Letter From Leaders Assails Bush's Middle East Policies (Iran attack?)

[sabra]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-generals16aug16,0,1760581.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Letter From Leaders Assails Bush's Middle East Policies

In an effort to counter a mounting White House campaign to depict its Middle East policies as critical to the nation's safety from terrorist attacks, 21 former generals, diplomats and national security officials will release an open letter tomorrow arguing that the administration's "hard line" has undermined U.S. security.

The letter comes as President Bush has made a series of appearances and statements, including a visit Tuesday to the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Va., seeking to promote the administration's record on security issues in advance of November's midterm congressional elections.

...

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Robert Gard, one of the signers of the letter and a former military assistant to Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara in the 1960s, said the group was particularly concerned about administration policies toward Iran, believing them to be a possible prelude to a military attack on suspected nuclear sites in that country.

...

But Gard said the administration appeared to be going in the opposite direction, adding that he was particularly concerned by recent warnings from former Israeli military officials that a strike against Iran may be needed to disable that country's nuclear program. He noted that the Bush administration's unabashedly pro-Israel stance during the recent conflict with Hezbollah was an indication that the White House may accede to such Israeli assessments.

"This administration is clearly so beholden to Israel that it raises the concern we might go along" with a military strike, he said.

Organizers of the letter-writing campaign said the White House's stepped-up efforts to belittle Democrats for seeking a timetable for withdrawing troops in Iraq may lead the signers to expand the letter to include criticism of the administration's Iraq policy. The letter is expected to call for a complete overhaul of U.S. policy toward both Iran and Iraq.

[grytpype]

1. He won't listen. He never does.

For Bush, this will just be proof that he is on the right track.

[alfredo]

2. We still have to try.

[kysrsoze]

5. Of course not. But if enough people scream, voters listen

As great as this sounds, will the rest of the left-wing media even cover it?

[scarletwoman]

3. k&r (nt)

[sabra]

4. kick for the morning

:kick: