Browsing Google News, I saw an article about Iran and the findings of the 9/11 commission. A year ago I would've been scared that Bush would use this as another excuse to invade a country and shore up support at home. Now it only serves to contrast the administration's response towards Iraq.
But State Department spokesman Richard Boucher has said the United States is "willing to sit down" and talk with the Iranians "if the president determines it's in our interest to do so and we think there's the opportunity for progress."
I wonder if the American people will buy this, or whether the wingnuts will demand we go to war with Iran while the Democrats accuse Bush of attacking the wrong country. And why can't the American press be as good as those guys across the water?
U.S.: Analysts Say Washington Unlikely To Act On Reported Iran-Al-Qaeda Link
"There is not a lot that the U.S. can do on Iran right now," Ottaway said. "[The United States] certainly does not have a military option the way things are, and it needs some cooperation from Iran on Iraq. Iran certainly has the capacity to make things in Iraq much more difficult for the United States. At the same time, the United States does not have the option of doing in Iran what it did in Iraq, and that is changing the regime."
Now I'm no fan of the Iranians, but thank god Bush's hands are tied. Can you imagine what that would do the Middle East if we were to have the capability to invade Iran?
Reminds me of a conversation I had with my ex-military, Republican brother-in-law about a year before the Iraq war. He informed me that the plans were already set, and the troops were heading out and we'd be at war by February. While he was off by a few weeks, it was his next comment that really bothered me. He informed me that the general consensus among the military leaders, is that once we've got all our troops over in Iraq, why don't we take down Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria as well? I tried to explain how that would never fly, it would cause a serious global conflict, but he didn't seem to care. As he said, "after I saw those camel fuckers dancing in the streets of Gaza on September 11th, I lost any sympathy for them. They deserve what's coming."
And this is my otherwise rational, Harvard Kennedy Schooled brother-in-law. It really makes me sad.