Bolton: I 'Absolutely' Hope The U.S. Will Attack Iran In The Next 'Six Months'

[Newsjock]

Source: Think Progress

Yesterday, Raw Story pointed out that former CIA operative Bob Baer told Fox News that the Bush administration will likely attack Iran in the coming months. “Iran policy is on close hold, but the feeling is we will hit the Islamic Revolutionary Guard corps sometime next six months or so,” said Baer.

Today, former U.N. ambassador John Bolton appeared on Fox News and responded. He said that while he couldn’t confirm Baer’s statements, he “absolutely” hoped they were true:

HEMMER: One final step here, too, that I want to take with you. You told one of our producers earlier today that you don’t know if it’s true — and you’ve made that clear in our interview here, that you don’t know what the odds are or are not against that — but you hope it’s true. Why do you hope it’s true?

BOLTON: Absolutely. I hope Iran understands that we are very serious, that we are determined they are not going to get a nuclear weapon capability, and unless they change the strategic decision they’ve been pursuing for close to 20 years, that that’s something they better factor into their calculations.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/22/bolton-iran-six-months/

[Joe for Clark]

1. Guess he should be enlisting -

I think he could get a 2nd Lts commission if he really, really tried.

Joe

[IndianaGreen]

26. We should strap Bolton and all the other warmongers to bombs

and then drop the bombs in the middle of the Saudi desert. They want Armageddon, well let's give it to them!

[Megahurtz]

54. Yup. To THEIR OWN Nuclear Bombs

that they complain about Iran possessing.

[BootinUp]

2. He should be locked up. n/t

[Fridays Child]

4. In the next six months.

Or three, or two.

[bluestateguy]

3. I think Bolton was even too Moonbat for the Bush Administration

If they had the troops and the public support, I don't doubt that the Bush Team would start up something with Iran, but Bolton does not seem to "get" this. Nor do Cheney and his neo-con staff. Rice, I must admit, does. I think they will all talk tough on Iran for the next year and a half, but otherwise will be happy to just dump it in their successor's lap.

[Middle finga]

5. These cocky old white men are sick,

They think just because we spend a half of trillion on our military each year we are capable of whipping everybody. If you think the Iraqi insurgents have surprised us there is no telling what Iranians are capable of doing. Unlike Iraq they haven't been under international sanctions plus they are friends with Russia(who's still capable of manufacturing hi-tech weaponry) and China (who's loaded with cash). Attacking Iran could be the prelude to WWIII or it could be the conflict that finally bring america to her knees.

[Seabiscuit]

13. WWIII Scenario - USA wiped off the map.

You got it right. These freakazoids are so utterly insane that that is exactly what would happen if we attacked Iran. Our troops in Iraq and Iran would be massacred by the millions of Islamic fighters, Iran would blow our aircraft carriers out of the Gulf waters, and Russia and China would back a full scale attack, if necessary, on U.S. soil. Then it's sayonara, USA.

Modern Day Doctor Strangeloves.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hosnon]

34. What does that have to do with them being white? NT.

[Middle finga]

79. Come on, if you think racism does not play a part in the leaders

of this country eagerness and unapologetic decisions to mass bomb some third world country full of brown people, then you must not have been paying attention the last half of century.

[Megahurtz]

81. Preferably

non-Zionist-"Christian" Brown People. :sarcasm:

[Hosnon]

85. Sure it plays a *part*. Big part? Not likely.

I highly doubt that our leaders' "whiteness" is a determining factor of their behavior. The two may have a common root but, seriously...really...

[TheFarseer]

90. I think the oil has more to do with it n/t

[Middle finga]

92. I agree I'm sure our national (oil) interest is the main factor

as well as Israel's Security and Terrorism with a little racism and bigotry sprinkled in. The two biggest issues on the right are the continuation of this so called war on terror (meaning let's continue to kill brown skinned muslims)and this new war on the homefront against illegal immigrants from south america.

[BornagainDUer]

61. There's no place at D U for your racist remarks. I've alerted the Mods.

[Zhade]

64. Yeah, because it's racist to point out who holds the power structures in this country.

:eyes:

Mods appear not to agree with you on this one.

[midnight armadillo]

86. half a trillion? nah, more!

I think the military budget is around $2 billion a day, about $700 billion a year...at this rate, $1 trillion per year is a possibility in 10 years.

