It's not just noteworthy, it's about time.

An attack on Iran is not imminent, because the UN sanctions and threat of more are having an effect. This is the biggest under-reported story right now. Iran's inflation rate is soaring with food prices tripling in the past 3 months due to several factors -- international isolation being a big one. Ahmadenijad is on the ropes with hard-line conservatives turning on him and criticizing his policies. Iran's regime is actually quite fragile, and the clerics are worried about an economic meltdown leading to a political one.

It's likely that we will see Iran make some sort of face-saving move but agree to suspend enrichment for further talks. The wildcard is how the other players will respond. If the UN Council sticks to it's guns, Iran will back down -- they don't have a choice.

Bush is not a master of subtle policy moves. Does no one recall that it was clear for a good 18 months prior to the illegal, immoral invasion of Iraq what he wanted to do and was preparing for? In this case, Iran, it is also quite clear he intends to widen the disaster he has created in Iraq to include Iran. The administration will not come to Congress for any sort of "permission" slip to do so. It will argue, and rightly so, that the blank check Congress gave him in October 2002 allows him to engage the military forces of the United States wherever and whenever he deems necessary throughout the middle east. Pelosi will have the power to stop nothing that Bush does militarily against Iran, short of defunding the entire operation, and will not even have any powerful symbolic means of curtailing his madness. Unwilling and unable to admit their responsibility for the disasterous war in Iraq, the neocons (Bush included)have Iran as their scapegoat in classic Cold War style they will create the provocation they need and then attack at will, justifying their ill-advised attack on Iran by pointing to the provocation they created.

Iran will be a disaster that makes Iraq look like a picnic...andit don't look like a picnic from here. I hope Pelosi and the other Dems understand that this is THE critical issue for them. It will notdo to work on excuses. If Bush has to be carried out of office sedated and in a straight-jacket, this must be done rather than another stupid meaningless avoidable military confrontation.

"IF it appears likely...?" Hello-oo-o? Of course Cheney is planning a war with Iran. The buildup of lies and deceit about the Iranian role in Iraq (and why in the world Iran would arm Sunni insurgents, as the Bushies contend, is beyond imagining) and the Iranian "nuclear program" parallels precisely the buildup of lies and deceit preceding the Iraqi invasion, right down to the pious expressions of desire for a "peaceful outcome."

These people (Bush, Cheney, and the neocon cabal) believe only in war. The neocons have planned the wars against Iraq, Iran, and Syria since the mid-90s, and they're not going to let a few little things like an overwhelmed military, national bankruptcy, and near-zero popular support stop them. War is all they believe in, all they want, and all they know how to do--and of course we're seeing they really only know how to start wars, not how to win them.

I'm sure Pelosi knows all this, so her pronouncement is puzzlingly disingenuous. If she really wants to stop the inevitable attack against Iran, now is the time. Cheney's loosening the cork on the war genie's bottle right now, and once the genie's out, Pelosi wan't be able to get him back in.

"Bush wants to attack Iran but is looking for Gulf of Tonkin or "Remember the Maine" moment to do so."

He's "looking" for such an incident? If you'll recall, the Tonkin incident (at least) was cooked up by the US to give LBJ an excuse for getting a blank check for escalation in Vietnam. Bush isn't going to wait for Iran to give him an excuse. He'll just create one, and he prbably won't even bother to make it as convincing as the Tonkin fraud. The attack against Iran is a done deal; it's part of the neocon war plan for the region, and they're gonna do it when they want, no matter what Iran does.

I think you, and Josh, are being a bit hard on Pelosi. This declaration is her first move, the SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE coming out against escalation with Iran is a significant political deterent. On the the other hand if the Bushies manufacture an "incident," constitutionally there is no resolution before or after the "incident" happened that could prevent him from sending in the tomahawks.

Why, what evidence do you have for saying Iran has aided, trained, and issued orders for attacks on US troops? They haven't. That's a Bush/Cheney lie. Why are you spewing it?

Cheney WILL attack Iran, even more directly than he already has. As for the "UN track" playing itself out, it's irrelevant if the excuse given is the very one you give--the false assertion that Iran has "attacked" US troops.

As for the supposed "reality" of "a Congressional revolt" deterring Cheney, this is a fantasy. What administration has shown more contempt for Congress? And it's not undeserved. Once Cheney DOES attack Iran, what's Congress going to do? Pass a non-binding resolution? Cheney sees himself as impeachment-proof, and he's going to do what he wants no matter what. And what he wants is more war.

Your evidence that Iran is arming insurgents in Iraq and giving orders to attack US troops is that they've "been caught red-handed in Gaza."? Sorry. You clearly have no evidence, nor do Iraqi and US military intelligence services, who have both repeatedly cancelled press conferences in recent weeks after promising to present such evidence. It is YOUR position that is based on supposition, rumor, and inference, not on facts.

And why shoudn't Iran be "heavily involved" in Iraq? (And since when is "involvement" the same as "ordering attacks" on US troops?) They are natural allies, neighboring Shiite states, have recently signed a far-reaching trade agreement, and many of the Iraqi religious leaders spent many years in Iran as refugees from Saddam. They are as natural allies as the US and Canada.

It's you who need to do some homework and try relying on what's known, instead of the bullshit peddled by a few hyperventilating Judy Miller-type right wing journalistas in the service of the Cheney propaganda machine.