There might be a storm coming. The sensationalistic story in the Sunday London Times about Israel's impending nuke attack on Iran was most likely a buttering of the bread before sticking it into a toaster oven. Israel denies it, but what else are they going to say? They may well have leaked it themselves, just like the "we might have nukes" oops moment committed a few weeks ago by Olmert.
On the homefront it's hard to say whether the Congressional Democrats are serious with their new redeployment pressurizing or just running interference. Harry Reid changed his mind about the surge but Steny Hoyer, who beat out Murtha for House Majority Leader, is a friend of Israel. Perhaps that meant something. We know about Joe Lieberman. My guess is that some top Democrats know the score and are playing along, but I wouldn't bet my whole paycheck on it.
Speaking of me, here's my earlier take on Iran--nothing other armchair analysts hadn't figured out and mainly precipitated by the stunning capture of Iranian al-Qods operatives in Baghdad and the simultaneous escalation of US Naval forces in the region. Here's Ralph Peters on that, someone who actually knows the subject. But even armchair analysts can see the two trains barreling down the track towards each other, as Jules Crittendon so eloquently points out.
Bush will announce the new way forward this week, but he simply can't go back to the American people with the same "stay the course" speech this time. Everyone knows it. There must be an actual new way presented. If that happens to be engagement with Iran then this entire Iraq debate could be a red herring designed to allow us to get the trigger pulled.
If you're not convinced just consider what we know of Bush's persona and consider all his speeches to date on the topic of fighting the fight and not backing down. As Woodward quoted him in "State of Denial", he'll never redeploy, even if Barney and Laura are the only ones left in his corner.
MORE LEAKS 1/7/07
Some sucker has leaked Bush's upcoming speech about the new direction. When will the seditious madness end?
I've got another question. If Ramzi Yousef had been successful in his 1993 attempt to blow one WTC tower into the other and killing over 100,000 people, where would Clinton have retaliated? Bin Laden was not on the radar then, and Yousef was a Pakistani Baluch who had lived in Kuwait and had a warm spot for the Palestinians, just like Saddam. It was only a short time after the Gulf War and Saddam had vowed revenge, which he later attempted by trying to blow up Bush 41. Just wondering..
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