[soothsayer]

6. i absolutely hope aliens abduct him in 6 minutes

[Generic Brad]

7. Interesting. I hope Iran attacks Bolton sometime in the next six months

But just because we hope for something does not mean it has a snowball's chance of happening.

[C_U_L8R]

8. Bolton wanks it

KKKaptain KKKangaroo has some kind of fetish that involves bombing other countries.

What is with these republo-creeps... didn't their mommies love them?

[texpatriot2004]

9. Revolting! nm

[wordpix]

10. reBolting! What a lovely rep to the UN he was! Check out this list of US ambassadors to UN

BushCo has gone through one a year on average, does that tell you something?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Ambassador_to_the_United_Nations

James B. Cunningham (acting) 2001 Kofi Annan George W. Bush
23 John D. Negroponte 2001–2004 Kofi Annan George W. Bush
24 John Danforth 2004–2005 Kofi Annan George W. Bush
— Anne W. Patterson (Acting) 2005 Kofi Annan George W. Bush
25 John R. Bolton 2005–2006 Kofi Annan George W. Bush
— Alejandro Daniel Wolff (Acting) 2006–2007 Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon George W. Bush
26 Zalmay Khalilzad 2007–Present Ban Ki-Moon George W. Bush

[dbt]

11. Jesus Hair Oil Christ!

Can you even IMAGINE what the RepubliKKKs would have done if somebody from the Klintoon Admenstruation had said some shit like this?!?!?!1

[TheFarseer]

91. Amazing how they pile on Obama for

wanting to "Invade Pakistan" when he said nothing of the kind, but they cheer on invading Iran. Both helped us in invading Afghanistan. I fail to see how this is less insane even if you forget that Barak's comments were grossly misinterpreted.

[liberal N proud]

12. It is so easy for these monsters to play with others lives

Without a thought they will send our young people off to kill other people.

[angryxyouth]

14. This really scares the crap out me.

Lets see, we are Broke as a nation.
We have used up all of a service men & women.
But thats ok because the young kids that we are going to have to draft can't afford college anyway, and the job market sucks.
We have just about depleted our military hardware.
So maybe we won't need the kids because there are not enough guns and vehicles to.....
We still have planes and ships and bombs.
One bomb in particular could lead some people to salvation.

Russia and China have made it a point to let us know that we are not the superpower that we once were.
Russia and Iran are "Buds".
China and Russia are Buds".
China owns our dept and could sell off and send the US into a depression.
Our troops are reliant on satellite systems that China can shoot out of space.
We would have to strike hard and fast before those systems are lost.
Before we loose our MTV.:rant: :rant:

[Megahurtz]

84. It's As If

they purposely set the stage for Martial Law. :tinfoilhat::scared:

[Aviation Pro]

15. I'm going to say something awful....

...I hope that fat fuckwad shitstain dies of cancer in an excrutiatingly slow, painful fashion.

[bdamomma]

37. karma will get them all, they will suffer for their past horrible transgressions.

[Hand]

63. Still waiting for the awful part. nt

[Binka]

66. A Laugh Out Loud Moment Hand

:loveya: & THANKS! Thanks to AV for the original post also!!!

[Hekate]

16. I absolutely hope that Cheney is impeached next week and Bush the day after.Merciful gods. nt

[wordpix]

53. God willing, as they say.

[sakabatou]

17. I support this Global War of Terror

:sarcasm:

[JPettus]

19. Not a real surprise

The Bushites seem determined to cast America as a rogue nation that operates outside the boundaries of civilized countries whenever they can. I'd still like to know where they think they will find the troops to invade? We don't have the troops now to manage the constant rotations in and out of Afghanistan and Iraq.

[JonathanInTelAviv]

20. A full scale invasion is not necessary

What is necessary is to destroy enough of Iran's nuclear program to delay their completion of nuclear refining capability until the Iranian revolution takes place. And it will take place. The young there are not fans of the wacko ayatollahs in control of their lives.

[Kool Kitty]

21. What Iranian revolution?

[JonathanInTelAviv]

23. Check it out

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=10594
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/3053947.stm
http://cityboyblog.com/2007/06/15/appeal-for-iranian-students/
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/08/04/hundreds-of-bloggers-support-jailed-students-in-iran/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6761663.stm
http://www.nearinternational.org/alerts/iran372007625.php
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/07/1f3d2934-15cd-4666-ad08-c5f71f6538f9.html

[Kool Kitty]

24. Thanks.

[Megahurtz]

56. C.I.A. planted "Iranian Revolution"?

:think:

[Lasher]

25. You seem to have a clear understanding of what needs to be done.

So why don't you go ahead and do it? Just leave the US out of this one.

