Bush aides press 'preemptive deterrence' in Mideast

Boston Globe ^ | 4/13/03 | Bryan Bender

[RJCogburn]

The toppling of Saddam Hussein's Iraq has emboldened a tight-knit group of Bush administration advisers who are urging the president to threaten military force against other authoritarian regimes with terrorist ties, including Syria and Iran, according to administration officials.

This emerging strategy of ''preemptive deterrence'' received an important boost on Friday when members of Congress aligned with neoconservatives in the Bush administration proposed legislation authorizing the White House to impose stiff penalties, including diplomatic sanctions, on Syria if it does not take immediate action to end its occupation of Lebanon, support for anti-Israel terror groups, and development of weapons of mass destruction.

[anniegetyourgun]

They can call it whatever they want, methinks the President is way ahead of 'em with such statements as, "you're either with us, or against us."

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[lainde]

bttt

[ex-Texan]

Personally -- I believe Syria is the real hotbed for the Islamic jihadists. Right now they are in true 'shock and awe' over our easy progress in Iraq. But the major battle in Iraq will be a lot tougher -- Saddam's secret nuke and WMD plant near the Syrian border. I have no doubt that Syria is rethinking its plans about receiving WMD and storing them for Iraq.

They will attempt to negotiate ... But we have to demand the all WMD's are produced immediately. They will try to fake records and pull other deceptive games.

Arabs are donkeys. They will never learn.

[thucydides]

This article is based on interviews with Gary Sick. Gary Sick? He is the individual who was behind the "October Surprise" scam in which democrats tried to make it appear that Presidential Candidate Ronald Reagan's aides tried to delay the release of the American hostages in Iran in order to help his election prospects against Carter. This was shown to be a complete fiction. And now the NY Times owned Boston Globe quotes him without identification as an authority.

[bert]

An interesting aside, on A&E there has been a mini series on Naplleon. Early on, he was talking to one who was waivering at the thought of participating in a Coup detat aagainst the powerless revolutionary council...Naploean Said.."You are either with me or you are against me"

The question for my research now is did Napolean actually utter such a line or was it hollywood license?

[anniegetyourgun]

I assure you - it's not original to Napoleon either. (Matt. 12: 30a)

[bert]

HMMM interesting.

[gcruse]

This emerging strategy of ''preemptive deterrence'

Oh, please.  This administration has the tinniest ear for
language of any I can remember.  Strategery.  Nu-kew-lar.
The early and disasterous use of Crusades.  And now,
preemptive deterrence.  What other type of deterrence is
there?  If something is deterred, it was stopped before it
could happen.  And to pre-empt something is to stop it
before it can happen.
Maybe Bush's speechwriters need to put Bill Safire on
contract.

[RJCogburn]

That is a true fact.