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Subscribe to RSSNEW YORK -- On Sunday, Michele Bachmann urged the Pentagon to develop a war plan “immediately” that would evaluate ways to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
"We must accelerate our covert operations and our cyber operations in Iran, and order ... the CIA director to take all means necessary to stop Iran from getting the bomb before it’s too late," said Bachmann, a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
“And the Pentagon should prepare a war plan immediately to tell us what to do to prevent Iran from gaining those nuclear weapons,” she continued.
But these remarks, which came during a speech at the annual dinner of the Zionist Organization of America, a pro-Israel group, stopped short of calling for immediate military action against Iran.
“I do not take lightly the prospect of committing the United States troop to stop Iran,” Bachmann said. “Only a fool would ever wish for war."
Bachmann repeated that theme during a press conference following her speech, telling reporters it would be “foolish” to rush into war, before adding,: “We must be prepared to do whatever is necessary to stop Iran. They are the threat to Israel, they are the threat to the United States.”
Iran's nuclear program, though long a concern inside conservative circles, is again in the spotlight since a United Nations report released earlier this month showed Iran has made further steps toward achieving a nuclear weapon.
Finding a medium between “wishing for war” and being “prepared” could mark a new way Bachmann will talk about managing the threat -– allowing her to strike hawkish and practical tones in equal measure on the issue that has become the centerpiece of her foreign policy agenda.
It also sets her apart from Republican opponents who draw a harder line on both sides of the issue. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has called for a joint American-Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Herman Cain has said he doesn’t support the idea of military action against Iran.
Bachmann called on Sunday for a variety of measures against Iran that stop short of military action, including public support for Iranian dissidents, a naval blockade, and a regime of “crushing” economic sanctions that would seek Russia and China’s aid in shutting down Iran’s central bank. (Both countries have financial relationships with Iran.)
Election politics also made a brief appearance Sunday, when Bachmann was forced to address her work as a young lawyer at the IRS.
ZOA’s president, Morton Klein, had woven that biographical detail into his introduction, setting off boos in the crowd.
“To everyone that was mortified in this room to learn that I was a tax lawyer and worked with –- on behalf of –- the IRS,” Bachmann said, “I actually wore a white hat and was trying to be an advocate for lower taxes in that position, not for higher taxes. “
It was a unique reference to her former employer, which Bachmann often eludes mentioning by describing herself as a “former federal tax attorney.”
Bachmann wasn’t the only high-profile speaker Sunday. Glenn Beck received a “defender of Israel” award from the group, delivering a speech that included teary tributes to leaders of the resistance against the Nazis, and a sweeping reproach of the American political left.
“I’ve said George Soros is no friend to Israel,” Beck said, referring to the prominent liberal philanthropist who is Jewish. “Let me add to it: neither is this administration.”
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Michelle Bachman simply needs to shut up as should Herman ( Mountain Man Cain) For that matter the question should never have been asked and certainly never should have been answered by amateurs who truly have no clue.
When something this intelligent is able to get on the House Intelligence Committee?
Does bug-eyes ding a ling know that Russia ( who does have nuclear missles that will reach us) has promised support for Iran??
Does it know that if the oil Iran provides to Europe is cut off we will be paying $20 a gallon for gas??
]Does she have a brain that some-what functions?
Noticed bug-eyes got botox done for her lips. Or she could have been sucking on that corn-dog again.
It is just a matter of trying to show who is toughest. There are voters who prefer the toughest (if not necessarily smartest) candidate. I remeber Eisenhower, and I might have voted for him, but I could never stomach Nixon. He had no business in any public office. I also noted MacArthur`s name above. I wouldn`t say he quietly faded away. He got more public recognition than he deserved. He deliberately disobeyed a direct order from his Commander-in chief, which brought the Chinese into Korea, and lost all the ground that our troops had taken in North Korea. If the man had simply done as instructed, North Korea would not have existed today. All our effort in Korea ended in a tie, just because MacArthur did not know how to obey an order.
