Tonkin Gulf II and the Guns of August? - by Pat Buchanan

General (Ret) Jim David (who is mentioned on the cover of Paul
Findley's 'They Dare to Speak Out' book about the power/influence of
the pro-Israel lobby in the USA) just sent me the following by Pat
Buchanan which is a must read as well:

BGJDAVID wrote:

Tonkin Gulf II and the Guns of August? - by Pat Buchanan

http://www.antiwar.com/pat/?articleid=11301

A great article by Pat Buchannan but I think he could've added one
more sentence at the end. When you get to the last sentence, please
add a sentence that I feel should be included. It is "And is Israel
also in on it?"
Tonkin Gulf II and
the Guns of August?

by Patrick J. Buchanan
Is the United States provoking war with Iran, to begin while the
Congress is conveniently on its August recess?
One recalls that it was in August 1964, after the Republicans
nominated Barry Goldwater, that the Tonkin Gulf incident occurred.
Twice it was said, on Aug. 2 and Aug. 4, North Vietnamese patrol boats
had attacked the U.S. destroyers Maddox and Turner Joy in
international waters. The U.S. Senate responded by voting 88 to two to
authorize President Johnson to assist any Southeast Asian nation whose
government was threatened by communist aggression.
The bombing of the North began, followed by the arrival of U.S.
Marines. America's war was on.
As Congress prepares for its August recess, the probability of U.S.
air strikes on Iran rises with each week. A third carrier, the USS
Enterprise, and its battle group is joining the Nimitz and Stennis in
the largest concentration of U.S. naval power ever off the coast of
Iran.
And Tonkin Gulf II may have already occurred.
In Baghdad, on July 1, Gen. Kevin J. Bergner charged that Iranians
planned the January raid in Karbala, using commandos in American-style
uniforms, that resulted in the death of five U.S. soldiers.
As the New York Times reports, this "marks the first time that the
United States has charged that Iranian officials have helped plan
operations against American troops in Iraq and have had advance
knowledge of specific attacks that have led to the death of American
soldiers."
The Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards is using Hezbollah
to train Shi'ites to attack our soldiers and providing them with
enhanced IEDs that have killed scores of U.S. troops, Bergner charged.
He says we have captured a veteran Hezbollah agent and documents
pointing to direct Iranian complicity in the Karbala raid.
Iran has denounced the charge as "ridiculous." But the Senate has
voted 97 to zero to censure Iran for complicity in killing the
Americans.
If what Bergner alleges is true, President Bush has not only the right
but appears to have the blessing of Congress to attack Iran. And he
now has the naval and air forces at hand. What is stopping him?
For it is surely not Congress, which buried a resolution last spring
declaring that Bush must come to Congress before taking us into a new
war in the Middle East. Congress appears to be signaling Bush: "If you
want to hit Iran, you have the green light. No need to consult us."
Is this yet another abdication by Congress of its moral and
constitutional duty to decide when and whether America goes to war?
And something smells awfully fishy here.
Iran has no interest in a war with the United States, which it seems
to be toying with. Iran supports the pro-American Shia regime in
Baghdad. And the al-Qaeda umbrella group in Iraq, which is our mortal
enemy, has just warned Iran it faces terror attacks if it does not
stop supporting Shi'ites in Iraq.
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, who leads the al-Qaeda group known as the
Islamic State in Iraq, says his fighters have been preparing for four
years for war on Iran.
"We are giving the Persians, and especially the rulers of Iran, a two-
month period to end all kinds of support for the Iraqi Shi'ite
government and to stop direct and indirect intervention – otherwise
a severe war is waiting for you," Baghdadi said in a 50-minute
videotape.
Baghdadi also warned Arab Sunnis in the region who do business with
Shi'ites in Iran that they were inviting assassination.
Query: If Iran's ally, the Maliki government, is our ally, and if
Iran's enemy, al-Qaeda in Iraq, is our enemy, why would Iran use the
Quds Force to attack Americans and risk U.S. retaliation?
Killing Americans in Iraq is not going to defeat the United States.
But it could trigger heavy U.S. retaliation, not only on the Quds
Force, but on Iran's nuclear facilities – and a war with the United
States. Yet Iran's diplomatic behavior suggests it wishes to avoid
such a war.
Another explanation comes to mind. Iran is not initiating, but is
responding to U.S.-inspired attacks inside Iran, in the Kurdish north,
the Arab southwest, and the Baluchi southeast of its country. Was
Karbala an attempted kidnapping to exchange U.S. soldiers for the five
Iranian "diplomats" we are holding?
Has Bush secretly authorized covert attacks inside Iran? Are U.S. and
Israeli agents in Kurdistan behind the attacks across the border to
provoke Iran? On July 11, Iranian troops clashed with Kurd rebels
inside Iran, and the Iranians fired artillery back into Iraq.
Why is Congress going on vacation? Why are a Democratic-controlled
House and Senate not asking these questions in public hearings? Why is
Congress letting Bush and Vice President Cheney decide whether we
launch a third war in the Middle East?
Or is Congress in on it?
COPYRIGHT CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.



Buchanan had the following 'Whose War?' article as well from 2003
which is also a MUST READ:

Whose War?

http://www.amconmag.com/03_24_03/cover.htmlPaper: Bush Will Strike
Iran:

http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=75806