US congressional hearings on Iraq foreshadow aggressive stance against Iran

[Joanne98]

In testimony before the US Congress this week, General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, is widely expected, as part of his assessment of the military situation, to slam Iran for allegedly arming and training anti-US insurgents. However, British officials warned in the Telegraph on Saturday that Petraeus could go further, by accusing Tehran of waging a proxy war against the US in Iraq and laying the basis for military strikes against Iran.

“A strong statement from General David Petraeus about Iran’s intervention in Iraq could set the stage for a US attack on Iranian military facilities, according to a Whitehall assessment. In closely watched testimony in Washington next week, General Petraeus will state that the Iranian threat has risen as Tehran has supplied and directed attacks by militia fighters against the Iraqi state and its allies,” the article stated.

In comments to the Telegraph, a British official dismissed the argument that the American military was too stretched in Iraq to attack Iran. “Petraeus is going to go very hard on Iran as the source of attacks on the American effort in Iran. Iran is waging a war in Iraq. The idea that America can’t fight a war on two fronts is wrong, there can be air strikes and other moves,” he said.

“Petraeus has put emphasis on America having to fight the battle on behalf of Iraq,” the official said. “In his report he can frame it in terms of our soldiers killed and diplomats dead in attacks on the Green Zone.” In an interview with the BBC last month, the US commander declared that rockets hitting the Green Zone in Baghdad were “Iranian-provided, Iranian-made” and accused Iranian leaders of a “complete violation of promises made ... to their Iraqi counterparts”.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/apr2008/iran-a07.shtml

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Congressional hearings. Democrats presiding.

Under the circumstances, why would the majority party on the panel accept whatever General Petraeus says at face value? There would be demands for hard factual evidence to prove his contentions of Iranian involvement in fighting in Iraq.

Or would this be more of the same as the run-up to the invasion of Iraq 5-6 years ago?

[truth2power]

2. You're kidding, of course...

I haven't seen any evidence that the Dems don't bend over, every time. ...After a lot of harumphing, that is.