iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More

Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors
Jamal Abdi

Jamal Abdi

Posted: July 23, 2010 04:15 PM

Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a measure that would green-light an Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. The resolution, H.Res. 1553 (in full below), provides explicit support for military strikes against Iran, stating that Congress supports Israel's use of "all means necessary" against Iran "including the use of military force". US military leaders have warned that strikes could be catastrophic to US national security interests and could engulf the Middle East in a "calamitous" regional war.

Nearly a third of House Republicans have signed onto the resolution, which has been publicly discussed and circulated by its lead sponsor, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), for months. The National Iranian American Council is leading calls to oppose the measure, urging those concerned to demand that House Republican Leader John Boehner denounce the resolution.

The introduction of the measure coincides with a pattern of renewed calls for military strikes that have escalated since President Obama signed "crippling" Congressional Iran sanctions into law. Neoconservatives who were instrumental in orchestrating the Iraq War, such as Bill Kristol, and Reuel Marc Gerecht, have led the stepped up calls for military action.

Hawkish former Bush Administration official John Bolton recently laid out the game plan to prod Israel into attacking Iran, arguing that outsiders can "create broad support" for a strike by framing it as an issue of Israel's right to self defense. Supporters for military strikes, Bolton says, should "defend the specific tactic of pre-emptive attacks" against Iran. He urges that Congress can "make it clear" that it supports such strikes and that "having visible congressional support in place at the outset will reassure the Israeli government, which is legitimately concerned about Mr. Obama's likely negative reaction to such an attack."

In spite of enthusiasm from the neocons, top US military leaders have warned of the many dangers of military strikes against Iran. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has argued, "Another war in the Middle East is the last thing we need. In fact, I believe it would be disastrous on a number of levels." Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has expressed his own serious reservations about an attack, stating, "Iran getting a nuclear weapon would be incredibly destabilizing. Attacking them would also create the same kind of outcome. In an area that's so unstable right now, we just don't need more of that." General David Petraeus has warned that a strike on Iran would be utilized by the Iranian government to unite it's otherwise divided populace.

Simulations have been conducted over the past year to assess the outcome of a preemptive military strike against Iran. One such simulation, by the Brookings Institution's Saban Center, found that strikes would draw the US into the conflict that would engulf the region into war, and would enable Iran to use the attacks as an opportunity to unite the Iranian people and dismantle its opposition. The simulation also found that the strikes could not destroy Iran's nuclear program but merely set it back a few years.

An Oxford Research Group report released recently reinforced those findings and also warned that an Israeli attack would be disastrous and would be unlikely to stop Iran's nuclear program. Instead, the report concluded attacks could convince Iran to withdraw from the international Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and to aggressively seek to develop nuclear weapons.

Iranian activists have urged that even raising the specter of war undercuts the opposition in Iran. "The mere fact that Obama didn't make military threats made the Green Movement possible," noted Akbar Ganji. "A military attack would destroy all of that."

Send your letter demanding that House Republican Leader John Boehner denounce the Iran War Resolution


Iran Resolution
 

Follow Jamal Abdi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/niacouncil

 
 
  • Comments
  • 526
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
Page: 1 2 3 4 5  Next ›  Last »  (11 total)
11:57 PM on 08/01/2010
Recent polls indicate that about 75% of Americans disapprove of the current Congress so even if every member of Congress supports this facile rant of a Resolution, it still only represents support from about 25% of the American people.
09:20 PM on 07/30/2010
NO! No more wars. it doesn't prove anything, what are they trying to prove anyway? They got guns, we got guns! They got bombs, we got bombs! They got tanks, we got tanks! When is the senseless killing going to stop?
03:36 PM on 07/26/2010
Who's side do you think Iraq will be on? Want to bet Israel would be whiped out?

Remember when Israel was beaten out of Lebanon?

They don't have the guts for war, that is why the American Enterprise Instute wants american to do it for them.

BOMB, BOMB, BOMB, BOMB, BOMB, IRAN... McCain.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
gingershot
One man, one vote, from the river to the sea
02:42 PM on 07/26/2010
Greenlighting Israeli and her Neocon's warmongering in the Middle East is exactly where the AIPAC-bribed and blackmailed Congress is really at - their political lives depend on it

For any of those not familiar with Dr Stephen Sniegoski's ('The Transparent Cabal', etc) brilliant works regarding the Neocon-coup that is currently dominating American foreign policy - please take a few minutes and view this introduction. Wowie - Kazowie

I really think his work is up there with the 'The Israel Lobby' Mearsheime/Walt - it's classic

Rest your brain and watch this as an intro - Sniegoski clicked a switch for me when I read his description of Israel's external enemies (Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, S Arabia, Egypt, etc) and Israel's internal enemies - THE PALESTINIANS - all Israeli/Neocon foreign policy machinations really all fell into place for me reading his works, in conjuction with 'The Israel Lobby'

