CelticBear’s Musings

A report recently came out suggesting that maybe the TSA’s No-Fly list, approaching 1 million names, might not be very effective. What? Really?
♦ Report: U.S. terror ‘watch list’ may be getting too long
But it’s been so effective considering it has the names of people who have been critical of this Administration’s actions, like Ted Kennedy, decorated Marines who question King George; has dead people on it; and generic names without more specific information:
♦ Unlikely Terrorists On No Fly List
♦ Professor who criticized Bush added to terrorist ‘no-fly’ list

But the real important question is the recent revelation that buried in King George’s emergency war funding request, was $88 millions to fit B-2 “stealth” bombers to carry 30K pound “bunker-buster” bombs:

♦ Bomb Iran? U.S. Requests Bunker-Buster Bombs

Military analysts say the only reason you’d want to do this is so you can invade Iran. Soon. (Remember, it was White House Chief of Staff Andy Card who cynically quipped before the Iraq invasion that you want to “roll out new product” in the fall.)
Also, former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer who’s private advertising company has been recently financed by the Administration to create a public commercial campaign, not asking the public to support the Iraq war (like with joining up or buying war bonds) but justifying the Iraq war and trying to link it with 9/11!, has also been tasked by the White House to start a campaign seeking to convince the American public we need to go to war with Iran now too.

Over this last year we’ve seen a lot of the White House’s attempts to suck Iran into the fray, such as claiming Iran is now the main insurgent problem (even though most “insurgents” are Iraqi nationals, and Iranians make up less than 5% while Bush’s friends, the Saudi’s make up 18%).
Then of course there was King George’s recent remark that Iran’s gaining of nuclear, oops, nookyoular weapons technology will lead to World War III, doesn’t do too much to help the diplomatic situation. Can we say “politics of fear?”

So, the administration has been itching to attack Iran, and it looks like they’re gearing up for it materially. However, trying to think positively, here’s some possible happy bits: According to that ABC News report regarding the emergency request for stealth bombers—it seems sloppy and incompetent to be so careless with information suggesting a “secret” invasion plan. It’s possible that the White House put the bomber request in there and let the press get a hold of it in order to intimidate Iran.
(But then, when has the administration shown any competence in military and diplomatic matters?!)

Also, Russia just recently publicly strengthened their diplomatic ties to Iran. Now, we know King George and Putin haven’t been the best of friends, but any overt attack against Iran would spell diplomatic (and possibly militaristic) disaster with Russia (and possibly China). That would be insane.
(But then, when has this administration shown any sanity in issues with military and diplomatic issues? Not to mention the fact that several neo-con pundits have expressed a belief that the best thing to help the U.S. financially would be another Cold War….)

This is going to be a very interesting next 30 days….