Ms. Bachmann,
You are an Idiot. If we, according to your logic, were required to fight every foe who had Nuclear weapons simply for having them or trying to obtain them. We would have to got to war with North Korea, China, Pakistan, and twenty other countries.
In addition to the aforementioned, you have no idea of how to manage a budget or we would not have a record breaking deficit caused entirely by your Party (GOP) because of their treasured Coporate tax cuts for Grover Norquist and the top 2% wage earners. Please.....do us all a favor....and shut your mouth....as your brain isn't engaged.
This from a Tea Party Pledge signing ass. I thought our government was TOO big.I thought they spent TOO much money, All this as you milk the feds for you pray the gay out clinic. What 2 sided @!$%#,
I'm glad Michelle Bachmann will never be the president. I hope her husband finally comes out of the closet sometime soon.
People let us remember that the Military is used when the Diplomatic efforts have been exhausted. The Military does not need to take its cue from the candidates, I do believe they take their orders and cues from the President of the United States
I think we should design a special DRONE for Michelle and send her on her way.
War plan for Iran? Media: Please quit feeding the zoo animals! Any country with strategic national interests in that region already has such a war plan, and indeed has had operational contingency plans for many years. So just don't you worry your pretty little head Michele. You can go back to your cage now and continue reading your world history for evangelicals comic books.
Hey, Michelle. Been in DC lately? I didn't think so. Shut up!!!
the term "batsh*t crazy" comes to mind whenever I see Bachman popping up in the news.
Glenn Beck--"Too crazy & extreme for Fox."
"We must accelerate our covert operations and our cyber operations in Iran, and order ... the CIA director to take all means necessary to stop Iran from getting the bomb before it’s too late," said Bachmann, a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
Michele Bachmann is not smart enough to be a member of the House INTELLIGENCE committee. Unfortunately, the way politics has been going in this country, it is not surprising that a person who has yet to introduce a bill to the House floor and get it passed gets on the INTELLIGENCE committee.
Let's see, elect a Republican is starting to look like "electing" to go to war with Iran based on recent GOP debate topics concerning foreign policy. The fact that Paul Wolfowitz was allowed to be on the debate panel the other night speaks volumes about where the GOP wants to go as far as foreign policy is concerned. We do not need another war in the Middle East. Of that I'm certain. The only benefactors will be the defense contractors and Halliburton. Wolfowitz claimed that the Iraq involvement would be short and not costly back in the early days of the GWB era. What about his statements ring true today? None of them and he was an architect of that debacle. The GOP is as misguided as they have ever been since I started following politics in the early 1970's. The Neocons are really out of touch in a big time way.
The GOP has lost it's way and that is in large part due to the fact that they pander to religious groups and really believe that they are conservative. The fact is they are not conservative, they are Republican and there is a great gulf between true conservative values and the Republican party of 2011. I am not at all a conservative by the way. I am just very amused by many who call themselves conservatives but in fact are nothing more than "run of the mill Republicans". Anyone who believes that the current values of the Republican party follow true conservative tenets has been listening to Fox News and Sean Hannity too much.
The neocons need a foolish Republican President to support war with Iran. Wolfowitz is a neocon. Romney boasted that many of Mr. Bush's former national security advisors, neocons, now advise Mr. Romney.
The American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation, both infiltrated by neocon propagandists who masquerade as scholars, staged this "debate" as a propaganda offensive to secure commitment from Republican candidates and support from the public for more war.
If you want more trillion-dollar, no-win wars, the current crop of Republicans contenders, excepting Paul and Huntsman, are your guys and gal.
The only plan we need is a plan to replace all of our elected representatives.
Clean house people its time
Iran should be the last country that America should be interested in planning and immediate front of war with.
