Constitutional Crisis: Air War with Iran

I watched the speech last night, and almost fell asleep. "Democracy"... yawn"...terrorists"..yawn.. "insurgents".. "clear and hold" bigger yawn.. liberty...low snoring.

Why all this commotion about this speech? There seemed to be nothing new. All the Big News - "20,000 new troops" - had already been leaked. So where was the magic New Strategy?  That's the question on every pundit and news commentator's lips this morning.

Well, there is a big New Strategy. It's in the speech, but it's been purposely hidden by the use of soporific language  cliched phrases designed to make you tune out, as well as misdirection and euphemisms. That's because the Bush administration doesn't want you to know what it intends to do, but wants to be able to claim that it informed you once the bombs begin dropping. It's this year's version of "There are no war plans on my desk."

Bush is going to begin a war with Iran. That's the "New Strategy". He said it very clearly last night:

Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity and stabilizing the region in the face of extremist challenges. This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops. We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We'll interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.

Got that? Iran is the extremist challenge that is providing material support. It is the home of networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies. Succeeding in Iraq requires stabilizing the region by addressing Iran. According to Bush, Iran is the reason that Iraq is failing. The only way to win in Iraq is to stop Iran.

And so how are we going to deal with Iran? Bush also told you last night, if you were listening closely.

We're also taking other steps  to bolster the security of Iraq and protect American interests in the Middle East. I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier group to the region. We will expand intelligence-sharing and deploy Patriot air defense systems to reassure our friends and allies. We will work with the governments of Turkey and Iraq to help them resolve problems along their border. And we will work with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating the region.

Our steps will be military ones which include using aircraft carriers. We're offering Patriot missiles to our friends in the region - Israel? Pakistan?. We will work with others to prevent Iran's nuclear development - perhaps by providing information to Israel to guide their nuclear bombing campaign in Iran.

A new war gives Bush everything he wants....a return to his happiest glory days, an excuse for the expansion of dictatorial powers as Commander In Chief, and a way to change the subject from a failed land war in Asia. (It's a replay of the Afghanistan - Iraq war switchover.) Since it will be, he believes, primarily an air war, what Americans will see on their TVs will be primarily fireworks as opposed to "images of death and suffering", (which he knows gets Americans depressed.) We'll have victory in Iran! People will cheer for him again!

Hilage's diary provides evidence. PA2006voter's discussion of the Patriot Missile deployment provides evidence. The intentionally provocative storming of the Iranian consulate in Irbil, covered by the BBC and NPR this morning, is the strongest indicator yet. This would not be the first time that a Republican President with a disastrous war has bombed an country neighboring the conflict because it was necessary to disrupt "support of the enemy". Bush can cite Nixon's bombing of Cambodia as precedent.

But still, a war against Iran cannot be won with air power alone. There will have to be troops sent in. Where will Bush get them? He apparently plans to send the troops presently stationed in Iraq.   Who then will take care of the policing and rebuilding of Iraq? Why, drafted civilians. Bush stated last night that he will examine ways to mobilize talented American civilians to deploy overseas, where they can help build democratic institutions in communities and nations recovering from war and tyranny. Expect to see him attempt to move civilian policemen, firemen, and medical personnel overseas.

According to Bush, on Friday "...Rice will leave for the region, to build support for Iraq and continue the urgent diplomacy required to help bring peace to the Middle East."  In Bushspeak, this means that she will inform the Saudis and the Jordanians of our plans, which are already being implemented.

Congress must pass emergency legislation within the next two days restricting the Bush administration from expanding the Iraq conflict into Iran. Please call your Representative NOW.

CW has stated repeatedly that Bush's Presidency will be judged by the Iraq War. Actually, it will be judged by his Imperial ambitions and his hard work to make the President a King. This conflict with Iran, ultimately, is not about fighting foreign enemies; it is about Bush attempting to subdue what he believes to be domestic ones. The unilaterally-decided air war against Iran is going to be justified by the "Bush is Commander-in-Chief" argument. He is spoiling for a fight not with Iran, but with his ultimate enemy: Representative Democracy in the form of the Congress. And it looks like the Democrats are not going to back down from the fight, so Bush is going to try to take them out with a sucker punch.

Ultimately, the only way to stop this madness is to change the person serving as Commander-in-Chief. George Bush must be impeached.