Where Have All The Congressional Consciences Gone?

Congress seems to have learned nothing from the Bush Administration's attack on Iraq. They passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, apparently thinking that they were giving the administration more leverage to negotiate a resolution to the WMD issue. Instead, the Bush administration seized the opportunity to carry out what Bush had wanted to do from day one, according to Paul O'Neill: attack Iraq.

History is about to repeat itself. Congress is set to pass the latest AIPAC-initiated legislation (H. Con. Res. 362 and S. Res. 580 laying the groundwork for setting up a naval blockade of Iran) that would constitute a de facto authorization of war on Iran.

The terms of the naval blockade are nothing less than an act of war, exactly what the Bush administration and its Neocon braintrust have been hoping for. The terms would be unacceptable to any sovereign nation, and that's what they want...a "preventive" war to defend Israel by taking out any underground WMD the Iranians may have.

Is it possible that, as with prior important documents about Iraq's WMD, none of the congressional co-sponsors even bothered to read these resolutions? Did any take the next step to compare the language of the resolutions with that of the actual 2007 NIE? Even the most cursory reading of the resolutions reveal the use of hyperbole and egregious cherry picking to portray a false sense of urgency. Compare, for instance:

S. Res. 580

Whereas the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate reports that the Government of Iran was secretly working on the design and manufacture of a nuclear warhead until at least 2003 and that Iran could have enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon as early as late 2009

(with what is actually in the) 2007 NIE:

We judge with moderate confidence that the earliest possible date Iran would be technically capable of producing enough HEU for a weapon is late 2009, but that this is very unlikely. (emp.added)

We judge with moderate confidence Iran probably would be technically capable of producing enough HEU for a weapon sometime during the 2010-2015 time frame. (INR judges Iran is unlikely to achieve this capability before 2013 because of foreseeable technical and programmatic problems.) All agencies recognize the possibility that this capability may not be attained until after 2015.

Someone ought to point out that the six words cut from the Senate Resolution--"but that this is very unlikely" is one of those short but powerful phrases that cannot be edited out without totally reversing the meaning of the NIE.

This resolution is yet one more indication that the Bush Administration will either launch its own "preventive" war on Iran in the next few months or give the nod to Israel to use US-controlled Iraqi airspace to do so and then quickly follow Israel's lead. Our attempts here in Minnesota the last few weeks have sadly proven futile, thus far, to get our congresspersons to reassert their rightful responsibility under the Constitution and advise Bush that he does not have the power to authorize any new war. All we're asking is for Congress to distinguish their 2002 (misguided) authorization for Bush's pre-emptive strike on Iraq from the new war the Bush Administration is planning for Iran. That's what the Constitution prescribes but it's apparently not what AIPAC prescribed.

Some of my "Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity" colleagues believe the attack on Iran could come as soon as in the next couple months. For that reason, it seems imperative for all citizens of this country to focus their efforts right now on preventing this new war, which our own military and foreign policy pragmatists predict will be even more disastrous than the disaster that has already occurred in Iraq.

There is no time to lose! So a group of us started yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, June 25th) with a "Don't Bomb Iran" demonstration outside the Minneapolis office of (Democratic) Senator Amy Klobuchar who, along with (Republican) Senator Norm Coleman and Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad, just signed these resolutions which have the effect of supporting Bush's plans to initiate this new war on Iran.

There was not enough time to arrange a formal meeting but a small group did quickly advise Klobuchar's staff of our extreme disappointment at the great moral failure involved in her and other Democrats' apparent change of heart in support of Bush's plans to launch this new disastrous war. Our simple request was therefore for Sen. Klobuchar to examine her conscience and reconsider her apparent willingness to go along with this looming disaster and to undertake to try to stop the even greater senseless killing that Bush's new war plans will entail.

Actions to garner congressional support to stop Bush and Cheney are undoubtedly more effective if taken publicly rather than privately. The cloak of secrecy must be lifted rather than re-enforced. Public speaking, writing and demonstrating in favor of Bush-Cheney impeachment and/or in favor of reassertion of Congressional checks and balances could stop this insanity if we the people take public action NOW.

Our own act of conscience yesterday marks the first of many such public demonstrations expected to take place at the offices of all elected Minnesota congresspersons who have apparently forgotten their Constitutional oaths and are now voting to enable this war-crimes president--whose track record is so bad that his public approval is down to 25%--to continue his reckless, lawless destruction.