From AFP Sunday February 10, 2008, via The Raw Story:
President George W. Bush said in an interview aired Sunday the United States had made headway convincing Middle East states that Tehran is a threat, and that sanctions are having an impact on Iran’s economy.
In Bush’s upside down world, progress means convincing nations that their neighbors are threats. In other words, he says he made headway ganging up on Iran. However, this does not square with the recent reports from the Middle East or from the UN Security Council. With the exception of Israel, most nations seem to be resisting the notion of an Iranian menace. Hmm.
“In my trip in the Middle East, I made it abundantly clear to nervous nations that Iran is a threat,” Bush told Fox News Sunday.
Therefore, what Bush seems to mean here is that he convinced Israel that he thinks Iran is a threat and that he will keep repeating that mantra ad nauseum.
“I think I made pretty good headway in the Middle East that Iran is a threat,” he said.
So proud.
Bush expressed confidence in stepping up pressure on Tehran with a third sanctions resolution from the UN Security Council, aimed at forcing Iran to halt uranium enrichment, which the US and European allies believe is geared toward developing nuclear weapons.
The proposed new measures include an outright travel ban on Iranian officials involved in the country’s nuclear and missile programs, and inspections of shipments to and from Iran if there are suspicions of prohibited goods.
That doesn’t sound all that bone-crushingly mean. But then again, the UN Security Council has been resisting sanctions. This is probably the best he can do.
“I feel pretty good about making sure that we keep the pressure on Iran to pressure them so they understand they’re isolated, to pressure them to affect their economy, to pressure them to the point that we hope somebody rational shows up and says, okay, it’s not worth it anymore,” Bush said.
“There are some indications we’re making progress. The economy isn’t doing as well.”
But he called out to Iranians, blaming the Tehran leadership for the problems.
“We have no problems with your history, (your) tradition. We respect you as a people, but it’s your government that has made the decisions that are causing you to be economic pain that you’re now having,” Bush said.
I think he’s projecting. Bush is the one under pressure. Bush is isolated and irrational and perhaps desperately hoping to get off this hook. The US economy is failing, not Iran’s. OUR government has made the horrible decisions causing us economic pain. Iran’s Oil Bourse will push our economy over the cliff. As with so many things Bush says, they make more sense when you hold them up to a mirror.
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