The Iran War is Now

Whiskey Bar: This is Not a Drill: " Bombs That Would Backfire

By RICHARD CLARKE and STEVEN SIMON

The president assures us he will seek a diplomatic solution to the Iranian crisis. And there is a role for threats of force to back up diplomacy and help concentrate the minds of our allies. But the current level of activity in the Pentagon suggests more than just standard contingency planning or tactical saber-rattling. (emphasis added)

The parallels to the run-up to to war with Iraq are all too striking: remember that in May 2002 President Bush declared that there was 'no war plan on my desk' despite having actually spent months working on detailed plans for the Iraq invasion. Congress did not ask the hard questions then. It must not permit the administration to launch another war whose outcome cannot be known, or worse, known all too well.

Richard Clarke and Steven Simon were, respectively, national coordinator for security and counterterrorism and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council.

The problem, which I'm sure Clarke and Simon fully understand, is that there isn't going to be a congressional resolution this time – in fact I'd be very surprised if the administration gives the leadership of either party more than 24 hours notice before the bombing begins. No marketing campaigns, no debates, no arms twisted in the Oval Office. Just a fait accompli. (That's French for: 'Choke on it, suckers.'"

I think I posted something about this just the other day. Yes, two posts ago...