The countries that need to be looked at are as follows: Continue to keep Iraq on the back burner watching for an increase in enemy combatant build-up. Once country of origin that the insurgents are coming from has been determined Allied Forces will be better positioned to make the final assault on Iran.
Libya also needs to be watched so that the democratic process continues to press the advantage without interuption by forces associated with extreme terrorist actions that would rather see the dictorial nature of a single religion determining the thoughts of each citizen rather instead each and seperate Libyan would make the choice for theirself through voting and then be assured that they can walk home that night or day without fear of being attacked because of the choice they cast at the ballot box.
The same sentiment holds true with Egypt who needs to have the backing of an Alliance of Nations that holds the clear and present affirmation of the democractic process of being the path to walk for all those involved with wanting to be able to voice their opinion without death lurking behind every door. I feel with our continued support Egypt will hold true to the democratic values that once held their empire together.
Syria is the front that we should be concerned about at this present time. Syria has the backing of Russia as there are Russian naval ports located within Syria. This is the reason why Assad is being so bold in his defiance of not only the Arab League but the World at Large. Assad is banking on the supposition that if Syria is invaded then Russia will come to the support of Syria.
But what would be the reason that Russia would come to aid of Syria who has a tyrannical dictator ship in place of real leadership? Could it be that Russia is making plans to reinstall Pro-Communist leaders within Russia and is trying to make pacts with both Syria and Iran who would then supply them with oil to fuel their military build-up to protect the re-assurgeance of the former U.S.S.R.? There must be some hidden goal of Syria trading with and allowing Russian Naval facilities to be present within Syria.
Hmmm.....Russia's presence within Syria makes a better case for where the WMD's went to prior to the invasion of Iraq. Hussein knew that he could bait Bush by using mere words to incite him. After the successful campaign of Kuwait by Bush Sr. Jr. was drawn into Iraq under the guise of Hussein having WMD especially gas that was used to murder thousands of Iraqi's. Hussein had to get the gas from somewhere. We know he didn't get it from the U.S. the only other country able to provide gas weapons would have been Russia.
Prior to the invasion of Iraq Hussein ordered the WMD's removed from Iraq to draw Bush into a valley that Hussein hoped the rest of the Arab world would use as a banner to rally to in defense of him, Ghadaffi, Assad and other dictators in the Middle East. The plan worked for a time as the world condemned the U.S. for invading Iraq based on supposed WMD's being present calling Bush an invader. But as the invasion in Iraq went forward the WMD's that were present in Iraq simply vanished into the Syrian country by camel and truck to the Russian Naval ports where they were discretely dismissed from service and taken back to Russia or to secret storage locations within Russian countries most likely countries that are allied with the extremists cause in the Middle East who just like the Taliban and Al-Queada networks want a pro-right wing base of politics emplaced where the religious is the only person who makes the decision for the entire country. Those that rebel are simple then killed and buried. This political base in essence is what Communism is. One person or small group of people making the decision without the voice of the people being heard whether or not the decision should be made or not.
So as a free nation let us as Americans continue to provide a shield of defense of the Middle to their front and over their heads so that they may make the changes in their countries based upon each and every single Middle Easterners voice being cast at the ballot box.
After all like I mentioned earlier there are Middle Easterners who have fight and died beside Americans in the fight against terrorism. There are also Middle Easterners who are fighting to bring to an end the terrorist rule over their countries by dictators not to make their country like America but to bring about the freedom of choice their freedom of thought and spirit that can be then read about at the local bookstore, on the Internet or heard through their songs.
The freedom of those in the Middle East, North Korea, Vietnam ,China and any other nation on Earth who live in a Communist state begins with their ability to goto the store purchase a notebook of drawing paper and a pencil and then sit down to bring the visions in their mind into reality on paper and then be able to share that vision with the rest of the world.
This is what Democracy is another other political form is slavery of each individuals thoughts where their freedoms have been placed into a jail cell.
Bachmann is a member of the House Intelligence Committee? Isn't that a bit of an oxymoron