Ominous signs for new Congress’ Iran agenda: sanctions, blockade, war
This past Wednesday, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee convened for a hearing on “Implementing Tougher Sanctions on Iran” and offered a frightening preview of what will be on the House’s agenda next year. At the hearing, Representative Don Manzullo (R-IL) laid out what may be the game plan by the new Republican Congress […]
Will the Obama Administration Listen to Gates or Neo-Cons?
As a Bush Administration holdover, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has largely avoided Republican attacks. A Republican working in a Democratic administration, Secretary Gates seems to enjoy broad support on both sides of the aisle, and his policy recommendations are generally approved of enthusiastically by both political parties. His recent comments on Iran, however, have the […]
Graham and Netanyahu pressure Obama to ratchet up war rhetoric
On Saturday, Senator Lindsey Graham reportedly “stunned” attendees at a Halifax International Security Conference when he called for a military strike that would “neuter” the Iranian regime “not to just neutralize their nuclear program, but to sink their navy, destroy their air force and deliver a decisive blow to the Revolutionary Guard.” NIAC addressed the […]
The Danger of the “Nuclear Capable” Standard
How difficult would it be for a President to drag us into another war in the Middle East based on questionable justifications? According to George Friedman of Stratfor, it would be quite easy: The most obvious justification would be to claim that Iran is about to construct a nuclear device. Whether or not this is […]
The Republican back door to war with Iran
A game plan to draw the United States into a third war in the Middle East may be quietly unfolding before our eyes. Late last week, Republicans in the House or Representatives unveiled H.Res.1553, a resolution providing explicit support for an Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. The measure, introduced by Texas Republican Louie Gohmert and […]
Mark Kirk’s Fuzzy Iran Logic
On February 19, Mark Kirk, a Republican Congressman from Illinois running for a promotion to the US Senate, delivered a speech at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs to share his views on Iran policy. While initial reports didn’t indicate anything much new was said by the Representative, who has been calling for a gasoline […]