Steven D’s frontpage article analyzes the astounding Sy Hersh story which says that Bush is planning the extensive and sustained bombing of Iran, including nuclear bombs.
This diary adds a little emphasis, a bit more information, but its chief purpose is a plea: CONTACT CONGRESS NOW and get them to raise the alarm. We can stop this, and if we do, there is nothing more important than any of us will have done in our lives.
It’s the weekend. There are so many other outrages clamoring for attention. But there is nothing more important than stopping the use of nuclear weapons. Nothing. And we need to start right now.
In the comments to Steven D’s story, Jim S refers to a Popular Science article, Bombs Away. It describes just what nuking a bunker entails, in four steps. Here is the fourth:
The National Academy of Sciences estimates that the explosion will shoot some 300,000 tons of radioactive debris up to 15 miles into the air. The total number of casualties will vary but could exceed one million, depending on weather, wind velocity and the blast’s proximity to towns and cities.
And, by the way, if the bunker is deep enough, it can still survive.
A big red flag in Hersh’s story was this paragraph:
He went on, “Nuclear planners go through extensive training and learn the technical details of damage and fallout–we’re talking about mushroom clouds, radiation, mass casualties, and contamination over years. This is not an underground nuclear test, where all you see is the earth raised a little bit. These politicians don’t have a clue, and whenever anybody tries to get it out”–remove the nuclear option–“they’re shouted down.”
In other words, they don’t realize what they are doing. The first use of nuclear weapons since World War II, against people who haven’t attacked a single American, would have catastrophic consequences even beyond the blast, the radiation, the fallout circling the world.
The Pandora’s box of nuclear war, kept shut all of those enormously dangerous years of the Cold War, will open. Nukes will become usable weapons, and nothing but death, destruction and chaos could result.
Immediate consequences to the U.S.–we would be the outcast nation of the earth. Oil prices would skyrocket, the economy could collapse. Not just because of oil disruption in the Middle East, where the first nuke used may not be the last. But because outraged nations like Venezeula may simply refuse to export oil to a nation of mass murderers.
The other very important paragraph of Hersh’s story is this one:
The House member said that no one in the meetings “is really objecting” to the talk of war. “The people they’re briefing are the same ones who led the charge on Iraq. At most, questions are raised: How are you going to hit all the sites at once? How are you going to get deep enough?” (Iran is building facilities underground.) “There’s no pressure from Congress” not to take military action, the House member added. “The only political pressure is from the guys who want to do it.” Speaking of President Bush, the House member said, “The most worrisome thing is that this guy has a messianic vision.”
Congress has a Constitutional responsibility in matters of war. The only way to stop the messianic Bush is with immediate, strong, sustained and massive Congressional pressure. Members of Congress must go public with their alarm and demand to know what’s really going on.
The Democratic leadership must make this a priority. What could possibly be more important than stopping nuclear holocaust?
So this is the most importance instance yet, in my view, for the blogosphere to demand that members of Congress pay attention, demand answers, and demand that the nuclear option is off the table. Demand as well that no invasion take place without Congressional authorization.
This is urgent. The future of this country and of the world depends on Bush being stopped from launching a nuclear holocaust.
I hope iran is really working to get their nuke as soon as possible (but i doubt they even work on it). An iranian’ nuke is the best solution to push the US administration to be reasonable and talk with Iran to solve the problems (like Iran asked in 2003 and recently again : they want to be included by the WTO and get insurances on their security).
At this moment, in regard of the menacing american behavior, Iran should use the preemptive strike against US as US set it.
Thanks again Captain for being on top of a BREAKING STORY. Weekend or not, my two Dem Senators will be hearing from me tonight. Nothing at stake here, except maybe the survival of the species.
I diaried about the intent to go to war with Iran, and the intent of using the nuclear bunker-busters, on Wed in the diary “Dance Macabre — and the band played on.” You’re right — it’s scary, and Congress needs to act now, before it’s too late.
We’re running out of time.
