| The price of oil has reached more than eighty dollars | | | | intelligence sources, reported that the Administration |
| a barrel for the first time during the last week. There | | | | has concluded that sanctions against Iran in the |
| is a buildup of British and American forces near the | | | | United Nations are dead. It states that the Bush |
| Iranian border. The Pentagon has announced the | | | | Administration plans to prepare America for war with |
| building of a US base in Iraq near the border with | | | | Iran over the next several months. The Telegraph |
| Iran. The navel buildup near Iran continues. The | | | | reports : " In a chilling scenario of how war might |
| French Government has escalated its public rhetoric | | | | come, a senior intelligence officer warned that public |
| about a war with Iran. All signs continue to point to | | | | denunciation of Iranian meddling in Iraq - arming and |
| an escalating world crisis between the West and Iran. | | | | training militants - would lead to cross border raids on |
| Iranian activity concerning Iraq was strongly | | | | Iranian training camps and bomb factories. A prime |
| condemned last week by General Petraeus and | | | | target would be the Fajr base run by the Iranian |
| Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, in front of | | | | Revolutionary Guard Quds Force in southern Iran, |
| Congress. General Petraeus spoke of a "proxy war" | | | | where Western intelligence agencies say |
| that Iran was fighting in Iraq, while Ambassador | | | | Armour-piercing projectiles used against British and US |
| Crocker accused the Iranian government of | | | | troops are manufactured. Under the theory - which is |
| "providing lethal capabilities to the enemies of the | | | | gaining credence in Washington security circles - US |
| Iraqi state"."It is increasingly apparent," said Petraeus, | | | | action would provoke a major Iranian response, |
| "that Iran, through the use of the Quds Force, seeks | | | | perhaps in the form of moves to cut off Gulf oil |
| to turn the Iraqi Special Groups into a Hezbollah-like | | | | supplies, providing a trigger for air strikes against |
| force to serve its interests and fight a proxy war | | | | Iran's nuclear facilities and even its armed forces." |
| against the Iraqi state and coalition forces in Iraq." In | | | | Over the last several months, public pressure is |
| an interview after his appearance before a | | | | growing in the United States for meaningful troop |
| congressional panel, General Petraeus strongly implied | | | | withdrawals from Iraq. The American public is also |
| that it would soon be necessary to obtain | | | | growing increasingly restless about the lack of |
| authorization to take action against Iran within its | | | | progress by the government of Nouri al- Maliki. In a |
| own borders, rather than just inside Iraq. "There is a | | | | September, 2007 Gallup public opinion poll, a record |
| pretty hard look ongoing at that particular situation.", | | | | 60% say the United States should set a timetable to |
| he said. | | | | withdraw forces and stick to that timetable |
| The only hope to avoid war between Iran and the | | | | regardless of what is going on in the country. |
| West over Iran's ongoing nuclear development | | | | The remaining time for this Administration to govern |
| program appears to be the United Nations. The | | | | is beginning to grow short. The start of the 2008 |
| Iranian crisis is on the upcoming United Nations | | | | Presidential elections herald the conclusion of George |
| agenda and possible new sanctions against Iran will be | | | | Bush's term in office. The prospect of a historic |
| discussed on September 21. | | | | strategic military mistake by invading Iraq. A |
| However, the option of new sanctions against Iran | | | | humanitarian crisis in the country when our troops |
| appears to be diminishing when one considers this | | | | withdraw. A Middle East dominated by an Iran with |
| recent report from Fox news : "Germany - a pivotal | | | | nuclear weapons. The price of a barrel of oil |
| player among three European nations to rein in Iran's | | | | throughout the world being held hostage by a radical |
| nuclear program over the last two-and-a-half years | | | | regime in Tehran. These outcomes are not what |
| through a mixture of diplomacy and sanctions | | | | George Bush had in mind for the legacy of his |
| supported by the United States - notified its allies last | | | | Presidency. He is going to have to take military action |
| week that the government of Chancellor Angela | | | | against Iran before he leaves office. It looks like the |
| Merkel refuses to support the imposition of any | | | | bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities may be only |
| further sanctions against Iran that could be imposed | | | | several months away. This could become a very |
| by the U.N. Security Council. The announcement was | | | | important world event in early 2008. |
| made at a meeting in Berlin that brought German | | | | During the next several months, the Bush |
| officials together with Iran desk officers from the | | | | Administration will likely change the conversation in |
| five member states of the Security Council. It | | | | America from the inept Iraqi government of Nouri al- |
| stunned the room and left most Bush administration | | | | Maliki to the dangers posed to Iraq and America by |
| principals concluding that sanctions are dead." China | | | | the government of Iran. An escalating crisis between |
| and Russia are already opposed to any meaningful | | | | Iran and the West will likely make this winter a long |
| sanctions concerning Iraq. | | | | season of conflict. |
| The British newspaper, The Telegraph, citing | | | | |