Bob Gates and Iran

Apparently, Bob Gates is the only person in the inner circle of the executive branch of this administration who thinks that bombing Iran and its 70 million inhabitants back to the stone age in another pre-emptive strike is a bad idea. As the Daily Telegraph notes,

Pentagon sources say Mr Gates is waging a subtle campaign to undermine the Cheney camp by encouraging the army's senior officers to speak frankly about the overstretch of forces, and the difficulty of fighting another war.

Bruce Reidel, a former CIA Middle East officer, said: "Cheney's people know they can beat Condi. They have been doing it for six years. Bob Gates is a different kettle of fish. He doesn't owe the President anything. He is urging his officers to be completely honest, knowing what that means."

The reason that Gates is a different kettle of fish is because he is Poppy's boy, sent in to try to clean up the mess that the idiot prince and his pals dragged us into. He's got a lot on his plate, though, because Cheney is surely aware that Poppy wants Gates to counterbalance his own influence. Poppy has had a very mixed record in trying to corral his son, as evidenced by Junior's treatment of the Baker Hamilton report.

Cheney is a sick and twisted old man, in decrepit physical condition who has no fear of anything, because he knows that he will be dead soon. Like many men who have faced death, he is a changed man, and in this case he has become an unhinged, murderous swine. Like Norman Podhoretz, he lusts for a war with Persia and sees it as his legacy. The obvious thing to watch here, is whether Gates will be steamrolled by David Addington and Dick Cheney, because if he is, we may be facing even more horror in Western Asia. How's this make you feel?

One CIA insider said: "Bush understands that any increase in real military hostilities in Iran right now could have a negative effect. Bob Gates is the only one opposed to it. He's the single person in the US government who has any standing with the White House fighting it."

Now, consider that the person Gates is trying to influence began his speech this week in Lancaster, PA with the following:

I really appreciate the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce for giving me an opportunity to explain why I have made some of the decisions I have made. My job is a decision-making job. And as a result, I make a lot of decisions.

Feel even better?