Viewpoint on Iran
Constitution Party of Florida
April 9, 2007
 
It has been said that the more the Bush administration assures the American public that there is no plan to attack Iran, the more sure we can be that there will be an attack.  Is it possible that our government would lead us into another conflict above the opposition of the American people and apart from the approval of the U.S. Congress?  How long will other nations put up with U.S. imperialism and how long will our citizens allow for continuous war?
 
What makes us think that war with Iran is imminent?  Let's examine the facts.  For several months, The New American magazine has been reporting in detail on the Iranian situation.  With great confidence in the accuracy of their articles and of their conclusions, I want to try to summarize articles written by Willam F. Jasper.  I've been a subscriber and reader of this magazine since its inception in 1985.   The urgency and the need for exposure of the facts causes me to desire to share this information.
 
The Bush administration denies that war with Iran is imminent.  William Jasper quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons."  "With U.S. forces already bogged down, stretched thin, and wearing out in Iraq and Afghanistan, will the Bush administration actually launch another war against an even larger, more formidable foe:  Iran?  Will it dare to do so without first obtaining the constitutionally required congressional declaration of war?  And will it do so in spite of the marked shift in American public opinion in favor of withdrawal from Iraq?" 
 
"Denials nothwithstanding, the evidence suggests that the Bush administration is fully committed to a 'pre-emptive' war against Iran, possibly as early as April....in the past couple of months pieces have been shifted into place in such a way that it is difficult to imagine a triggering incident not occurring, whether by design or accident."
 
"Though the administration claims that it is pursuing all diplomatic means available to avert a war with Iran, President Bush has been concentrating naval, air, and missile forces on Tehran's doorstep."  These include a Patriot Missile battalion deployed to the Middle East (the Sunnis in Iraq don't have missiles, but the Iranians do); the USS John C. Stennis, a nuclear aircraft carrier,  deployed in February, joining the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier group in the Sea of Oman; "The Stennis strike group includes the guided-missile destroyers USS O'Kane and USS Preble.  The USS Nimitz carrier group is headed to the area."
 
In January, it was announced that Admiral William Fallon would be in charge of the Central Command responsible for all our forces in the Middle East.  Since our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are ground wars and Fallon is a naval aviator, it becomes rather obvious that an air war is planned for Iran---"The war that administration officials insist they are not planning.  Wayne White, former deputy director of Middle East intelligence for the Bush State Department, said in a February 14 radio interview that 'we are talking in the neighborhood of 1,500 combat sorties by aircraft and launches of cruise missiles against various targets.'"  A Navy-led attack is anticipated by some analysts.  A planned provocation that would draw us into war with Iran is a possibility, as accused by Zbigniew Brzezinski, national security adviser under President Carter.  ["Be not deceived; God is not mocked:  for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" Gal. 6:7]  
 
What are some of the potential consequences of war with Iran which would "spell utter disaster for the United States?
...an immediate widening and intensification of the violence in Iraq, as Shi'ite forces join the fray, resulting in a drastic increase in U.S. casualties;...solidify Iranian nationalism behind the regime, causing even moderate Iranians to rally against the invaders;...the whole Middle East will be further destabilized; many oil fields, pipelines, tankers, and shipping ports...will be damaged, destroyed, or shut down; oil prices will skyrocket, and America's economy will be greatly harmed; Russia and China will be the big winners in the region, as both powers continue to solidify their influence and play against America's image as the imperialist, anti-Muslin, anti-Arab superpower;  Anti-Americanism and Islamic jihadism will be whipped into a new frenzy;  Terrorist cells already allowed into the United States...will embark on a campaign of terror attacks." (The New American, 4/2/07). 
 
William Jasper concludes that we should not go to war against Iran, "unless of course we have abolutely no other choice because of Iranian aggression against us."  (Constitutionally, such a war can only be declared by the U.S. Congress).  "Instead, we should safeguard our country against treachery, including drastically increasing our own border security.  We should stop giving financial and material aid to governments such as China and Russia that support Iran."  (T.N.A., 10/16/06).
 
The Constitution Party 2004 Platform demands that:  "Never again shall United States troops be employed on any foreign field of battle without a declaration of war by Congress, as required by the U.S. Constitution;  Congress refuse to fund unconstitutional, undeclared wars pursuant to presidential whim or international obligations under which American sovereignty has been transferred to multinational agencies.."
 
Jack McLain
C.P.F.