[JonathanInTelAviv]

28. Leave the US out of this one

Iran calls the US the Great Satan, and its leaders whip up crowds into foaming frenzies over the US. Iran would certainly try to threaten first Israel, then Europe, and then the US. That's why they've already developed missiles which can reach most of Europe, and are working on longer-range missiles that can reach the east coast of the US.

The Iranians call their missiles Zelzal, which comes from a verse in the Koran meaning "resurrection day earthquake."

[Lasher]

29. OK so good luck with this

You say it is necessary to destroy enough of Iran's nuclear program to delay their completion of nuclear refining capability. I don't know if that's right or not but why don't you try to convince your fellow Israelis to do something about it? Or maybe you could get some other country besides the US to hit them for you.

[JonathanInTelAviv]

31. I'm afraid you missed the point

I don't know if Israel has the power to take out Iran's nukes, at least using conventional weapons. The US probably does.
Iran's nuclear and missile threat is against the US. That's why the US will act.

[Lasher]

32. No, I'm afraid you did.

I'm not interested in having my country be your country's errand boy.

I know a good way to find out if Israel has the power to take out Iran's nukes: Try it. And like I said, good luck to you and your fellow Israelis.

If the US acts, it will not be due to a legitimate threat to us from Iran. It will be because we have been stupid enough to allow our government to be taken over by neocon tools of AIPAC like John Bolton. The question is, can you exploit them in this respect before we purge them from our government in January 2009? I certainly hope not.

[JPettus]

38. I'm not going to go that far, as I think it's silly

Both countries have a vested interest in not allowing Iran to get the bomb.

Most intelligence estimates put Iran's capability to create a bomb at nearly ten years away. That's more than enough time at the moment to work on diplomatic solutions.

Sadly, the Bush Administration is into saber rattling, despite the fact that we don't have the Army to sustain.

And, if you bomb someone, you better be prepared to follow it up with your army. We bomb Iran based on the flimsy stuff that Bush has come up with so far and we may have the Iranians flooding across the border to attack us in Iraq if that's the only way.

You think it's bad for Sunni's and the US troops now? Try one month after a Bush bombing of Tehran.

[BootinUp]

41. I'm sure they could do it

faster than 10 years. In fact I believe there is little that can be done to prevent them getting it. It would be far wiser to figure out now how we live in a world with a nuclear Iran and begin preparations for that inevitability. Threatening attacks will only push them to move faster on development.

[JonathanInTelAviv]

43. Most intelligence estimates

didn't predict the downfall of the Shah. In fact, the CIA was caught with its pants completely down.

Read, and respect, what the Iranian religious leaders say. There is no diplomatic solution to this. The mad Shiite mullahs won't give up their dream, which is not to better Iran, but to destroy the West and replace it with a caliphate, and to do it before the mad Al Qaeda Sunnis beat them to it.

[Lasher]

49. My goodness, that's a profound argument!

Intelligence indicates Iran won't have nukes for 10 years. The CIA didn't predict the fall of the Shah. The CIA could be wrong about this too. The US should attack Iran right now just to make sure.

:wtf:

And then there's all that scary rhetoric coming out of Iran. Surely that is a good reason to slaughter them. And may we go after the Syrians for you while we're at it? New wars are two for one this year.

[BootinUp]

50. "there is no diplomatic solution"

What nonsense.

The only solution is a combination of defense and diplomacy in the form of sticks and carrots. Clearly there will not be an occupation of Iran to insure a halt to the nuclear program and attacking with bombs is fraught with problems including provoking an all at war where they come across the border in large numbers.

The way you control them is to get enough other countries in the region to go along with the plan. Bombing will not get you there.

[JonathanInTelAviv]

58. Diplomatic solution

"The way you control them is to get enough other countries in the region to go along with the plan."

The other countries in the region are scared of the Iranian bomb, and are against it. So what? You'd have to be a special kind of naive to believe that that will make a damn bit of difference to the Iranians.

[BootinUp]

68. Lets go back

Did you see my post where I said they will get a bomb and I do not think we can stop that from happening?

The control I talk about is different and based on rewards for good behavior.

[JonathanInTelAviv]

70. What kind of rewards, for what behavior? n/t

[BootinUp]

73. The same things

that Israelis want, for instance: respect, safety from attack, prosperity.

