U.S. denies military plans against Iran, Syria
Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:36pm ET
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States denied on Friday it was preparing for military action against Iran and Syria, after President George W. Bush issued a stern warning to them, raising concerns of a spillover from the Iraq war.
Bush, in his speech on Wednesday unveiling his revised Iraq strategy, accused Tehran and Damascus of allowing use of their territory for launching attacks inside Iraq, and vowed "we will interrupt the flow of support."
U.S. lawmakers voiced concern on Thursday the Iraq war could spread to neighboring Iran and Syria if U.S. troops were to chase militants across the border. But U.S. officials insisted the plan was to disrupt supply lines from inside Iraq.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said he wanted to knock down an "urban legend" that Bush was "trying to prepare the way for war with either country and that there were war preparations under way."
"There are not," he told reporters. "What the president was talking about is defending American forces within Iraq."
"There's lots of war gaming," he added. "This notion that somehow the president was announcing as a precursor to planned military action, a planned war against Iran, that's just not the case."
Snow reiterated that Washington was focusing on diplomatic means against Iran over its nuclear program. Western powers say Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says it wants nuclear technology for civilian power generation.
The United States has repeatedly accused Shi'ite Iran of meddling in Iraq, where the long-oppressed Shi'ite majority is now in power and sectarian violence is raging. Tehran denies U.S. charges that it supplies Shi'ite militias with weapons.
Bush also said he had ordered an additional aircraft carrier strike group to the region and would deploy Patriot missile defense systems to "reassure our friends and allies" -- steps widely seen as a warning to Iran and Syria.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden bluntly told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday he did not think Bush had the authority to launch attacks against militant networks in Iran and Syria.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved
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2 comments:
Is there some reasonable conclusion to hope there are not any moves behind the scenes to validate this article? It would be nice to hope. Actually, since Bush has occupied the presidency of the United States, I believe the Hope Foundations serves a genuine and comforting relief for us little people with thoughts of sensibility and foresight. What do you think?
I want to believe the man who promised there was no question of the existence of WMDs in Iraq.
I want to have faith in the man who said the Iraqi people would welcome our soldiers with open arms and as “Liberators” and not “Occupiers.”
I want to trust the man who promised a quick end to the invasion when he launched it.
I want to agree with the man who insisted Saddam had strong ties to Al Qaeda.
I desire to follow the man who ran his presidential campaign on “restoring” morality and trust to the White House.
I would have confidence in his present statement, if he didn’t have a history of misleading the public, and forcing bills through which erode our Constitutional rights and freedoms to uphold his obsession.
However, due to the his current record, I can’t follow along with what he says without great doubt.
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