The senators from Tel Aviv.

 "Graham was even blunter. 

“The Congress has Israel’s back,” he said, “and never misunderstand that. Whatever relationship problems we have had in the past, it has never seeped over into Congress. The Congress has been united in protection of one of our best allies in the world, the State of Israel.” "  JPOST

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Considering the amount of Obama Administration groveling this week, this looks like war to me.   It seems like a matter of timing.  In the "crunch" there will be no choice but to virtually destroy Iran.   pl 

http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=180695

Comments

[Cloned Poster]

Regarding another American ally, Turkey, McCain – referring to both Ankara’s vote against Iran sanctions at the UN and its hostile rhetoric toward Israel – said he has been “disappointed recently” by Turkey’s “actions and words.”

Turkey has no rhetoric, McCain is full of shit.

[J]

Colonel,

The 'nuclear cooperation' between Tel Aviv and D.C. scares the beejeez out of me.

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=180691

What do you think Moscow was promised to stay the delivery of their S300 systems to Tehran? Moscow is now the world largest oil exporter/producer, and we the U.S. are fast becoming Moscow's biggest importer client. Moscow's economy is getting stronger, while ours is getting weaker. And with bobble-headed fools like the tripartite U.S. Senators shown in the picture with Barak, are shoveling as hard and as fast as they can to sink U.S. into an even deeper hole.

Does anybody else think that the tripartite Senators actions meet the definition of 'Treason' , or am I alone in this conclusion?

[walrus]

I'm afraid you are right Col. Lang, it's war. I get the impression from your writings that the road to bombing Iran may lead through Lebanon.

I also suspect that Israel is going to launch information operations this time that will be international in scope and especially target America.

The recent Supreme Court decision that established that even having a humanitarian dialogue with a designated terrorist organisation is illegal, plus Liebermans "citizenship stripping" proposals for anyone "involved(?)", as determined by the State Department, in providing "support" to a designated terrorist organisation, plus the certainty of a Supreme Court with a jewish majority, leads me to believe that the Zionists will go after American citizen journalists this time.

Please don't think I'm flattering you when I say that I think you and SST, Greenwald, Weiss, Cole, etc.will be targetted with a view to suppression.

The MSM is already in the Likudnik pocket.

I have a sneaking suspicion that if Turkey and Syria get involved, in some way, perhaps with Iraqi tacit support, and Iran stays mute, we might suddenly discover that we are confronting a "greater Middle East" power bloc.

The Russians would not support that idea, but I suspect that the Chinese might. China just bought a huge chunk of Japanese sovereign debt. That tells me spheres of influence are (re)forming again.

Does America want a sphere consisting of just the Americas plus Israel? Are all those "commands" just hubris?????

[arbogast]

Their back?

As in kissing their ass?

I opine that American soldiers will bear the brunt of the casualties in any war.

[Patrick Lang]

walrus

Just guessing but this begins to sound like the Israelis try to do Hizbullah and we go after Iran. pl

[frank durkee]

Walrus,
The present Cupreme Court is almost all, if not all, Roman Catholic.

[William R. Cumming]

Actually think no war for now until after fall elections. If Republicans take either or both houses then Katy bar the door. Saudis are itching to help fight Shias.

[ike]

walrus:
"the certainty of a Supreme Court with a jewish majority"
?
With Kagan I see three (ethnically).

[Patrick Lang]

WRC

I think you are wrong about the Saudis. pl

[J]

WRC, Colonel,

Israel and their Hasbara crowd have been churning a black propaganda op against the Saudis trying to paint them as setting up Israeli 'in transit' bases/air corridors with which to strike Iran. WRC, I have to agree with the Colonel, I think you are falling victim to the Israeli black propaganda op against the Saudis that is at play.

[MRW.]

Criminal. Just criminal if they bomb Iran.

[Sidney O. Smith III]

If the Cheney Wurmser strategic goal is used as precedent, then one can argue that step one is an attack on Iran. Iranian response will lead to slaughter of US soldiers that in turns forces a massive US retaliation.

