According to the Asia Times Online, a retired US career diplomat and former assistant secretary of state still active in the foreign affairs community, speaking anonymously. Wonder who that is?
NEW YORK – The George W Bush administration plans to launch an air strike against Iran within the next two months, an informed source tells Asia Times Online, echoing other reports that have surfaced in the media in the United States recently.
Two key US senators briefed on the attack planned to go public with their opposition to the move, according to the source, but their projected New York Times op-ed piece has yet to appear.
In addition, the Times reports that 2 Key US Senators, Diane Feinstein (D-Ca) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) said they would write a New York Times op-ed piece “within days”, the source said last week, to express their opposition.
Details provided by the administration raised alarm bells on Capitol Hill, the source said. After receiving secret briefings on the planned air strike, Senator Diane Feinstein, Democrat of California, and Senator Richard Lugar, Republican of Indiana, said they would write a New York Times op-ed piece “within days”, the source said last week, to express their opposition. Feinstein is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Lugar is the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Senate offices were closed for the US Memorial Day holiday, so Feinstein and Lugar were not available for comment.
Given their obligations to uphold the secrecy of classified information, it is unlikely the senators would reveal the Bush administration’s plan or their knowledge of it. However, going public on the issue, even without specifics, would likely create a public groundswell of criticism that could induce the Bush administration reconsider its plan.
Senators going public with classified information to stop an executive order through a massive PR campaign through one of the nations top Newspapers? Why not every foreign policy decision go through the Senate and then through the Times?
How bout we have the Public decide what the best course of action is?
Please…If they actually do this, it will be a total undermining of the Executive Branch’s authority and ability to protect the American people and it’s allies.
The article also goes into some of Iran’s possible retaliatory actions:
Iran’s options
Iran could flex its muscles in any number of ways. It could step up support for insurgents in Iraq and for its allies throughout the Middle East. Iran aids both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Israel’s Occupied Territories. It is also widely suspected of assisting Taliban rebels in Afghanistan.
Iran could also choose direct confrontation with the US in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, with which Iran shares a long, porous border. Iran has a fighting force of more than 500,000. Iran is also believed to have missiles capable of reaching US allies in the Gulf region.
Iran could also declare a complete or selective oil embargo on US allies. Iran is the second-largest oil exporter in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and fourth-largest overall. About 70% of its oil exports go to Asia. The US has barred oil imports from Iran since 1995 and restricts US companies from investing there.
China is Iran’s biggest customer for oil, and Iran buys weapons from China. Trade between the two countries hit US$20 billion last year and continues to expand. China’s reaction to an attack on Iran is also a troubling unknown for the US.
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- John Bolton: Iran strike not likely
- Giuliani ready to strike Iran, opposes Palestinian state
- Operation Dhimmi complete: Obama to lift pre-conditions on Iran; weaken America even more
- Bush Administration on Iran: “Sanctions are dead”
- Obama warns Israel not to strike Iran
- Strategic Questions Surround the Coming Iran Strike
- Israeli MP: Iran will use Hamas, Hezbollah in retaliation to Israel strike
- Cheney: “Iran faces serious consequences”
- *Breaking* Russian Military Source: US Attack On Iran Planned For Early April