Really a great few minutes to review the below - mucho realizations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4MdyJDnSoI

Warning: for the uninitiated keep an airsickness bag handy when you start seeing Kristol, Feith, and Perle
11:36 PM on 07/25/2010
This is absolute madness! First of all, Israel can make up its own foreign policy. It does not need the House of Representatives cheering it on. Second, the Constitution gives the President lead in foreign policy, and this resolution is out of scope for the HR. The United States HR should look out for the United States, and not seek to get the US involved in unnecessary foreign conflicts. The US does not have any significant interest in provoking a war with Iran. Actually the opposite is the case -- it is in US interest to NOT have more conflict in the Middle East. And by extension, it is in the US interest to NOT have Israel launch an unprovoked, illegal, dangerous, foolhardy, and destabilizing attack against Iran.
10:41 PM on 07/25/2010
Anything that is supported by Kristol or Bolton gets an automatic veto from me...

I refudiate them, irregardless of their highly inflammable rhetoric..... as Mme. Palin might put it...
Demidan
2+2=5,(that's a Orwell reference you addlepate.)
09:56 PM on 07/25/2010
IT's the same 33% who believe in the literal translation of the Bible. They are trying to bring about Armageddon.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
wayoutleft
my nano-bio coded in a period: .
09:37 PM on 07/25/2010
Secretary of State Michele Bachman will deliver an emergency message at 8:15 a.m. EST. Sorry, just flashing ahead to early 2013... and you think you have "grave concerns" now...
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
BrickSykes
"Professor, Harvard; Chess Mixmaster
08:28 PM on 07/25/2010
Before we look for a logical answer, let's start with an illogical one? I've heard many people claim the benefits of perpetual war. I think they said it was 'Good for Business'! Until we shut that door and learn how to adjust to what remains, we'll have war! "War in the East, War in the West, War Up North, War in the South! Everywhere it's War, War, War!"

Brick
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Carl Caroli
I just don't understand people
04:41 PM on 07/25/2010
Iran is an international problem and must be dealt with that way. The US can not dictate who and what happens in this world, period. Not with my tax dollars anyway.
04:46 PM on 07/25/2010
Explain exactly why Iran is a problem period? Iran has neither threatened any country, nor has it invaded any country for the past 300 years, nor does it have nuclear weapons, nor is there any evidence that it is developing a nuclear problem. As a member of the NPT Iran has every right to enrich uranium, this is why countries have signed on to the NPT. So please do explain why Iran is a problem for anyone?
photo
TakeSake
The United States for All Americans
07:25 PM on 07/25/2010
Because they overthrew the dictator we installed by overthrowing the democratically-elected government in 1953 at the behest of British Petroleum and the like.
photo
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
gamoonbat
04:05 AM on 07/31/2010
Iran does provide arms and training to Hizbolllah, which most believe to have been set up initially by the Iranian Revoutionary Guard.
photo
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
gamoonbat
05:48 PM on 07/25/2010
This would not be a unilateral action by the United States. Israel would be doing it and we would supply the weapons.
10:43 PM on 07/30/2010
Is because we keep suplying Israel with weapons and money that there is a crisis in the middle east. If Israel had to pay for their wars, then they would work a way to resolve the problems instead, we provide Israel with weapons, money and man power and wonder why is that Israel jumps to war at the first excuse. Israel is a gold-digger and USA is its sugar daddy. Let them pay for their own wars with their own money and their own blood.
04:25 PM on 07/25/2010
Watch John Pilger's "Palestine Is Still The Issue", "Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror", "Stealing a Nation" and "The War on Democracy". Read Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present", Stephen Kinzer's "Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq", Noam Chomsky's "Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance" and Michel Chossudovsky's "War and Globalisation: The Truth Behind September 11".

The US government is the number one stooge of the apartheid welfare state of Israel. Why do US politicians have to kiss the rear ends of the pro-Israel lobby? Why are US think tanks dominated by Zionists?

Read Gilad Atzmon's "Connecting the Zionist dots": http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/connecting-the-zionist-dots-by-gilad-atzmon.html
photo
tnkeating
Dyslexic agnostic insomniac
04:11 PM on 07/25/2010
I don't think Israel is concerned one bit about President Obamas negative reaction. They know where they stand and have nothing to fear.....except maybe a nuclear strike from Iran.
photo
TruthFinderToo
Not all bank owners are evil!
03:15 PM on 07/25/2010
It seems to me that many of our congress members put the needs of Israel way above they put the needs of their own country.

These bums need to be shown for what they are.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
02:52 PM on 07/25/2010
hmmmm.... it just sounds like the worst idea.
02:49 PM on 07/25/2010
Congress is an embarrassment!