After an attack on Iran, odds of IDF-Hezbullah conflict increase. JP article is basically warning Hezbullah that Lebanese civilians will pay the price.

And with the Iranian-US conflict on page one, no one will really notice. Somewhat like the IDF in Jenin, WB after 9-11.

[ghoti]

As a citizen, I am concerned about both the morality of what our senators are enabling and the practical effects of such actions on this country. The absolute lack of moral fiber leading these senators to put basic decency and their own country on the back burner cannot easily be countered by America firsters donating more money because of the quantities of money involved, and the many examples of intimidation of those whose opinions lack the AIPAC seal of approval show the risk of speaking out without a strong organizational backing.

Are there any good ideas about how to go on the offense? Are there wedge issues we can use and a way to get them into public consciousness? The Liberty barely draws attention. Is there a way that an emotionally charged issue could be used to force these senators to represent their own country by forcing them to represent their own country or to openly side with Israel in manner that can’t be easily glossed over by the media? How can we shame them into representing the United States? I would think a good strategy is possible if enough concerned people thought about it.

[optimax]

Our economy is hanging by a thread. Wonder if Obama was told if he didn't back Israel, the economy would be imploded? A central bank run by private individuals, and mostly in secret, is a bad idea. I'm not calling it a Jewish conspiracy but elite control of our country--an elite made up of various ethnic groups, probably mostly WASP. War distracts the public from our countries internal failures and is profitable.

[Jackie]

J,
I have to think the "t" word when I read about this trio. Now, if they want to lead the charge against Iran, I say let these pipsqueaks go for it. I'm sure the citizens of Arizona, Connecticut and South Carolina are proud of their senators for representing another country.

[Nancy K]

Walrus, the Supreme Court does not have a Jewish Majority and will not have when Kagan is elected. It does have a Catholic majority.

[Lysander]

I'm not at all sure the Iranians are playing the same game. I don't think we will go from full stop to nuclear annihilation of Iran in one day. (God forgive us for speaking so nonchalantly about mass murder.) The US almost certainly has a stepwise escalation in mind. A limited attack, an Iranian retaliation, more attack, more retaliation, total destruction attack.

But Iran's response may be, indeed probably will be, much more subtle. We always here about new Iranian missiles, Persian Gulf IRGC Naval maneuvers, tough words from generals. But my guess is Iran will simply withdraw from the NPT and leave it at that. A month or two later, helicopters get shot down more regularly in Afghanistan. Maybe not even that much. Iran will deny any involvement in any case.

Keep in mind that the NPT only requires Iran to announce site of uranium enrichment. It says nothing about telling the IAEA where its centrifuges are manufactured and stored. You will also notice that since 2007, the number of centrifuges at Natanz has remained constant. That does not mean Iran does not have more elsewhere. It is entirely plausible, indeed probable, that Iran has continued to build them. It is quite plausible that raw uranium is stored somewhere safe, or even unenriched uranium hexaflouride gas (I am not an expert, please feel free to correct me.)

So, Iran may respond passively, while stepping up its secret nuclear development. It will give the US little political room to escalate. That does not mean escalation wont happen, but it adds to the political cost.

I would also add the mood in this country is not 2002 at all. It is one of impending financial doom. And of potential environmental catastrophe. And of war weariness. That does not mean the plan can't be sold to the public, or that the public wont simply be told to shut up. But again, the expense is much higher than ever before.

That said, if the US and Israel persist, if the war does escalate, I do not believe Iran will go gentle into that good night. I do think Iran will face unprecedented destruction (God's forgiveness) I also think they will leave the US a smaller Giant facing the Russians and Chinese.

[clifford kiracofe]

"this looks like war to me. It seems like a matter of timing. "

yup, about how things felt late summer 2002. that war had already been planned and agreed on long before...

