Reply #78: I believe that Iran is the real goal of the Iraq invasion.

[leftrightwingnut]

The entire Iraq war is a fraud, so why do it? Bush and Cheney saw an opportunity to get a foothold in the area and took it. My cynical side says that the reason we are having so much trouble keeping the peace in Iraq is that it gives us an excuse to stay. I have long believed that a sudden trend toward a rosier picture in Iraq (real or not) would presage an attack on Iran.

One of the biggest problems with Iran is that it has begun trading petroleum products for Euros -- not dollars. Up until recently, one could only buy petroleum with dollars. It is one of the reasons the dollar has been so strong, historically. I cannot help but think this would be a big problem for the US economy (which is, ironically, already in the toilet.)

The Iranian Bourse opened on 2/15, I think. So, I would not be surprised at an attack coming sooner, rather than later. Bush tried his best to get some traction with this on his Middle East tour, but failed miserably. He has no credibility. My guess, is a staged attack on US military interests or a civilian 'terrorist' bombing will be the excuse.

The only kink I see in the timing on this thing is the Democratic primary. I'm not sure what Obama's surprise showing does to the time table. I have a suspicion that it would be better for the powers that be if Clinton has the nomination sewn up before an Iranian attack. Otherwise, there is likely to be a huge groundswell of support for Obama and Clinton won't have a chance of stealing the nomination. On the other hand, it may not matter, which means sooner, rather than later.

Mad musings of an armchair poli amateur...