In a stunning reversal of Bush administration conventional wisdom, a new assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies concludes Iran shelved its nuclear weapons program over four years ago.

"We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program," reads a declassified version of the National Intelligence Estimate key findings.

See? They have a nuclear program, therefore we need to bomb them!

Political Radar: NIE Report: Iran Halted Nuclear Weapons Program Years Ago

Iraq's leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America, and we seek an enduring relationship with a democratic Iraq.

In other words, "We're not leaving now, we're not leaving next yer, we're not leaving fucking ever." I think this was pretty clearly the plan when Halliburton started building those "enduring bases."

There was no exit plan for Iraq because THERE WAS NEVER ANY INTENTION OF EXITING.

TPMmuckraker | Talking Points Memo | White House Releases "Principles" for Permanent Iraqi Presence

"Why worsen the situation by threatening sanctions and bring it to a dead end?" Putin said in a veiled reference to the U.S. push for harsher international sanctions. "It's not the best way to resolve the situation by running around like a madman with a razor blade in his hand."

That would be the US that Putin is describing as a madman with a razor. Whee! We're a rogue state!

US slaps broad new sanctions on Iran - Yahoo! News

Turkey's parliament approved by a large majority on Wednesday a government request to allow troops to cross into northern Iraq to crush Kurdish rebels based there.

It's over. The second that Turkey actually crosses the border any hope of a good resolution in the Mid-East ends. The only area in Iraq that is currently not a shooting gallery is the Kurdish north. That will change with a Turkish incursion. The majority of US supplies currently come through Turkey, and with that move simply getting the food, fuel and bullets in turns into a train wreck. It also does something that has been on a back burner since 2003, it expands Iraq into a regional war.

Welcome to Hell.

Turkish parliament approves Iraq incursion request - Yahoo! News

Bush was speaking a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has resisted Western pressure to toughen his stance over Iran's nuclear program, made clear on a visit to Tehran that Russia would not accept any military action against Iran.

This is getting ridiculous. Not that I have any special love for Iran, but from everything identifiable, they are holding up their end of non-proliferation. If we're that damn worried about it, we can set something up for standing watchdogs from IAEA at the Iranian nuclear sites. Of course, that's not the plan, the plan is to blow the crap out of Iran and start a holy war.

Bush: Threat of World War III if Iran goes nuclear - Yahoo! News

Some commentators say the PKK would benefit from a Turkish offensive into Iraq because Iraqi Kurds, whose ties with the PKK are uneasy, would see a common enemy in the invaders. Moreover, Turkey could isolate itself on the international stage by echoing, albeit in a limited way, the unpopular U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Gee, ya think Turkey invading the "safe" part of Iraq would screw things up even worse over there? Really?

Turkey Takes Step Toward Iraq Operation

On March 17, 2003 President Bush issued the warning: “Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing ,” yet now thanks to a transcript leaked to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, we learn that more than three weeks prior to that Bush had told former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar that “The Egyptians are speaking to Saddam Hussein. It seems he’s indicated he would be prepared to go into exile if he’s allowed to take $1 billion …” When confronted about the leaked transcript yesterday, Whitehouse spokeswoman Dana Perino did not dispute its accuracy.

I don't even know where to start with this.

Crooks and Liars » Saddam Wanted Out, Bush Lied About It

Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.

Like when it shows the Iraqis not even bothering to respond to W's attempted photo op.

Michael Shaw: Reading The Pictures: Bush Hype And The Loss Of Sheikh - Media on The Huffington Post

Well, the legislation Bush promised never materialized, and on Wednesday attempts to arrive at a compromise oil law collapsed.

What's particularly revealing is the cause of the breakdown. Last month, the provincial government in Kurdistan, defying the central government, passed its own oil law; last week, a Kurdish Web site announced that the provincial government had signed a production-sharing deal with Hunt Oil of Dallas, and that seems to have been the last straw.

Now here's the thing: Ray L. Hunt, the chief executive and president of Hunt Oil, is a close political ally of Bush. More than that, Hunt is a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, a key oversight body.

Okay, that's comment one from Paul Krugman. I'd like to combine that with this quote from Executive Order issued July 17, 2007

(i) to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of:

(A) threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq; or

(B) undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people;

(ii) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, such an act or acts of violence or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or

(iii) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.

(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section include, but are not limited to, (i) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order, and (ii) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Now by my interpretation of this, it seems that Hunt Oil's move to create a separate plan with the Kurdish provincial government clearly undermines the efforts to create a unified Iraqi government. That would appear to be in violation of the executive order. Of course since Ray Hunt is a good buddy of W, and part of his Advisory Board, there's no way in hell that's going to go anywhere.

What I can say with 100% certainty however is whether or not any law was broken, this is a HUGE conflict of interest for Hunt to be involved in both sides of this.

San Jose Mercury News - Bush ally's Kurdish oil deal proves the surge has failed

Pentagon and CIA officers say they believe that the White House has begun a carefully calibrated programme of escalation that could lead to a military showdown with Iran.

Now it has emerged that Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, who has been pushing for a diplomatic solution, is prepared to settle her differences with Vice-President Dick Cheney and sanction military action.

Because two failed wars just isn't enough.

Bush setting America up for war with Iran - Telegraph