institutions. It becomes more difficult to call the United States a Democratic Republic when the executive branch continues to act as if congress and the courts have no legitimate role.