No.

I don’t care what ‘evidence’ the White House cares to come up with, I steadfastly refuse to accept any military action against Iran under any pretenses.

That is it; that is my stance. The intelligence agencies who report to a voracious, war-driven executive branch cannot be trusted to produce impartial information that at some base level is not driven by the motivations of the Bush Administration. The question now is not ‘if’ Cheney bombs/invades Iran; but instead if the American public and Congress will allow him to.

Today, officials attempted to offer proof of material support from Iran for Sunni fighters and Shiite militias whom have consistently attacked U.S. forces and contractors. Newsweek writes of the briefing:

A trio of American military officials led the show. Their mission: rolling out the administration’s case that Iran is supporting attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. Under the rules of this afternoon’s briefing, the three could not identified by name. No TV cameras or tapes were allowed in, and journalists’ cell phones were taken away before they entered the briefing room. But if their job was to provide proof of Tehran’s involvement in Iraq’s bloodshed, they’re unlikely to convince the doubters with what was shown Sunday.

If the Administration has absolute confidence in their assertions, then why hold this briefing under such tight control? Under the best of circumstances, the Iraq War will be remembered in history for pre-war intelligence rife with inconsistency and sloppiness (if not outright deception and malice). The idea that ANY international maneuvering, particularly that which may lead us toward war; could be conducted without ABSOLUTE TRANSPARENCY only further explicates the totalitarian-based fantasy world that Cheney and Co. live in.

With two carrier groups in the Persian Gulf right now, and allegations that plans floating around the Pentagon reportedly center on the use of tactical nuclear weapons to disable Iran’s nuclear enrichment program; what people often fail to take into account is proxy war. The minute that American bombs strike Iran, the likelihood is that occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq (both border nations) will become untenable. Considering the current state of deterioration, an honest appraisal of it would be calling it outright ground war; causing casualties in numbers significantly higher than that currently seen. Where are our re-enforcements to send in this likelihood? Oh, that’s right. They don’t exist.

I do not believe that Iran is a threat to the United States, our allies, or interests. I do not believe our nation is financially prepared to accept the burden of worsening military engagements in the Middle East. Though our bombs are mighty, the rest of our army is in disrepair while mired in compromising positions in Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe it is not fair to ask so many more of our uniformed personnel to sacrifice their lives for the bloodlust of our Executive. I believe it is immoral to leave another nation in ruin and its people suffering or dead. I neither believe nor trust our President; nor those who work under him. Therefore, I am a member of the American majority. It is up to us. Are you tired of five and a half years of death and war? Then stand and shout until you are heard. We can no longer stand aside and shrug our shoulders in expressions of powerlessness; the stakes are too high.