Despite the protestations from the highest levels of the Bush administration that they are looking to start a war with Iran, there is a real legitimate concern that they are indeed trying to do so. This is one of the reasons why in recent interviews I have asked several different powerful Democrats and Democratic presidential contenders about how they intend to prevent a US invasion of Iran. And taking a look at the administration's new and carefully crafted rhetoric on Iran, it seems like there is good reason to be worried about their intentions, even with their seeming denials. Elana Schor has the details for The Hill.
Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) said yesterday that he is not satisfied with the Bush administration's response to his inquiries on whether the White House believes its signing statement accompanying the 2002 Iraq war authorization gives the president authority to attack Iran.Webb first wrote to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and newly confirmed deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte last month after a Rice appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. During questioning by Webb, Rice did not clearly state whether President Bush believes he can pursue action against Iran under his 2002 signing statement, which interprets the war authorization as a broad mandate to defend "threats to national interests."
Webb said yesterday that he has heard from Rice and Negroponte, but that their responses were "lengthy and not to the point," adding that he intends to pursue a clarification of presidential authority to use force in Iran in the near future.
The fact that the Bush administration is unwilling to overtly state that they do not believe that they have the power under legislation passed in 2001 and to 2002 to militarily attack Iran is quite telling. Implicitly, by issuing a non-denial -- one that was "lenghthy and not to the point", as Sen. Webb sees it -- the Bush administration is reserving what it sees as its right to wage war against Iran.
Now it's clear that the American people are overwhelmingly opposed to an American invasion or even targeted bombing run on Iran and that, what's more, the Bush administration is failing to convince Americans of the necessity of immediate action. That said, given the positioning of the Bush White House on this issue, I would not put it past them to try to launch a strike on Iran. As a result, it's imperative for those who do not want to see the United States embark on another war at this juncture to speak out and to let their elected officials know their feelings. Sen. Webb is doing a great job of bringing attention to this issue, but more can and should be done from the grassroots side.
Attacking Iran would is a bad idea and would be bad for America. Luckily, there is still time to avert the Bush administration's seeming path towards war. Let's just make sure that we do not drop the ball.
Update [2007-2-28 17:48:43 by Jonathan Singer]: Just to note, Bill Richardson is running an ad on this site asking people to sign his petition calling for diplomacy, not attacks on Iran. Wes Clark and VoteVets have also teamed up on an effort called Stop Iran War with a similar aim. Either would be a good way to get involved, but they are certainly not the only ways.
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