[THS] Philip Giraldi: Who Voted for War With Iran, Mr. Obama?

[The Harder Stuff in news and commentary]

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article26034.htm

Who Voted for War With Iran, Mr. Obama?

By Philip Giraldi

July 28, 2010 "American Conservative" -- House of Representatives resolution 1553,
introduced by Congressional Republicans, and currently working its way through the
system will endorse an Israeli attack on Iran, which would be going to war by proxy
as the US would almost immediately be drawn into the conflict when Tehran
retaliates. The resolution provides explicit US backing for Israel to bomb Iran, stating
that Congress supports Israel’s use of “all means necessary
including the use of
military force”. The resolution is non-binding, but it is dazzling in its disregard for the
possible negative consequences that would ensue for the hundreds of thousands of
US military and diplomatic personnel currently serving in the Near East region. Even
the Pentagon opposes any Israeli action against Iran, knowing that it would mean
instant retaliation against US forces in Iraq and also in Afghanistan. The resolution
has appeared, not coincidentally, at the same time as major articles by leading
neoconservatives Reuel Marc Gerecht and Bill Kristol calling for military action. AIPAC
thinks it is wonderful.

Ironically, the push against Iran comes at a time when the National Intelligence
Estimate on the country is being finished. It might come out as soon as August, but it
will be secret and its conclusions will either be leaked or released in summary. My
sources inside the intelligence community insist that it will support the 2007 NIE that
concluded that Iran no longer has a weapons program. The White House has
delayed the process seeking harder language to justify a range of options against
Iran, including a military strike, but the analysts are reported to be resisting. So we
spend $100 billion on intelligence annually and then ignore the best judgments on
what is taking place. Might as well use a Ouija board.

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