The behavior must be negotiated.

Let me ask you. Do you think the Iranians want mutual destruction along with their enemies?

[JonathanInTelAviv]

74. What Iran wants

I think many Iranians, especially the younger generation, want more or less what you and I think of as a normal national life in which they can lead their personal lives.

But, there are a lot of Iranians, including the religious leaders who run Iran, that want something that you and I think of as wacked out. But don't ask me, get it from the horse's mouth:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/14/wiran14.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/14/ixworld.html

And Israelis are not the only people afraid of Mr. Ahmadinejad's bomb:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/29/magazine/29islam.html?ex=1188014400&en=c6d1074140bb8706&ei=5070

That's right, Arabs too.

And it's not just the current leadership that is willing to sacrifice large numbers of their own. During the Iraq-Iran war, Iran sent human wave attacks - including kids - to battle, "armed" with Korans and promises of a great afterlife. They were used, among other things, for clearing mine fields.

[BootinUp]

78. You think the wacked out religious leaders

want mutual destruction with their enemies?

[JonathanInTelAviv]

82. I just don't just think it

I know it.
Didn't you check out the links I provided?
They say it plainly.

[BootinUp]

83. You know nothing. n/t

[Megahurtz]

57. Agreed! n/t

[Lasher]

62. Cheers to the moderators

for not tombstoning Jonathan. This is fun!

[JonathanInTelAviv]

72. Yes, I had heard...

that that's how unpopular opinions are dealt with at DU.

[Megahurtz]

80. Lol it is!

:beer::toast::party::toast::beer:

[brentspeak]

59. You "don't know" if Israel has the power to take out Iran's nukes? The U.S. "probably" does?

First, you advocate that the U.S. attacks Iran, as if you know what you're talking about. Then, you admit you really don't know what you're talking about.

The United States has given billions and billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. If Israel doesn't have the "power" to demolish Iran's nuclear weapon facilities, then maybe we, the American taxpayer, should cease wasting another cent of our hard-earned money paying for Israel's apparently ineffectual weapons.

[JonathanInTelAviv]

69. Even the military experts

don't know the extent of Iran's nuke program. Probably only a small number of people in the top Iranian echelons who do. So I agree that your first argument, that the amount of damage that can be done to the program is unknown, is right. But what *is* known is that it can be damaged, and therefore delayed.

I believe that I'm still right, though, in that it should, and must, and will be done.

Your second argument is dishonest, unless you believe that Israel should be given the power "to demolish Iran's nuclear weapons facilities".

[midnight armadillo]

87. Israel lacks the range

From what I understand Israel, lacking its own in-flight refuelers, would need to either re-fuel in Iraq or from US tankers. Correct me if I'm wrong. In any case, Israel can't attack Iran without US aid.

Iran is no where close to an intercontinental ballistic missile. At best they could hit a bit of eastern Europe. Their nukes would be used to prevent US invasion and bullying and as a threat towards Israel, the Middle East's nuclear power.

If Israel wants Iran to be nuke free, perhaps they should agree to a nuclear-free Middle East and get rid of their own nukes.

[PassingFair]

39. And we name our bombs "MOAB".

What's your point?

Bunch of scairdy-pants religious religious nuts playing
chicken with middle-eastern countries for pinks.

:puke:

[treestar]

75. The Soviets had huge arsenals of WMD too

Yet they never had the nerve to use them on the U.S. Mostly because they knew that they'd be destroyed in return. The whole planet, kaboom!

How would Iran get around this problem?

[JonathanInTelAviv]

77. Treestar, what you see as a problem

"President" Ahmadinejad sees as the road to the solution.

Check out someone called the Twelth Imam.

[treestar]

89. He wants to blow up Iran along with the rest of the world?

His missiles would be no better than Soviet missiles for that.

We couldn't attack the Soviets and they couldn't attack us, since the reaction would blow us all up.

[cosmicone]

46. Jonathan is a neocon plant n/t

[JonathanInTelAviv]

47. Damn! :) n/t

[Zhade]

65. That happened in 1979 - crack a history book, ace.

And btw, they do not have nuclear weapons. Stop pushing that lie, please.

[sofa king]

22. Yeah, they might start it....

...But they can't finish it and they can't win.

At this point I'm beginning to wonder if the Bolton/Cheney axis is trying to crank up another war just to keep their position as the controllers of our dipshit President.

