Escalation proceeds on schedule for war with Iran

[IDemo]

from the AP (45 minutes ago):

U.S. forces tracking Iranians in Iraq - BAGHDAD - American forces are tracking about 50 members of an elite Iranian force who have crossed the border into southern Iraq to train Shiite militia fighters, a top U.S. general said Sunday.

and -

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, whose command includes the volatile southern rim of Baghdad and districts to the south, said his troops are tracking about 50 members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps in their area — the first detailed allegation that Iranians have been training fighters within Iraq's borders.

"We know they're here and we target them as well," he said, citing intelligence reports as evidence of their presence.

He declined to be more specific and said no Iranian forces have been arrested in his territory.

"We've got about 50 of those," he said, referring to the Iranian forces. "They go back and forth. There's a porous border."

Last week's unanimous agreement by the Senate (97 - 0) of the designation of Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a "specially designated global terrorist" was not for the purpose of name calling. It was done at the behest of Bush, who has discovered, much to his glee, that he hardly need utter the entire word "terror" to get a Pavlovian response from congress critters who fear political repucussions far more than the bloodshed of innocents. The "terrorist" label will make it much easier for the chimp to pursue military action (warfare) against a sovereign state without the blessing of Congress (as if that really mattered, right?), under the guise of his global crusade against terror.

And make no mistake, when Operation Sands of Freedom, or whatever ridiculous name they try to append to it, ensues, there will be the blood of innocents on their hands for not only failing to prevent this, but actively encouraging it. If you believe that things have gotten about as bad as possible in the Mid East after our debacle in Iraq, stay tuned for an order of magnitude more horror following an aerial attack (possibly including nukes) on Iran.

I strongly suggest reading up on the factors leading up to this conflict and of its possible outcomes at http://powerofnarrative.blogspot.com/2007/08/worsening-nightmare.html. The word "Armageddon" may not be too strong if the worst case plays out.

[liberalmuse]

1. Yeah, good luck with that.

War with Iran would be devastating for the US. If Cheney thinks that the US could just bomb Iran into submission, he is flat out insane, and we know he is. I'm sure Russia would ensure Iran had the appropriate firepower to counter. A draft will not work, either. What are these guys smoking?

[pansypoo53219]

4. they ARE that crazee

iWaq has just made them 'madder', and they have lost all sense of reality.

and boy, i bet cheeney is getting mucho bennies from haliburton's stock prices.

[daninthemoon]

2. Liked Mike Gravel this morning reprimanding his coleagues

for allowing and endorsing this admin to keep fomenting this Iran war baiting.

[wuushew]

3. Assuming this doesn't lead to all out war, a big benefit could be had

Mainly increased foreign policy debate from the Democratic candidates. The more on the record statements that warhawk Clinton has to triangulate the better her opposition will do.

[IDemo]

5. There did not appear to be much debate on this between the front-runners

It looks like only Kucinich and former Senator Mike Gravel are resisting the rush to war.

[scarletwoman]

6. k & r for a good post -- especially for the "Power of Narrative" link.

I hope more people will go read Arthur Silber.

sw