Quotes of the Morning: Misunderestimating the Decider

“Succeeding in Iraq also requires defending its territorial integrity — and stabilizing the region in the face of the extremist challenge. This begins with addressing Iran and Syria. These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq. Iran is providing material support for attacks on American troops. We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, January 10, 2007

“Fearless Leader is tough-talking on Iran now. Thankfully I don’t think that the American people are going to back a third war. Heck, the majority want us out of Iraq war as it is, so adding another war seems to be out of the question. I’m sure that he was saber-rattling on this one. Only an idiot would think otherwise.”
-Skippy

“SCARBOROUGH: And I want start with you, Pat Buchanan. There‘s talk in Washington right now, not just about Iraq, but also Iran, a coming war with Iran. Is that possible?
[…]
You have got Cheney and Bush right now looking at a legacy of having gotten the United States into two wars, and maybe lost those wars, or legacy where they have destroyed Iran‘s nuclear capacity, validated the Bush doctrine, saved Israel.
I think there is a real temptation—there will be—and a real drive, in both parties, to get the United States, whatever it does, to go in from air and sea, and take out Iran‘s nuclear facilities. I will bet you that is coming.
SCARBOROUGH: And...
BUCHANAN: I will bet you the president and vice president are considering it, even as we speak.
(CROSSTALK)
SCARBOROUGH: And, Craig Crawford, I would bet just about any amount of money that I had available that George Bush will not leave office with a nuclear Iran.”
-MSNBC, “Scarborough Country”, January 10, 2006

“I stand by my earlier statement. I mean, everyone knows that Buchanan is crazy. Even Fearless Leader isn’t bat-shit insane enough to invade Iran. That bit in the speech was just rhetoric. The Decider knows we can’t afford to start a third war. We’re already over-extended in the two we have. Attacking Iran would be about the most incredibly stupid thing that I can imagine.”
-Skippy

“The U.S. military operation Thursday in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil that resulted in the arrests of six Iranians has drawn a sharp denunciation from Iraq's Kurdish regional government.
A spokesman for the autonomous regional government and its presidency expressed their ‘alarm’ and condemned the Thursday morning operation.
They characterized it as a raid on the Iranian consulate in Irbil, ‘which opened in the provincial capital in an agreement between the Iraqi government and the Iranian government.’
The Kurdish regional government is based in Irbil.”
-CNN, January 11, 2006

“Oh.. We attacked the Iranian consulate. I may be mistaken (and some news reports say I am), but I believe that a consulate is similar to an embassy in that it is considered the sovereign soil of the country involved. In other words we just invaded Iranian soil. I hope that the White House can clear this up..”
-Skippy

“Q One last question. There's some concern about the operation in Iraq last night that involved some Iranian nationals, that this could be construed as an act of war, going on sovereign territory. Can you respond? What's the President's thought about that?
MR. JOHNDROE: I can't -- I'm not going to speak specifically to the Iranians and to that operation today. But the President made it clear last night that we will not tolerate outside interference in Iraq. And that's what the Iranians are up to. And if we get information that is actionable that the Iranians are interfering with Iraq, with Iraqis, or in any way going to harm Americans that we're going to take action.
Q Even if it means going on Iranian soil?
MR. JOHNDROE: No, Chairman Pace said this morning that these are actions that take place within Iraq, and much of this is about force protection of our troops there, and that takes place inside Iraq.”
-Press Gaggle with White House spokesperson Gordon Johndroe, January 11, 2007

“Yes, there will be no outside interference in Iraq (except for ours of course). I take it all back.. I think that Fearless Leader may just be crazy enough to invade yet another country. We can handle it though. Iran is only has.. um.. about two and a half times the population of Iraq..”
-Skippy

“A small team of American military personnel entered southern Somalia to try to determine exactly who was killed in a U.S. airstrike Monday that targeted suspected al-Qaeda figures thought to be hiding in swampy mangrove forests along the Indian Ocean, U.S. sources said Thursday.
[…]
The strike killed eight to 10 people suspected of terrorist links, according to another source, a high-ranking U.S. official in the region who spoke Thursday and declined to be identified. The people were fleeing with remnants of the Courts movement, which was swept from power last month by invading Ethiopian forces who installed in its place the country's U.S.-backed transitional government.”
-Washington Post, January 12, 2007

“I mean two other countries.. Wow.. We are so screwed. Anything to add to that Fearless Leader?”
-Skippy

“The folks who conducted this act on our country on September 11th made a big mistake. They misunderestimated the fact that we love a neighbor in need. They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the commander-in-chief, too.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, September 26, 2001