Fool Me Once, Won't Get Fooled Again

I have no way of knowing what the Iranian fast boats did in relation to American ships, but what I do know is that the United States has a history of fabricated maritime incidents as trigger mechanisms for larger military actions (Gulf of Tonkin? remember the Maine?). So what I want to know is, after a period in which the administration's credibility on matters foreign has been tattered, if not shredded, why is the "incident" with Iran being reported totally out of Pentagon press releases? It's well-known that naval powers often intrude into other countries' territorial waters to test responses. Could that be what happened here? Is anybody with a Washington press pass asking?

UPDATE (1-11): Somebody is: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40747

Comments

[leftLibertarian]

Funny article Harry, but just reading the headline, I thought it was about the Democratic Party and their feeble opposition to Bush's war.

[johnnyjust]

You're right. No matter what happens, it's all made up.

I'm not even writing this. Wild, wacky stuff.

[breakfast]

I am guessing (assuming) that the real agenda for Bush visiting Israel at this time, is finalizing war plans against Iran.

It's the fascism, stupid.

Impeach

[mommadona]

Not much heard about that new "special force" Marine squad that's getting called out about the death of a bunch of Afghan civilians in one of their forays...huh.

" Marine Corps examining Afghan civilian deaths

The Marine Corps launched a rare tribunal Monday to publicly investigate disputed allegations that a special forces unit killed as many as 19 Afghan civilians after the military convoy was rammed by a car bomb. Witnesses said that Marines fired indiscriminately at pedestrians and peoples in cars, buses, and taxis. Military prosecutors declined to comment.

Foiling U.S. plan, prison expands in Afghanistan"

http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2008/1/8/theWorldThisWeek10808

[mbaty]

We've got to keep watching out for these false reports...it's possible that an attack on Iran has already been planned for the early part of the year, and, working backwards as 'they' do, that means they need some sort of a "crisis" that they can "solve" using military force and justify it to the public with. Stay tuned, we can still avoid any conflict with Iran. Most of the Iranians want peace and a degree of stable normalcy, as we all do. There is no reason we can't communicate and negotiate with them.

[Plowboy]

Of course, we have never been the aggressors in a war,
never lied about anything for propagandistic purposes,
never committed any war crimes, never threatened anyone.
We are the good guys; our leader is wise and compassionate.
We are perfect in every way and getting better every day.

Our government acts on the principle that all people are equally worthy of a fair treatment. It is a love based government, completely open and honest, just in all its actions and devoted to justice in all its forms.

In other words, we are wonderful. Those our great and good, gentle and kind, merciful and restrained president wants us to attack are evil; they are vile and greedy, lying destroyers of the earth's resources, its people and their labor. They are not like us.

His bosses are exceptionally good; we would be villainous indeed if we refused to do their bidding unquestioningly.

[Marnie1]

Don't forget the US military ship that was fired on by an Iraqi military plane, during the Reagan years. Reagan used the Iraqi attack to vilify Iran.
Remember that Hussain was a White House Shill for Reagan/Bush.
Bush's Ambassador to Iraq tacitly agreed to let Iraq attack Kuwait, which had formerly been part of Iraq. Then Bush attacked Iraq.

Lets just pray that Congress has at least part of one testicle left. Because the day is coming very soon when Bush attacks Iran on some trumped up BS. If Congress does not stop the military from doing this, the US as we know it may well disappear in the quicksand of the Near East.

[skyreader7]

Come on people, how is Bush going to get oil up to $300 a barrel before he and Cheney leave office? If atttacking Iran doesn't, I'm sure he'll threaten his buddy Chavez next. Four wars anyone?

[JustAnotherJoe]

You woould think they could at least come up with a more creative excuse to start a shootin' match than this. It's so 20th century. Oh, I know they tried to say Iran was worth bombing beacuse they were an Islamofascist 1930's Nazi Germany armed to the teeth with nukes, and then tried to say they were still worth bombing even without nukes because they were an Islamofascist 1960's Communist North Vietman or Cambodia supplying the Vietcong, I mean, Iraqi insurgents with nasty weapons. But, hey, I guess if it worked before...

[ljsfolly]

I am sooo glad you have addressed the issue as I had began to think Huffpo was just for elections and not the reality of what is going on. Bush is damned and determined to get us in a fight to start a war in Iran and where do we stand with all the congress trying to be president and those not trying cannot get it together and demand Bush stop the talk and noise until he can prove there is more than just a shaky video with blacked out parts and weird audio. He has to stop making war when we cannot afford what we have. How many dead americans does he want to carry with him and be blood on his hands?

[PatA]

My first reaction when I heard Bush yelling "see, gotcha, Iran is a threat to all of us and our childrens" was "oh, no, here we go again with yet another lie to get a lot of people killed".
When I saw the video (???) of those little boats circling three warships, I could hardly believe my eyes. First of all, that video was likely faked. And, secondly, once a liar, always a liar.
Bush is at his best war-mongering self again! The man has no soul. None. Nada.

