We just attacked Iran.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

This morning, our helicopters, humvees and tanks went to Kurdish Iraq, far away from any sectarian violence, and even further from the Iran-Iraq border. They bombed, strafed, then invaded the consulate office in a peaceful city controlled by our only ally in the region. We demolished their building.

According to the Voice of Russia, (NPR in chicago has had a makeover) the Kurds and Iranians were working hard on diplomacy, trade agreements and bilateral exchanges.

We just attacked Iran, although I admit that a consulate is not an embassy.

We just destroyed our relationship with the Kurds.

We just fucked up royally.

As to the Kurds, after this absolutely idiotic attack on Iran's Consulate, a convoy of US humvees were stopped by the Kurdish army, and they actually locked and loaded, pointed weapons at each other. Eventually, US helicopters were needed to get the US troops out of there.

Mission accomplished. Darth Cheney is squatting over his cauldron, adding eye of newt, bay of pig and casting his evil spells all over the globe.

[Waya]

1. Eh, Link? Confirmation?

[ruiner4u]

7. BBC link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6251167.stm


good god...

[magellan]

2. Where did you hear/see this?

Link if possible please??

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. NPR at 4am CST.

and confirmed by Washington Post and lots of foreign papers.

[Jacobin]

We also just bombed Iran's border

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2683801

It's started

[aquart]

17. Right now there is no link on the source of the blasts.

If we're bombing, wtf do we need to raid an embassy for?

[Jacobin]

23. why not both?

if one is a neo con, that is

[hang a left]

24. I believe the bombing that took place was in Southern Iran.

The consulate raid was in Northern Iraq.

Kind of far from each other.

[aquart]

29. Not described as "bombing," either.

[hang a left]

41. I have read that story now.

My only point was that what was happening was in 2 very distant locations.

Doesn't mean I believe it.

I have no doubt that shit is about to meet the fan, and the fan is on high.

[aquart]

25. "Controlled explosions to destroy land mines."

""The governor's office informed people on Wednesday night that mine-sweeping activities will take place on Thursday," the journalist with Iran's state television told Reuters."

So. IRAN is doing the exploding in Iran. Nothing like baseless hysteria first thing in the morning. Unless you think Iran is lying?

[hedgehog]

36. Why would Iran be cleaning up mine fields now unless it was

preparing to send its army over the border in response to an attack by the US?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. here is der spiegal

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,459083,00.html

[magellan]

5. Aren't consulates afforded roughly the same rights as embassies?

I mean, could this be viewed as an act of war?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. yes, especially between nations that have not completed their

negotiations for embassy and exchange of ambassadors. Because Iran and Kurdistan can't have ambassadors yet (Kurdistan does not yet exist as a separate country) the consulate is treated as Iranian territory.

"War by any other name, smells as sweat" - Darth Cheney, 2007

[mmonk]

19. Supposedly but America no longer recognizes the

sovereignty of any other nation except itself.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

20. I keep forgetting that important point.

I repeat,
GODDAMMIT!

[lazyriver]

6. This was a tactical move to try to force Iran to hit back

Bush the Bully poked his finger in Iran's chest during last night's spewed recycled rhetoric. This morning he backhanded them across the face and said, "So what are you gonna DO about it?"

And when they do hit back...

The real shit will hit the fan.

Bush is a madman and needs to be stopped immediately.

[northernsoul]

47. Agreed, they're using our Persian Gulf fleet as bait

There is another post here talking about how they have deliberately put our ships within range of Iranian anti-ship missles - probably hoping to goad Iran into making a "Pearl Harbor" attack on our sailors, who are sitting ducks right now.

These madmen must be removed from office. I hope that the remaining military professionals we have feel the same way.

[lazyriver]

49. I can't imagine being a sailor on one of those ships

sitting there off the coast while the Chimp-in-Chief thumbs his nose at Iran and practically begs them to launch a few missiles my way. Sure, bravery is expected of our troops but what is being asked of them now is simply to become martyrs for yet another unjust war. It is a criminal act to use them as bait this way even if the cause was a just one (which it's not). Is it really much different than the tactics of our "terrorist enemies" when they send a suicide bomber to attack a police recruitment center in Baghdad or a U.S. checkpoint?

If there are any military professionals left and they do object to being used as targets, they will quickly be replaced with lock-step zombies who will follow the Great Leader's insane orders. I believe the only way to stop it starts with removing Bush & Cheney (at the very least) from office and locking them away in the deepest darkest prison Halliburton can build.

[wizstars]

60. more like a "Gulf of Tonkin"

I cannot put it past bush to do this. he wants to take Iran down, and he's shown in Iraq that he'll do it.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

61. pre cise ly.

exactly.

[izzie]

9. Well?

I said it all started and that is why he waited to give the talk. Look at the news. We are bombing in Somalia, Afghanistan Iraq and this Iran thing. He did not ask us he just did it while he was vacations at the ranch and his writer got the speech ready. Do not believe one thing this President tells us it is like Vietnam all over.

[marmar]

10. I wish every American would stay home from work or school today....

Block the entrances to government offices, and tie up the phone lines of their state and US reps, and Senators. I've already called in sick - I've devoted this day to protest.
The beast that is the war machine MUST be starved. Now.

