Last October, I blogged "Iran: Rush to the Next War," because I was worried that the Neocon Bush/Cheney administration might use further escalation of the Oil War into Iran as a political tool.  As it turned out, the Mark Foley scandal proved insurmountable for the president's political party to overcome.

Why am I not relieved of my anxieties concerning "the long war" and a wider, regional escalation of it?  I do my own research and reach my own conclusions, but Robert Parry seems to share my concerns.

Mainly, it's because the Bush/Cheney administration seems to want it.  Despite Americans voting overwhelmingly for Democrats in November to "send a message" to the White House and the Republican party, BushCo ignores the will of the people.  Instead, President Bush will reveal his Hail Mary play as his strategy for his way forward in Iraq.  He will send more troops to the meatgrinder, rather than withdrawing any.

MSNBC Keith Olbermann has good rant on the upcoming Bush call for more sacrifice (video and transcript).  He mentions how Bush keeps moving the goal posts for success in Iraq, but he doesn't bring in the obvious point.  That is, of course Bush has to win in Iraq, but not for Bush's ego.  The real reason to win in Iraq is to be able to wage a shooting war with Iran.

The real war Bush World wants is with Iran because of it's growing challenge to the United States as a power in the Middle East.  It's quite clear that the neocon cheerleaders for war didn't plan for winning the peace in post-invasion Iraq mainly because their eyes were on the next war with Iran.

Meanwhile, the grand neocon plan in the broader Middle East has only hit a snag because of the Bush/Cheney administration's Katrina-like incompetence for the Baghdad mission.  Unfortunately, the plan continues as the State Department lines up Sunni Arab states' support for its policies.  The Defense Department dispatches another aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf.  The U.S. corporate media establishment, who make money from reporting carnage, is increasingly echoing the plan by hyping the Iran nuclear threat.

Bloomberg News reports "Ahmadinejad Says Iran Will Make Atomic Fuel on Industrial-Scale."  Popular support among the people of Iran for their nuclear industry is very high, so the nuclear issue will remain as a tool for the Bush World warmongering echo chamber.

The real slap in the face to Bush World occurred in 2006 when Iran started replacing the U.S. dollar with the Euro for the sales of oil.  Even some our supposed allies in the region are starting to dump their Dollars for Euros.

Many people far more knowledgeable about world markets than I am think this is the real reason to escalate a war with Iran.  Some people use the secular Shia / Sunni issue to divide and conquer.  Bush will undoubtedly continue to sell the "nuclear Iran is unacceptable" reason to go to war.

With the U.S. military increasing its presence in the region, it's likely some accidental or planned confrontation with Iran will occur in 2007.  Hopefully, the U.S. Navy won't shoot down an Iranian passenger jet this time around.  Unfortunately, George Bush has surrounded himself with Reagan-era hawks for the last six years, so anything is possible for the upcoming year.

The Democatic Party controlled Congress began its 110th session today.  Sorry.  If you wanted happy news, read this.

  iraq neocon middle east nuclear anti-war bush iran war