[A-List] Democrats Warn Bush Not to Attack Iran

["Yoshie Furuhashi" <critical.montages@xxxxxxxxx>]

Democrats are finally making themselves useful to the nation, but
their statements are far from reassuring, given that they are so
easily persuaded to give the POTUS a congressional authorization for
war, and the POTUS is probably hoping to provoke Iran into a military
engagement that he can escalate (as recent arrests of Iranians in
Iraq, for instance, suggest) even before he gets any authorization
(thankfully, so far Iran's leaders have not responded to
provocations). -- Yoshie

<http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6357598,00.html>
Democrats Warn Bush Not to Attack Iran

Friday January 19, 2007 8:31 PM

AP Photo DCMC107

By LAURIE KELLMAN

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic leaders in Congress lobbed a warning shot
Friday at the White House not to launch an attack against Iran without
first seeking approval from lawmakers.

"The president does not have the authority to launch military action
in Iran without first seeking congressional authorization,'' Senate
Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told the National Press Club.

The administration has accused Iran of meddling in Iraqi affairs and
contributing technology and bomb-making materials for insurgents to
use against U.S. and Iraqi security forces.

President Bush said last week the U.S. will "seek out and destroy''
networks providing that support. While top administration officials
have said they have no plans to attack Iran itself, they have declined
to rule it out.

This week, the administration sent another aircraft carrier to the
Persian Gulf - the second to deploy in the region. Defense Secretary
Robert Gates said the buildup was intended to impress on Iran that the
four-year war in Iraq has not made America vulnerable. The U.S. is
also deploying anti-missile Patriot missiles in the region.

The U.S. has accused Tehran of trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that Iran would
not back down over its nuclear program, which Tehran says is being
developed only to produce energy.

Reid made the comments as he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.,
spoke to the National Press Club on Democrats' view of the state of
the union four days before Bush addresses Congress and the nation. His
remarks were the latest Democratic display of concern about the
possibility of military action in Iran and Bush's power to launch it.

Last week, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden,
D-Del., challenged the president's ability to make such a move. In a
letter to Bush, Biden asked the president to explain whether the
administration believes it could attack Iran or Syria "without the
authorization of Congress, which does not now exist.''

Meanwhile, Lee Hamilton, the Democratic co-chair of the Iraq Study
Group, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday that the
U.S. must try to engage Iran and Syria in a constructive dialogue on
Iraq because of the countries' influence in the conflict.

The Bush administration, and several members of Congress, say they
oppose talks with Iran and Syria because of their terrorist
connections. Bringing the two countries into regional talks aimed at
reducing violence in Iraq was one of the study group's
recommendations.

"Do we have so little confidence in the diplomats of the United States
that we're not willing to let them talk with somebody we disagree
with?'' Hamilton asked.

--
Yoshie
<http://montages.blogspot.com/>
<http://mrzine.org>
<http://monthlyreview.org/>