If I wanted to steal Iran's oil and natural gas on the quick--and I guarantee you that's what's really going on here--I would consider provoking Iran into moving out of the mountains and into Iraq. If we set foot in Iran as things are they'll kick our ass, and even Bolton and Cheney may know that. But if you prick 'em with airstrikes and try to get them to move into Kurdistan and southern Iraq, they can be defeated in the field and maybe counterattacked hard enough that Khuzestan and Bushehr are temporarily undefended. That's where all the oil is, and that's all we want. There's even a nuclear site there to make it look legit.

Then you give those territories to the Iraqi Shiites, which breaks their affinity for Iran while simultaneously giving them control of about a third of the world's cheap oil and gas. And we control them.

It would never work, but that's what I'd try if I were a greedy batshit crazy old white guy.

[Lasher]

27. Yosemite John: Another neocon chickenhawk who hid from the Vietnam war

Just like Junior, Bolton hid out in the National Guard to avoid service in Vietnam.

Though Bolton supported the Vietnam War, he declined to enter combat duty, instead enlisting in the National Guard and attending law school after his 1970 graduation. "I confess I had no desire to die in a Southeast Asian rice paddy," Bolton wrote of his decision in the 25th reunion book. "I considered the war in Vietnam already lost."

http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/14304?badlink=1

These people are all the same. Bravely willing to sacrifice other people's lives and other people's money - but not theirs.

[donheld]

30. Let's go! Attack now

Mr Bolton be and army of one. Show us how and army of one does it. Ready. Set. Go!

[skip fox]

33. No end to these people's madness and fury.

I wouldn't believe it if it were fiction. Of all the neo-cons only one, Francis Fukuyama, changed his mind on the wisdom concerning our adventurism in Iraq &c. One was able to see the disasterous outcome. The rest are still blinded by ideology. Hard to believe in the face of such facts.

[Demeter]

35. Put Him on the War Crimes List

if he isn't there already...

[JonathanInTelAviv]

44. Yeah, him and Clinton and Obama and Edwards and Biden...

Hilary Clinton: ... Iran having a nuclear weapon is absolutely unacceptable. We have to try to prevent that at all costs.

John Edwards: I think this is the clear path. I think no president -- no responsible president -- would ever take any option off the table. Under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

Joe Biden: ...if they posed a missile, stuck it on a pad, I'd take it out.

Barak Obama: ...launching some missile strikes into Iran is not the optimal position for us to be in. On the other hand, having a radical Muslim theocracy in possession of nuclear weapons is worse.

--------------

Does this thread have anything to do with THE Democratic party?

[bdamomma]

36. he is sick too. PNAC'ers not well at all.

[Wednesdays]

40. Well, what are you waiting for?

Start Armageddon and get it over with.

:nuke: :scared:

[JonathanInTelAviv]

42. The goal is to *prevent* Armageddon n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

55. Placing a reply here for future reference. -nt

[IsItJustMe]

45. Our leadership in this country is truly full of enlightened people. Scary, aint it?

[SpikeTss]

48. About 60 years ago people were hanged for what Bolton is saying now

It was called Nuremberg Trials.

And it's strange to imagine that this person, who encourages his government to
undertake yet another war of aggression was once a UN ambassador.

He's just an embarrassment!

[sarcasmo]

51. All the Propaganda keeps telling you it's going to happen and now this A$$hat says he hopes it's tru...

I guess WWIII is coming, stock up on the canned goods. The good ole we don't want them to have Nukes but we can argument. These War profiteers make me puke.

[bamacrat]

52. Wha...how.....i......What the Fuck.

I am at a loss for words, how can anyone even a freeper be so fucking dumb?

[Az_lefty]

60. strap him to the front bumper of the 1st HMMWV across the line!

:grr:

[simmonsj811]

67. coward

:puke:

[Ilsa]

71. I can't find this on FOX Noise or any other msm site.

One of the quotes was Bolton saying "Absolutely. I hope Iran understands that we are very serious, ..."

I don't feel comfortable using thinkprogress and other liberal sites when I argue with a RWer over quotes. Is there another site not a blog or an opinion site, where this is recorded?

[TroglodyteScholar]

76. Believe this story.

Not just about what he hopes. Believe that he knows something.

[BlueStater]

88. And I absolutely hope someone attacks Bolton in the next six months

Beat the bastard into a bloody pulp.

Sorry but I'm in a bad mood right now.