President Bush casually discussed the possibility of World War III breaking out over Iran's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions today, with a few chuckles thrown in to 'lighten' the mood at the press conference.
His warning that Iran had to be stopped from gaining "the knowledge" of how to building nuclear weapons was directed primarily towards Russia and China, both of whom have opposed further sanctions on Iran, and resisted even talk of military action.
President Bush now finds himself squaring off with only Israel as a fully committed anti-Iran alliance member against the full might of an unofficial alliance comprised of Iran, Russia and China, who now have dozens of other countries, including Pakistan, India and Afghanistan on side under umbrella trade and economic alliances. Putin recently warned the states bordering the Caspian Sea not to allow the United States to launch air strikes on Iran from their territory. Putin reportedly faced little resistance from the 'stans.
Both Russia and China have hundreds of billions of dollars worth of trade interests and energy deals with Iran at the moment, and both had have warned the United States and Israel not to go to War On Iran.
Remarkably, President Bush has now backed almost completely away from NeoCon-pumped propaganda claiming Iran already has nuclear weapons, or is only a year or two away from developing them.
President Bush clearly said his interest was to stop Iran from gaining "the knowledge" to build nuclear weapons, not that they had them already, or were close to getting them.
"I believe they want to have the capacity, the knowledge, in order to make a nuclear weapon. And I know it's in the world's interest to prevent them from doing so.
"I told (world leaders) that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon. And I take this very -- I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously."More on all this from Your New Reality :
Another key to BushCo. and the NeoCons fury at Iran can be found in the fact that Iran no longer accepts majority US dollar payments for sales of their oil and natural gas. They now use the Euro.
This move radically decreased the value of the US dollar as the key world currency. If the US dollar is not 'pegged' to oil, and is not the key currency for buying and selling oil, it's next to worthless in world markets.
In the months before the Iraq War began, Saddam Hussein also shifted away from the US dollar for Iraq's oil sales, using the Euro instead. Within months of the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq by the US, Iraq's oil was back to being priced and sold in US dollars.
President Bush claimed in the same press conference today that he hadn't seen reports from Monday that Vladimir Putin had said Iran posed no threat, did not possess a nuclear weapons program and that the United States should not launch strikes against Iran.
Bush seemed genuinely taken aback by reporters questions which rammed home the reality that the man he recently invited to his family retreat, for a fishing weekend, was now allied with, and warning America away from, the NeoCons new enemy of choice : Iran.
Putin recently mocked the NeoCon push for War On Iran by warning that Iran was "not afraid" of the United States and Israel.
The world moves fast, the Russians move faster. Bush appears to still be trying to catch up and take it all in, claiming that Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Condoleezza Rice had not yet "briefed" him on their recent visits to Russia, and meetings with Russian officials.
If that is true, then Bush is clearly being kept out of the loop. Both Gates and Rice are reportedly firmly opposed to military strikes on Iran, while Dick Cheney is said to pressuring Bush to strike before he leaves the White House in January, 2009.
Putin : "Believe Me...Iran Is Not Afraid" Of United States, Israel
Putin : Iran Poses "No Threat", Says There Is No Evidence Iran Is Pursuing Nuclear Weapons
China Joins Russia In Opposing Military Action On Iran
US Military Vs BushCo. Over War On Iran - 'Revolt Of The Generals Reaches Highest Ranks Of American Military
The Madness Of The NeoCons : No Choice Left But To Bomb Iran, Force "Regime Change"
