Letters to the Editor
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‘Bush Warns Iranians’
Only The New York Sun properly understood what President Bush was really saying Wednesday night [National, “Bush Warns Iranians,” January 11, 2007]. We are at war with Iran.
Curiously, the president talked about confronting those making trouble in Iraq, and explicitly named Iran, but did not say on what side — or both sides — of the Iraq-Iran border the confrontation would take place.
While purely speculative, there is a sense that the troop build-up is a prelude to some military action against Iran by America and/or Israel, which, one can imagine, would primarily be an air and naval attack, with some ground forces likely involved.
If the president adds 21,500 troops to the Baghdad area or Anbar province, this would probably allow for freeing up troops elsewhere in Iraq and the region generally. Further, it is not clear that all these troops will quickly be deployed in Iraq, as opposed to surrounding countries.
The November “deadline” for the Iraqis to assume security in all provinces is curious. The president could have set a six-, nine- or 12-month or simply a “clean” year-end deadline, but evidently chose November for some particular reason, which was not expressed.
Is it possible that, by November, America and, perhaps, Israel, will have acted against Iran’s nuclear facilities and the entire region will look very different?
The American Navy would be defending the Persian Gulf oil routes and the oil facilities of neighboring countries from an Iranian counterattack. What was discussed in the president’s speech last night regarding Iraqi security in and around Baghdad would be rendered largely moot by intervening events.
This is a regional war, not an Iraq war. Mr. Bush made this clear last night, but only in a subtle way. The president made clear that he fully understands the regional nature of the conflict and still believes and intends to act properly upon this reality.
If Congress seeks to oppose him, this will, in an ironic way, “free” the president’s hand, since he would no longer be seeking to retain congressional support by half-measures.
If Congress is largely hostile and there is broad opposition anyway, then Mr. Bush would likely find that he should simply do that which must be done, since, politically, the fallout would not be much worse.
EDWIN SCHINDLER
Huntington, N.Y.
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