The Progressive Truth

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Darth Cheney Responsible for War With Iran

As we've been reporting since prior to Bush's National Address last week, the Administration has upped the rhetoric against Iran a notch, and seems to be looking to pick another fight, and take the United States in another needless, unwarranted war.

The Administration claims the Iranian government is supporting terrorism, the insurgency in Iraq, and is attempting to build a nuclear weapon, as opposed to a civilian nuclear program as the Iranians claim.

If, in fact, the United States declares war on Iran, the responsibility of every single death of an American soldier or Iranian citizen will lay squarely on the shoulders of Vice President Darth Cheney.

According to the BBC, the State Department received a letter from the Iranian government shortly after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. According to officials, the letter offered to cut off funding to terrorist groups (Hamas & Hezbollah), promised "full transparency" on their nuclear program, and offered to help provide stability in Iraq.

In return, the Iranians wanted an end to sanctions, and "repatriation of members of the Mujahedeen Khalq," an Iranian "opposition group" that fought along Saddam Hussein during the Iran/Iraq war.

Sounds like a great deal, right? Not to Darth Cheney apparently. The article continues to explain that the State Department was initially positive on the offer, but once it was dead on arrival to the Veep's office.

"As soon as it got to the White House, and as soon as it got to the Vice-President's office, the old mantra of 'we don't talk to evil' ... reasserted itself," said former State Department official Lawrence Wilkerson.

Apparently, Cheney will only talk and work with Iran as a representative of Halliburton.

As a matter of fact, not only did Cheney turn down the offer that could have avoided war and accomplished exactly what we're trying to accomplish now, Cheney responded to the Swiss (who provided the US with the communication) and blasted them for even sending the proposal.

If, in fact, the United States does send our troops into battle with Iran, all responsibility will lay squarely on the shoulders of Darth Cheney for his refusal to attempt diplomacy, and his out right denial of everything we've been trying to accomplish.