As reported in the New York Times today, under the Bush Republicans, nearly the entire the Middle East has taken a sharp turn towards nuclearizing. Middle Eastern oil-rich countries need nuclear energy like a hole in the head. They all want nuclear weapons. What should we do about it?
It appears that given the Republican intrasigence, denial that their policies are not working, and lawbreaking, impeaching Bush and Cheney is the only realistic option for positive change.
The New York Times today paints a picture of the Middle East that is more troubling and dangerous than it has ever been.
"Two years ago, the leaders of Saudi Arabia told international atomic regulators that they could foresee no need for the kingdom to develop nuclear power. Today, they are scrambling to hire atomic contractors, buy nuclear hardware and build support for a regional system of reactors.
So, too, Turkey is preparing for its first atomic plant. And Egypt has announced plans to build one on its Mediterranean coast. In all, roughly a dozen states in the region have recently turned to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna for help in starting their own nuclear programs. While interest in nuclear energy is rising globally, it is unusually strong in the Middle East.
"The rules have changed," King Abdullah II of Jordan recently told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. "Everybody’s going for nuclear programs."
The Middle East states say they only want atomic power. Some probably do. But United States government and private analysts say they believe that the rush of activity is also intended to counter the threat of a nuclear Iran."
http://www.nytimes.com/...
This Administration hopped up and down with joy when Libya abandoned its nuclear plans. Now the sad fact is that practically every country in the Middle East is on its way to obtaining nuclear technology. Add to that North Korea's quadrupling of its nuclear arsenal, Iran's push to nuclearize, and portions of Pakistan under the influence of al Qaeda.
The Bush Republicans are an abject failure by every standard, including their own. For example, I seem to recall the Bush Republicans placed a high priority on stopping the proliferation of nukes as the number one reason for invading Iraq.
And what is the Bush Republican "solution" for the failures caused by their policies? More of the same. More of the same.
With this record of abject failure, it is unbelievable that the Bush Republicans are still lifting a finger to defend themselves, acting like there is still an area for reasonable debate. There isn't. There is no straight faced position the Bush Republicans can take other than "our policy has been a massive failure and we need new approaches right now, and we need to listen to others."
Unfortunately all America hears from the Bush Republicans is the opposite of recognition that we need a change in approach coupled with accountability: it's stay the course in one form or another. Politicize everything. Somehow they find a way to forget that the Bush Republicans are leading this country and until recently controlled Congress in addition to the White House. Somehow they find a way to blame the Democrats.
The Bush Republicans are failing to protect America. Their policies are placing us in grave danger. The only way to change American policy, unfortunately, is to remove the Bush Republicans from office now. This is because the Bush Republicans will not cooperate with others. They will not even admit their problems, much more seriously consider new approaches to fix them. The Bush Republicans are stuck deep in cya mode.
There is an opportunity to remove the Bush Republicans now. Their failed policies and incompetent execution not surprisingly happen to involve involve serious lawbreaking and criminality at the highest levels. Illegal warrantless spying. Lies under oath. Outing CIA agents. Purging prosecutors for not witchhunting Democrats or turning a blind eye towards Republican corruption. Torture. The fact that these illegal activities have been conceived, planned and authorized at the highest levels is a disgrace. And we need to rectify it starting now. As a growing number of Americans believe, I believe Congress needs to start the process of impeaching and removing President Bush and Vice President Cheney.