[hiaasenrocks]

11. Iran was detonating old mines from the 1980s (link)

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=48787&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

[hiaasenrocks]

13. Sorry, this was meant for the "explosions" thread.

[lonestarnot]

12. Pretty quickly after the hints to egh?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. January 11 - the date historians call the start of WWIII?

assuming humanity survives long enough to discuss this as a historical event.

[berni_mccoy]

15. It's official: on Reuters

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L11580349.htm

[ChairmanAgnostic]

16. But in KURDISTAN-IRAQ?

That is no arms depot, it is too bloody far from the actual battle zones. This is Way the fuck up north, not far from the Turkic border.
This makes no sense except as a deliberate effort to cause Iran to attack, allowing out carrier forces increase the war, in conjunction with Israel.

GODDAMMIT. I just remembered. Condi flew to Israel yesterday. No wonder war is breaking out.

[bdamomma]

26. this is not good at all, bush wants to escalate this man must

be stopped we have our own homegrown terrorist and he is in the WH.

[ellisonz]

40. THIS DOES NOT MEAN WAR.

US forces raid Iranian consulate in Iraq - Iran agency
11 Jan 2007 09:36:21 GMT
Source: Reuters

ARBIL, Iraq, Jan 11 (Reuters) - U.S. forces raided the Iranian consulate office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil on Thursday and arrested five employees, the official Iranian news agency IRNA said.
There was no immediate comment by the U.S. military on the raid which came hours after President George W. Bush vowed in a speech to interrupt what he called the "flow of support" from Iran and Syria for insurgent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq.
The raid was the second such operation in the past month against Iranian interests in Iraq by U.S. forces.
"Around 5.00 a.m., after disarming the guards they (U.S. troops) broke into the office, without giving any explanation and arrested five employees," the official IRNA news agency reported, adding that documents and computers were seized.
It said Iran had sent a protest letter to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

[MzNov]

44. so what is it? A SURGE ? nt

[endarkenment]

45. You are correct, it is just an act of war, not a war itself.

We committed an act of war against Iran. Most likely you are correct, Iran will protest but not retaliate.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

56. then again,

from whose perspective does a state of war exist?

from Iraq's? Sure. Not only a civil war, but an untenable invasion by an unpopular army, led by a leader (it hurts to type that word) whose sanity is questioned with great frequency.
from Iran's? An act of war, to be sure, but combined with our sending secret forces into northern regions, fomenting revolution, assassinating tribal leaders who support the Iran government, AND lurking around their shore with three aircraft groups? I would be easily convinced that a state of war already exists.
from the Administration's? This is the only one that matters. Obviously, with threats and more, they are taking the provocation, even the battle to Iran. I would bet that they are willing tro sacrifice a destroyer or other US surface ship to an Iranian supercruise missile (their's fly faster than the speed of sound - the next generation Cruise missiles exist in Iran's arsenal) just so they can claim a Pueblo.

I would not even be shocked if our feckless leaders concocted an explosion or attack, in an effort to galvanize US opinion. Remember how their puppetry worked by use of color coded warnings, every single time that bad news came out? These people have no shame. They care not one bit about the deaths of US soldiers. (armor, body armor and more) They are willing to have our boys and girls die and be horribly injured just to further their neocon goals. I would put nothing past these criminals.

so in summary, a state of war may actually exist, although one side is holding back, doing its utmost to not retaliate against clear provocation.

[berni_mccoy]

46. I don't think anyone claimed it was war...?

At least I never did.

It certainly is an ACT of war...

[cool user name]

18. Kicking ... Impeachment and Removal is Imperative!

[rosesaylavee]

21. OMG.

[hang a left]

22. Actually I don't think this is what our attack is going to look like.

This is provoking.

This is starting trouble.

They will get thier justifying "incident" one way or another.

Prepare for the false-flag.

[annabanana]

27. "Disrupting".. This is what they call, "disrupting". .

Since when are the Kurds big allies of Iran? It sounds like we just attacked some ordinary diplomatic relations. Was this a favor for Turkey? If Iran can establish relationships with Kurdish Iraq does it signify an independent Kurdistan?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

30. but Iran and Turkey were also talking

on far more friendly terms than the US-Iran.

[Avalux]

28. No, we're trying to provoke them, so we have a reason to attack them.

:-(

[The Backlash Cometh]

31. Maybe they'll give us some leeway if we impeach Bush?

He wants a reaction, I say we give him one.

[Junkdrawer]

33. The aircraft carriers...the 'leaks" to the Murdoch press...the support of the MeK...

Yep, we're beating that hornet's nest as hard as we can.

[pdxmom]

32. And our MSM has yet to report on this. Why am I not surprised? n/t

[Roxy66]

38. Not even on the morning news shows!!! WTF!!

[magellan]

55. I heard one of the first CM reports this morning -- they called the consulate a "liaison office"!!

I shit you not, a "liaison office". Purposely downplaying it and giving it a rather sinister spin. Can't have Americans know we're going around sacking legitimate consulates, can we?