And if we remember, it was just the opening gambit of the Neocon's overall plan for the Middle East. Additional targets (among others) for war or destabilization being Iran, Syria, and Egypt.

And of course the Neocons are just one group of willing and able flunkies for the higher circles who have the real power. Many Senators and Congressmen fall into this flunky category as well, as do others in high office.

Rather than adapt to a changing world and international balance of power, the imperial types think they can rearrange the globe through war at this time. The idea is to maintain "dominance" or hegemony rather than adjust to a multipolar situation.

I have noted before that the coming war, if it comes, would be perceived by circles in the US and Europe as a move on the chessboard to maintain "Western" dominance in the face of a rising China, a rising India, an ailing but still not without power Russia and so on.

Russia and China are not in a position yet (yet) to directly oppose the US-NATO machine. They will have to get stronger and the US will have to get weaker. Thus, they can take a pass and let the US bleed for another decade or two while they consolidate and strengthen their positions, if they can.

Some US-EURO circles may well calculate that a war will get us all somehow around the economic and financial mess we are in.

I would not rule out the Israelis taking advantage of a messy Middle East war situation to just expell the Palestinians in an ethnic cleansing operation.

Hagee has his Christian Zionist annual extravaganza in DC late July targeting the Hill.

To monitor the pro-war temperature one can glance at the Congressional Record noting a rising heated pro-Israel anti-Iran rhetoric. The usual media types like Rush and that slut will turn up the volume, some patriotic songs out of Nashville to flood the airwaves, and Hollywood doing its part to "support the war."

And the internal clamp down here will continue step by step against dissenters in the general "Sovietization" of the US polity.

Selections from Solzhenitsyn's two volume set on Russia and the Jews are appearing here and there on the net in English translation these days. Wonder why... preparing for the coming American Gulag.

[Jose]

Reaching out to Odacer, was a respected activity for Senators, so why all the fuss?

[fanto]

Ghoti,
I am reading Shlomo Sand's book "The Invention of the Jewish People" and I see some parallels between his description of the Chazar empire, which - according to his sources - was populated by tribes which adopted mosaic faith, but were governed by a small elite of ethnic Jews, and their judicial system was in the hands of s.c. Kagans. The analogy to the US today is breath-taking. Shlomo Sand's book is very interesting. I am really surprised that he was able to publish it.

[JohnH]

I would still like to see someone address what happens AFTER the US bombs the bejeezus out of Iran.

Does the attack of Iran have a long term strategy behind it, or is it just warmongering to satisfy some out of control warrior blood lust?

The experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan do not offer hopeful precedents.

[Fred]

What's this, the Tripartite Pact of Senators? to quote wiki" "stand by and co-operate with one another in... their prime purpose to establish and maintain a new order of things... to promote the mutual prosperity and welfare of the peoples concerned." Just which people do these men represent? What threat is Iran to South Carolina or Connecticut?

The Democratic machine must be just glowing with joy to see Joe Lieberman in action. Imagine what Ned Lemont would be doing today. Of course all three are Republican's, Joe's "Independent" label not withstanding his actual conduct since re-election.

[J]

Colonel,

The three Senators can act like fools in the well of the Senate as they are 'protected' from any criminal prosecutions. However when they step foot 'outside' the well of the Senate, then they become like the rest of U.S., 'liable' for one's actions. It sure looks like the three of them are violating FARA, not to mention violating the prohibition of direct personal negotiations with a foreign government.

Oui? No?

[[email protected]]

I'm really scared by what I am seeing. Why should we even be thinking about attacking Iran? If we don't wake up and start acting sensible we may end up in the past tense due to our own miscalculations. Israel is one of our best allies in the world? I'm speechless! If we do not start acting with more real world savvy we won't even live to regret it.

[505th PIR]

Col,

Check your perimeter and battlefield noises, especially in lulls of your own sector fight. What is noisy in front of you, and or put in front of you ("maskirova") may not be the case all round. Look further afield than this. Parodox/Sun Tszu