My suggestion has always been to start with the revocation of the AUMFs. Bush has used those to justify his claim that we are at war, and then to expand upon his “unitary Executive” Constitutional privilege — a nonsense privilege that we can’t permit to continue unchallenged.
The Pentagon also updated the rules pertaining to control and use of the nuclear arsenal — something that made the use of nuclear “bunker busters” much easier for Bush to do without Congressional oversight, approval and control. He’ll also (obviously) lack accountability.
I grew up in the cold war. My dad was as expert on WWIII; he was a future historian and wrote about the end of the world. When the cold war ended, I never believed we would be so stupid as to threaten nuclear weapons again. Then again, I never believed that Roe v. Wade would ever be challenged again ever either.
With dying poll ratings and an overwhelming opposition to the Iraq war, I thought that there was no way our government could attack Iran. We don’t have the money, the troops or the support to sustain another long term war.
I am now officially terrified. Not only are we making overtures for war on Iran, but we are considering using nuclear weapons. How will Pakistan, India and Russia feel about us unleashing Armageddon?
I knew 4 more years would be bad… but this is way beyond anything I could comprehend. I actually believed that the people would be able to keep him in check, but now I am beginning to believe that he is hell bent on starting WWIII, his idea of the second coming. I am scared. I am really scared. There is seemingly no end to his madness.
I kinda hope that GWB is really serious about ‘nuking Iran…if he really tries to do this, the real powers behind the empty suit will get him impeached quicker than any of us left-wingers could. They won’t let their puppet disrupt business or make them look bad in such an obvious way. The oligarchs are used to hiding their motives behind ‘religious’ values. Such an obvious move, much as they would like to, would hurt their bottom line.
BushCo has become everything “they” tried to scare us with about Saddam. WE really cannot wait for “our side” to do something. Thesrevelations call for a complete overthrow of this warmongering corrupt Cabal of Fascists. People, this is it. Time to crash the gates at the White House before we see BushCo take us to the depths of Hell.
Thanks, Captain. I have contacted Congress from every address I’ve ever had in the USA.
for worrying about the prospect of nuclear strikes against Iran. I became utterly depressed considering how futile it will likely be to contact all of our Reps. Hell, they didn’t even know Bushco was breaking the FISA laws until the NY Times told them so and many of them (the Rethugs especially) don’t find anything in the “liberal” press credible.
This morning in the clear light of day, I think three ways:
AND, the Uber-Rich love their lifestyles, jet-setting around, dining on $4000 meals, ceaselessly shopping, etc. They don’t want to be trapped in their walled compounds protected by Blackwater mercenaries from the masses of desperate, enraged have-nots.
So here’s my final note of optimism — Those Who Rule are smacking Bushco down; this is the beginning of a new puppet show staged to reassure Americans that we still live in a democracy.
We all swing between despair and hope that things will work out, especially when “nuclear” is part of the mix. If you read all these comments and synthesize them, you’ll see why I urge contacting members of Congress.
A few brave Democrats raising the issue loudly, then a number of them, then all the Democrats and some Republicans–enough to get the attention of the media and the White House. It’s possible if unlikely that Congress as a whole will wield its Constitutional power right away in this matter. But those who said that others are alarmed, in the military, in the powerful corporations, are probably right (Hersh indicates that there is substantial military opposition, and we can infer that from the willingness to talk to him and to the Washington Post.)
But each group needs political cover, needs light shining on this issue, needs to know the other groups are also opposed. Bush can ignore one such sector. But it is very doubtful he can ignore them all, and even expect orders to be carried out.
We have a longstanding reaction in this country to anything nuclear: we hide. We hide our consciousness especially, while the fear goes into our unconscious. Don’t let this one get away. This story is already being repressed. But don’t let it.
Contacting Congress and the media, making a noise about it, is what we can do. And we should do what we can do, regardless of how we might calculate the likelihood of success. We can always fall back on chaos theory, and the butterfly’s wings. The blogosphere has proven that theory more than once.
The most important issue of our day. Should be front paged. With Bush running for cover on every other issue. this should not even be on the agenda. Shame on the spineless dems.