WASHINGTON — Defending his credibility, President Bush said Tuesday that Iran is dangerous and must be squeezed by international pressure despite a blockbuster intelligence finding that Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago.
Bush said the new conclusion _ contradicting earlier U.S. assessments _ would not prompt him to take off the table the possibility of pre-emptive military action against Iran. Nor will the United States change its policy of trying to isolate Iran diplomatically and punish it with sanctions, he said.
"So, I view this report as a warning signal that they had the program, they halted the program. And the reason why it's a warning signal is that they could restart it," the president said.
You can read the rest of this story from the Associated Press HERE.
Forget the fact that Iran is a good eight years from enriching enough uranium to make a bomb or that we have enough eyes and ears and noses pointed in their direction that even the slightest whisper of a "secret" weapons program would set off bells and whistles all over the planet and let's forget the fact that this all sounds suspiciously familiar to the saber rattling that led to the pre-emptive strike on Iraq so they wouldn't use their weapons of mass delusion on us. And let's quickly forget that this intel didn't come out of the blue for the administration which means they've been ignoring it and lying to us about Iran - much like the reliable intel that said Iraq was not a threat.
If acting president Governor Bush says this is a warning signal, then by golly, it's a warning signal and we should listen! But if this news about Iran is a warning signal, then what's a signal that things are all okeedokee?
Based on this adminstration's actions, and lack of actions, this is a partial list of signs that everything's all right...
- Soldiers and civilians being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan
- U.S. children without adequate healthcare or education
- The national debt spiraling out of control under the supervision of a self-proclaimed "fiscal" leader
- A war that's going to cost trillions of dollars
- Obstruction of justice
- Decline of the U.S. dollar globally
And, for the record, other things George considers a "warning signal" - clear skies, the constitution and white doves with olive branches.
THE BS NEWS QUIZ OF THE DAY
Yesterday, I asked...
"A NY dog named 'Trouble' has gone into hiding because of what?"
35% said "Botched plastic surgery"
- Yeah. Too much collagen in the dog lips. Made him look like Goldie Hawn.
10% said "Mange"
- I don't think this dog would suffer from such a common condition.
10% said "Bad haircut"
- This is a dog. Not Mrs. Tom Cruise.
45% got it right with "Death threats"
According to the BBC, Trouble, a dog that inherited $12m from late New York hotelier Leona Helmsley is in hiding after it was targeted by death threats. John Codey, who manages the dog's trust fund, told US television network CBS last week the cost of Trouble's security, medical care, chef-cooked meals and grooming was about $300,000 a year. Sheesh, is this a dog or John Edwards? I don't know much about dog care, but I would happily follow Trouble around and pick up his poop for 75K a year. Trouble's lifestyle is disgusting, but who the heck is giving a tiny dog death threats? Watch your back, Poochie. Wouldn't want you to have an "accident." On the "carpet."
The dog is the one in purple.