[Tankan]

It's not an uncommon incident!

All the publicity is to prepare the way for blowing a couple of Iranian canoes out of the water!

Trouble is, boats riding high in the water are hardly loaded with thousands of pounds of explosives, but who would notice that?

[Freddy334]

Hillary and Obama voted for the war and they vote to keep funding it. They are corporate whotes like the Repukes.

John Edwards is the only REAL Democrat who can win. Also wasn't it Sunni Madrassa Barry who said he might bomb Shia Iran? Didn't Bill Clinton say he would pick up a gun and fight for Israel.

Edwards is for America and American workers.

[Lazslo]

I do not believe the government's, nor the media's reports that Iran was antogonistic towards the US vessels. In fact, based on our government's current policy of pre-emption, I believe it was the US vessel that was hostile to Iranian vessels, in Iranian waters.

[MainSpark]

Having served in the Navy and taken part in these "games," I can only say that they happen a bit more often than is reported.

Regardless of politics or the exact location of those U.S. ships, it would be a wise thing for the Iranian navy, in particular, the small craft, to keep in mind that none of the American warships want to become another U.S.S. Cole.

Could the U.S. intentionally cross into Iranian territory with the intent of provoking a confrontation? Sure. Could the Iranians play a game of tag with the American fleet? Sure. Will the captain of a U.S. Navy ship tolerate the close approach of a small craft, close enough to cause damage to his ship? No. That just ain't gonna happen.

[research]

Can somebody tell the details of the DEAL to betray the American voters?

Kucinich? Wexler? Do you know the details of the DEAL? It's stopping your impeachment bill.

You don't have the 67 senate votes? ok. But you have plenty of democrats in the house to start the impeachment trials.

Instead of the Bush$Co playing chicken with Iran, smirking in your face, destroying evidence and ignoring your subpoenas, the president is constitutionally required to turn over documents in an impeachment trial.

The evidence will force the senate to convict.

After the failed Clinton impeachment the GOP still gained seats in the election.

Is there too much self incriminated evidence of democratic graft? Is congress so corrupt that everyone except a few "fools" like Kucinich are on the take? This is what many Americans are now considering.

Don't let the proof you should have impeached be WW III.

[Blackspeare]

It just goes to prove the old adage:
Believe nothing of what you read or hear and only half of what you see!

[ltfcrazy]

Getting WAAAAAAAAY too scary. Why haven't impeachment proceedings begun yet? Is there something I haven't done? Somebody tell me and I'll do it!

[KSH]

After doing extensive research on the Tuskegee Experiment, the FBI's intentional break up of the Black Panther party, the FBI's attempt to make a case that MLK and Malcolm X were public enemy number 1 in the 1950's, it just heightens my fear of what the US Gov can pull outta it's ass to make a case for "the greater good"!

America sometimes we are just not that in to you!

[criscokid]

Too bad Obama's speeches haven't inspired the media to rise up and probe more deeply into stories like these. I guess "change" won't apply to the media.

[Hallucinocynic]

Harry, can you say Gulf of Tonkin?

To quote the prez: "You know, you put a bullet in the furnace, it'll explode."

Line up enough 'incidents' and you can promote another preemptive strike.

[cynara]

Iran is claiming that the entire incident was fabricated:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080109/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_us_navy;_ylt=AvK_nIBCNGK1oi.DZtMuxzus0NUE

Its at least worth considering.

I was in China in the summer of '99. State run media was filled with reports US warships convening around Taiwan (conveniently the same video footage of a single boat, that I couldn't tell from a shrimping barge, was used every time). Its significance debated on national TV, and the nation was on high alert. Me and the other foreigners were scared of riots against us (as happened after the Chinese embassy bombing in the Baltic a month before.) A few weeks later, I ran in to some new foreign exchange students just arriving from the US and asked them about the US public's perspective on the military build-up. They looked at me like I was crazy, and said they hadn't heard a thing. Was there some crazy US covert activity (always a possibility) or was the Chinese government scaring its people for propoganda's sake?

Didn't know then, and I don't know now, but announcements of this sort, from any country, should be taken with a grain of salt and healthy ounce of thorough investigation.

[Crowhaul]

It's also interesting how they dubbed the audio portion to the video portion AFTER the fact....

How telling is it that we can't trust anything coming out of the Pentagon anymore.

[GBecker]

Says a lot that we tend to believe the Iranians re this "confrontation" and not Bushie and his gang. I'm with you, Harry. BS and more BS is the best we can expect from this administration.

[raptor]

Swiftboaters for Bush?

Where are the satellite images? After all, we had three USA warships in danger.