[leftchick]

34. WooHoo! Here we go! "FM slams storming of Iranian consulate in Iraq "

:scared:

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=48788&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

<snip>

In other developments, US forces raided the Iranian consulate in the Iraqi northern city of Erbil, arrested its five staff members and confiscated computers and documents early Thursday morning.

Erbil, a main city in the Kurdish-controlled north of Iraq, is 350 kilometers (220 miles) from Baghdad.

The Iranian embassy in Baghdad has sent a letter of protest to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry for the illegal move.

It has called on the Iraqi government to help obtain the immediate release of its five detained staff.

[MH1]

35. Does anyone else think, the speech was just cover for this?

Everyone already knew Bush's "plan". But having a formal speech about it gets all the talking heads yapping about that ("hey look over here!"), then they go do the thing that they don't want a lot of attention on.

But like a commentator said this morning on NPR, this attack on the Iranian consulate is the real story today. I wonder how many others in the M$M will see that, or will they still be looking at the shiny object?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

37. watching gates and Condi talk about the surge, I must agree.

they have said nothing about Iran, and this means that they are sitting on that info \

WHY? the world knows, it is only US MSM that is silent about it.

[GreenZoneLT]

39. Here's breaking coverage from an Iraqi wire service

http://www.aswataliraq.info/?newlang=eng

[troubleinwinter]

42. Very interesting site. Thank you very much!

[malaise]

43. Bush does not give a flying

fuck.

[Jcrowley]

48. K&R n/t

[Heywood J]

50. With all due respect,

how many foreign embassies, consulates, airplanes, fishing boats, etc. has the US destroyed now?

What's one more? :sarcasm:

[LittleClarkie]

51. K&R

Too important to let slip off the front page

[AbbyR]

52. Every time something new happens

I wonder "What's next?" How much longer will our so-called representatives in Washington let this go on? Bush and his minions have got to be stopped, and I feel awfully helpless to do it myself. What's impeachment for if not for a situation like this?

[sakabatou]

53. I have just one word:

shit.

[malaise]

54. Listen to Ron Paul

on CSpan i right now. He is brilliant.

[paulk]

57. Juan Cole's take on this

"Irbil is the fied of Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani. The Kurdistan Regional Government, which he leads, is semi-autonomous and maintains a regional army, the Peshmerga, of 60,000 men. Kurdistan authorities say that no federal Iraqi army troops may set foot in Kurdistan.

Kurdistan is eager to retain its semi-autonomy, and hopes ultimately for independence. It cannot expect the Baghdad government to fund its military. Sunni guerrillas have sabotaged oil exports from Kirkuk.

One scenario you could imagine is that Iran was sending some aid and weaponry to the Peshmerga on condition it be shared with the Badr Corps paramilitary of the Shiite Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. The US raided a compound of SCIRI leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim recently and captured Iranian intelligence officials there, who had come to consult about the shape of the Iraqi government.

Kurdistan authorities have long had good relations with the Badr Corps, to which they gave bases in Kurdistan late in the Saddam period when they were jointly trying to overthrow him.

Although Bush keeps implying that Iran is supplying weapons and aid to US enemies in Iraq, the circumstantial evidence is that it was helping the two main US allies in Iraq with their paramilitary capabilities-- Kurdistan and SCIRI. But it is likely that the money and weapons do bleed over into insurgent groups and have a destabilizing effect.

The most strident complaints about Iranian aid to Peshmerga and Badr come from the Sunni Arab political leaders. One wonders if this is a last gift to them by Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad before he goes out, and a sign that the US is trying to get them back to the negotiating table?

Stay tuned."

[Rosemary2205]

62. Thanks

Juan Cole seems to have been just about right on everything up to this point.

[liberal renegade]

58. GTFOH!

These fuckers are so crazy that can't see how fuckig evil they really are... Down the shitter we go!

[Ahpook]

59. Sorry if this has been answered..

I haven't been able to turn on the glowing propaganda box in my living room today, and news is going by quick here.. What was the fucking reason these insane bastards gave for this?

I realize why they are antagonizing Iran, but i want to hear thier justification.

This is absolutely crazy x(

[Ahpook]

63. Nevermind

I finally had a moment to sit and read a bit.

[StrictlyRockers]

64. I think this might qualify as number four from yesterday's thread.

Ok, not number four, more like number three, actually.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=3087652&mesg_id=3087652

[Disturbed]

65. What are the Iranians being charged with?

Doesn't the US Govt. need to provide documents charging the Iranians working at this Consulate with actual crimes?

[Imagevision]

66. Bush's trick, he needs to provoke Iranians into attacking our planes or ships - then the new

war would begin -- I think the draft will be re-instated in the US. though....

[midnight]

67. Ok congress, get in there and stop this.......

This war has gone on for far to long. This has got to end. We cannot keep bombing here and there.

[mzmolly]

68. The PNAC hail mary pass is here!

:scared:

[Divine Discontent]

69. exactly..

they know they have little time left in the game...



www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- antibush prodem stickers/shirts

[focusfan]

70. no we didn't mess up Bush did

and the son of a bitch is getting what he wants more oil money
for the sake of American lives.