US/IRAN: Blowback of War Likely to Be "Terrible"

[laststeamtrain]

US/IRAN:
Blowback of War Likely to Be "Terrible"

Charles Davis

WASHINGTON, Mar 10 (IPS) - Since the release of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran's nuclear capabilities last December, the prevailing conventional wisdom has been that the report's finding that Iran is not currently pursuing nuclear weapons had derailed the possibility of the George W. Bush administration launching a military strike before leaving office.
In the months preceding the report's release, the anti-Iranian rhetoric coming out of Washington had been increasingly bellicose, with President Bush suggesting that allowing Iran to gain "the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon" could ultimately lead to "World War III".

The release of the NIE -- the consensus view of all 16 U.S. intelligence services -- and its conclusion that Iran halted efforts to pursue nuclear weapons "in 2003 primarily in response to international pressure" appeared to be a serious blow to proponents of military action.

Yet some believe the Bush administration could still choose to attack Iran, perhaps so as to ensure a Republican victory in the upcoming November presidential election.

"Their intention to use fear is very clear, and I think that you have to understand how they manipulate American fear to keep power," said Rep. Jim McDermott, a Democrat from the state of Washington.

"President Bush wants to find a way to provoke a military confrontation, or gin up some data to frighten the American people into believing a preemptive strike is defensible," McDermott said at a recent forum in Washington organised by the group Just Foreign Policy. "And I live in constant fear that he intends to do just that," he said.

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http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41528

[gasperc]

1. me saying, no kidding

[Echo In Light]

2. "gin up some data to frighten the American people into believing a preemptive strike is defensible"

Sounds familiar.

[acmavm]

3. So much war to start, so little time left. They'll be doing something

very soon. I don't have any doubt about that at all.