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Iran-Krise

AFP meldet heute, US Verteidigungsminister Robert Gates habe bei seiner Anhörung vor dem Senatsausschuss für die Streitkräfte ausgeschlossen, dass die USA Netzwerke von Iranern, die die Aufständischen im Irak mit Waffen und Geld unterstützen, bis in den Iran hinein verfolgen würden.

Gates rules out cross-border raids on networks in Iran, Syria

Hat er das wirklich?

Gates said President George W. Bush’s vow in a major strategy speech Wednesday to attack networks supplying arms and fighters from Iran and Syria was not referring to cross-border operations.

His speech, he said, “I believe refers strictly to operations inside the territory inside Iraq — not crossing the border.” (AFP)

Das operative Wort ist hier “ich glaube”.

US Außenministerin Condoleezza Rice musste bei ihrer Anhörung vor dem auswärtigen Ausschuss des Senates ihren Glauben nicht in Anspruch nehmen, sondern war sich ganz sicher, dass der Präsident tun werde, was er für notwendig halte. Aus dem Protokoll der Sitzung:

SEN. BIDEN: Secretary Rice, do you believe the president has the constitutional authority to pursue across the border into Iraq (sic/Iran) or Syria, the networks in those countries?

SEC. RICE: Well, Mr. Chairman, I think I would not like to speculate on the president’s constitutional authority or to try and say anything that certainly would abridge his constitutional authority, which is broad as commander in chief. I do think that everyone will understand that — the American people and I assume the Congress expect the president to do what is necessary to protect our forces.

In der selben Sitzung meldete sich auch der Senator Charles Hagel, ein Vietnamkriegsveteran, zu Wort.

When you were engaging Chairman Biden on this issue, on the specific question — will our troops go into Iran or Syria in pursuit, based on what the president said last night — you cannot sit here today — not because you’re dishonest or you don’t understand, but no one in our government can sit here today and tell Americans that we won’t engage the Iranians and the Syrians cross-border.

Some of us remember 1970, Madame Secretary, and that was Cambodia, and when our government lied to the American people and said we didn’t cross the border going into Cambodia. In fact we did. I happen to know something about that, as do some on this committee.

So, Madame Secretary, when you set in motion the kind of policy that the president is talking about here, it’s very, very dangerous. Matter of fact, I have to say, Madame Secretary, that I think this speech given last night by this president represents the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam, if it’s carried out.