How soon before we bomb Iran?

By Weekly Archive On Oct 29, 2007

By
Bill Press

Having
lived in both places, I can tell you: There is little difference
between Washington and Hollywood. Neither is real. Both are filled
with celebrity wannabes. And both thrive on sequels. Welcome to "War
in Iraq II."

If
you liked the first one, you’ll love the second. Flush with "success"
from the first War in Iraq — and even though it’s still far from
over — George Bush and Dick Cheney have already launched their next
production. This new war takes place in Iran, but it features the
same characters and the same plot.

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In
fact, it has the same characters — Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and
George W. Bush — reading from the same script. In March 2003, making
the case for Iraq War I, Dick Cheney asserted: "Saddam Hussein
has been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons."
In October 2007, he vowed: "We will not allow Iran to have a
nuclear weapon." In September 2002, Condi Rice warned: "We
don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." This week,
she stated that Iran’s nuclear policies "constitute perhaps the
single greatest challenge to America’s security interests in the
Middle East and around the world."

The
starring role in both wars, of course, goes to President Bush. In
March 2003, he told the American people: "The danger is clear.
Using chemical, biological or, one day, nuclear weapons, obtained
with the help of Iraq, the terrorists could kill thousands or
hundreds of thousands of innocent people in our country." On
Oct. 23, 2007, he told the National Defense University: "Iran
could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of
reaching the United States and all of Europe before 2015. We need to
take it seriously — now."

And,
of course, every movie needs a villain. In Iraq, it was Saddam
Hussein, whom Bush 41 called "Hitler revisited" and whom
Bush 43 identified as "a threat to America." In Iran, the
black hat is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, vilified by Bush advisor Norman
Podhoretz as "like Hitler … a revolutionary whose objective is
to overturn the going international system and replace it with a new
order ruled by Islamo-fascism."

Now,
add to the same characters and the same script, the same plot. Before
sending in troops to topple Saddam Hussein, the United States imposed
tough sanctions on Iraq. On Oct. 25, the Bush administration
announced even tougher sanctions against Iran. In October 2002,
Congress voted to give President Bush authority to use military force
against Iraq. In September 2007, the Senate voted to declare Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization — a move which,
under the rules of Bush’s war on terror, could easily be interpreted
by a trigger-happy Bush administration as more than sufficient
justification for using military force against Iran.

There
are many reasons why "Iraq War II" need not end in another
war. Iran, after all, is no more of a threat to the security of the
United States than Iraq was. Its economy is about the size of
Finland’s. Its annual defense budget is $4.8 billion (ours is 110
times greater). It hasn’t invaded another country since the late 18th
century. And, more recently, Iran cooperated with the United States
in staging the war in Afghanistan. Diplomacy with Iran worked then,
and might work again, if only given a chance. And besides, why would
the American people or members of Congress trust the Bush
administration’s intelligence on Iran when they were so wrong about
Iraq?

But
it’s pretty clear where this plotline is heading. The same
characters, same script and same plot will result in the same
outcome. Just like they did with Iraq, Bush, Cheney and Rice will
continue to accuse Iran of training terrorists, exporting missiles,
and engaging in a nuclear weapons buildup. Pretty soon, forgetting
any lessons they learned in Iraq, the mainstream media will pick up
the drumbeat. The majority of Americans will fall for the same
pro-war propaganda. And members of Congress, afraid of being painted
soft on terror, will once again give George Bush whatever war-making
powers he wants. Sadly, there’s no question where we’re headed. The
only question is when.

How
soon before we bomb Iran? Not long. Certainly, before George Bush
leaves office.

Bill
Press is host of a nationally syndicated radio show and author of a
new book, "How
the Republicans Stole Religion." His
email address is: bill@billpress.com. His Web site is:
www.billpress.com.