THIS. IS. A. REALLY. BAD. IDEA.

McClatchy:

WASHINGTON — President Bush charged Thursday that Iran continues to arm and train insurgents who are killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq, and he threatened action if that continues.

[Note the word charged. It implies suspicion without any corroborating evidence.]

Vice President Dick Cheney several weeks ago proposed launching airstrikes at suspected training camps in Iran run by the Quds force, a special unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to two U.S. officials who are involved in Iran policy.

This is totally illegal, regardless of whether the suspicions of the Shrub are accurate in the least. There is no active PUBLIC discussion about authorizing military action against Iran, either within our own government or with the cooperation of the U. N. Security Council. Whether or not it can be technically classified as legal under the Authorization for Use of Military Force resolution is left to the devious skills of the student-twisters of the law that currently occupy the White House and aid and abet the administration in its current course of action:

Authorization for Use of Military Force
September 18, 2001

Public Law 107-40 [S. J. RES. 23]

107th CONGRESS

JOINT RESOLUTION

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States.

NO.

IRANIANS.

WERE.

ON.

ANY.

OF.

THE.

FOUR.

PLANES.

Want to guess who was on the planes?

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 11
7:45 a.m.: Departed Boston for Los Angeles.
8:46 a.m.: Crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

Mohamed Atta, pilot and group leader
Age: 33.
Nationality: Egyptian.

Abdulaziz Alomari
Age: Unknown.
Nationality: Saudi.

Satam M.A. Al Suqami
Age: 25.
Nationality: Saudi.

Wail M. Alshehri
Age: 28.
Nationality: Saudi.

Waleed M. Alshehri
Age: 22.
Nationality: Saudi.

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 175
7:58 a.m.: Departed Boston for Los Angeles
9:02 a.m.: Crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center

Marwan al-Shehhi, pilot and group leader
Age: 23.
Nationality: United Arab Emirates.

Fayez Rashid Ahmed Hassan Al Qadi Banihammad
Age: 28.
Nationality: Saudi.

Ahmed Alghamdi
Age: 21.
Nationality: Saudi.

Hamza Alghamdi
Age: 20.
Nationality: Saudi.

Mohand Alshehri
Age: 21.
Nationality: Unknown.

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 77
8:10 a.m.: Departed Washington Dulles for Los Angeles
9:40 a.m.: Crashed into the Pentagon

Hani Hanjour, pilot and group leader
Age: 29.
Nationality: Saudi.

Nawaf Alhazmi
Age: 25.
Nationality: Unknown.

Majed Moqed
Age: Unknown.
Nationality: Unknown.

Khalid Almihdhar
Age: Unknown.
Nationality: Unknown.

Salem Alhazmi
Age: Uknown.
Nationality: Saudi.

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93
8:42 a.m.: Departed Newark for San Francisco
10:01 a.m.: Crashed in Stony Creek Township, Penn.

Ziad Samir Jarrah, pilot and group leader
Age: 26.
Nationality: Lebanese.

Saeed Alghamdi
Age: 25.
Nationality: Saudi.

Ahmed Ibrahim A. Al Haznawi
Age: 20.
Nationality: Saudi.

Ahmed Alnami
Age: 23.
Nationality: Saudi.

Hmmmm, no Iraqis, no Iranians, and a whole bunch of Saudis.

Interesting.

I wonder what we're doing about Saudi Arabia? Oh, right:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States is developing a proposed $20 billion, 10-year arms sales package for Saudi Arabia, a senior administration official confirmed on Saturday.

Why, you may ask. Well, aside form the obvious nepotism laden reasons, there's this load of bunkum:

The proposed sale, first reported in The New York Times, is intended to upgrade the Saudi military's ability to counter possible Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf region, the official said.

"This is all about Iran," said the official, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity because discussions with the Saudis are still going on and the arms sale deal has not been completed.

How about a better, more constructive idea?

Sure, Iran has not suspended its uranium-enrichment program as initially requested by the United Nations Security Council exactly a year ago, but Iran has complied with other aspects of the council's, and the IAEA's, demands pertaining to greater nuclear transparency, access, and the resolution of "outstanding questions".

If the IAEA's reports of Iranians slowing down on the centrifuge program and openly entertaining the "time out" option do not constitute progress and a major plus, then what does? Any undue impatience with the diplomatic approach is uncalled for and indicative of a lack of a sound policy approach by the White House, seemingly riveted by contradictory influences by the moderate-hawk voices coming from different branches of the government.

Alas, it would seem that the words "sound policy approach" and "Bush White House" relate to each other in a manner similar to that of Matter and Anti-Matter.