Podhoretz secretly urged Bush to bomb Iran

[sabra]

Source: Politico

President Bush and Karl Rove sat listening to Norman Podhoretz for roughly 45 minutes at the White House as the patriarch of neoconservatism argued that the United States should bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The meeting was not on the president’s public schedule.

Rove was silent throughout, though he took notes. The president listened diligently, Podhoretz said as he recounted the conversation months later, but he “didn’t tip his hand.”

...

“It struck me,” Podhoretz added, “that if they really believed that there was a chance for these negotiations and sanctions to work, they would not have laughed. They would have got their backs up and said, ‘No, no, it’s not futile, there’s a very good chance.’”

...

Undeterred, Podhoretz plods onward. He remains the unabashed hawk. History will redeem him, Iraq and this president, Podhoretz asserts.

“When this war’s won — I don’t say if, I say when; I am uncharacteristically optimistic — what will happen is the political configuration of the entire region will be changed,” he insisted.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0907/5964.html

[sharp_stick]

1. Podhoret is an unabashed asshole

that gutless chickenhawk needs to go away permanently. History will redeem him my ass, shit, I just hope I live long enough to piss on his grave.

[Roland99]

2. Wow. Batshit insane madmen are having private meetings with a lame-duck President for more war.

Fucking madness.

[bemildred]

3. Now THAT is a moonbat. nt

[Doctor_J]

4. Why can't this fucker be put on trial for treason and hanged?

Miserable chickenhawk pansy.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. Well, there's a prediction worthy of the Oracles.

Remember the prediction -- "Make war on Persia and you will destroy a great empire"? http://www.myronstagman.com/excerpts/csp_e2b.htm

"...what will happen is the political configuration of the entire region will be changed". You're damned right it will be, Skippy. And maybe our region as well.

[peacetalksforall]

6. This may sound off topic, but Podhoretz is doing this for Israel.

To me - the thread that ties those at the upper rungs of influfence in this country with the leaders of Israel is unbreakable.

How do the leaders in Israel keep getting elected?
How many of the voters there support the leaders?
Given that some U.S. citizens were 'advisors' in Israel, how honest was the vote? Say, the last vote.

These two groups tenaciously bound to each other are causing unbelievable death, destruction, deceit, hate, perennial war, and the killing of children - unbelievable killing of children. And it is robbing this country blind - to debt - with loss of programs for all kinds of children and youth in this country. Squeezing and smashing. Our privileges are being destroyed in this country. For a U.S.-Israel bond executed with force under all kinds of propaganda.

It could be said that Katrina victims suffered becaue of this bond. Money was saved to pay mercenaries.
The same for the soldiers who suffered at the Walter Reed hospitals. ETC ETC ETC kids programs, tuition programs, vet programs.

Why can't we be honest about it? The two-fold agenda - while protecting Israel - and taking over the entire region along with the earth resources - to make some people rich - not to return it to the people. This has been long term and is now greatly accelerated.

Our money is being spun off an agenda totally taken over by people in both countries. We are being robbed blind at the direction of a few.

Why can't we recognize it, acknowledge it, and find peace? It's up to the people to say something - starting with no more money - no more of OUR money. 'Cuz we're getting close to not having any more of it. It does not honor any faith. Especially the reason we were born to live this life on this planet - to live to our potential as human beings, not mass killers and thieves.

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. I agree, the power of AIPAC in Washington is immense. Who are "our" representatives

actually representing? This is well known, but it's one of the DU topics that tends to get put in a basement, in this case the Palestine/Israel forum. Why, since it's OUR government and the impact on the world that is in question here?

See this New Yorker article:
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/050704fa_fact

and this Wash Post article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201627_pf.html

This is an issue with the Israeli GOVERNMENT - many of its citizens are appalled and agonized over the warmongering:
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0804-27.htm

[formercia]

16. It's simple

We give lots of cash to Israel, which, by the way, they now want in Euros, and Israel allocates a certain percentage of that foreign aid to fund AIPAC's buying off of US politicians and other people of influence. A lot of people make a very good living off of the US taxpayer.

[pingzing58]

7. Impossible. Shiia and Sunni have been at war with each other since the death of Mohammed.

The Palestinian - Israeli conflict must be resolved. The Palestinians should have their own nation-state without it no peace ever only more death and conflict. Sociologically, these idiots in the State Department, etc., don't understand the first thing about TRIBAL CULTURE in the entire Middle Eastern region including every African nation for that matter - there will no peace without cooperation amongst tribes and tribal leaders. Further, the cultural (not Islamic Theology) hatred for western secular society, education, marriage, women's rights, music, the mores of public relationships (couples have been executed for walking hand in hand in public), must be studied and understood. Finally, the ownership and share of oil revenues by each tribe and nation must be clearly resolved. Podhoretz and Cheney are narrow minded, miopic, idiots. History will prove as such.

[defendandprotect]

8. You can see how much a UN dedicated to peace was in their way -- !!!

and continues to be in their way . . . even so grossly and sadly weakened a UN -- under attack from the first moment of its conception.

[Scurrilous]

9. How did this nutjob...

...get past White House Security?

[gratuitous]

11. Security? Heck, they rolled out the red carpet for him!

See, this is why George W. Bush can't spare a few minutes to explain to Cindy Sheehan what noble cause her son died for. He's too busy meeting with guys who "pray" for more war, death and destruction.

But nemmine that! Ahmadinejad's in the U.S., and he's a religious nutball!

[TexasLawyer]

10. Rudy's senior foreign policy adviser

So if you like disastrous pre-emptive wars, you'll love Rudy!

Podhoretz, after a half-century in argument, remains fiercely relevant.

He is a senior foreign policy adviser to Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani. He participates in weekly conference calls with the campaign and says he is in constant contact via e-mail with the foreign policy team.

[lligrd]

12. I'd Love To See Rove's Notes nt

[Mend]

13. how many little Podhoretz's are serving in the military....

of either the US or Israel? How many ever served?

[populistdriven]

14. Lieberman is on board with Podhoretz on this and everything else neoevil