If A Tree Falls In The Woods And The Democrats Refuse To Hear It…

The first paragraph of Sy Hersh's recent New Yorker article "THE IRAN PLANS" says: "The Bush Administration, while publicly advocating diplomacy in order to stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon, has increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified planning for a possible major air attack. Current and former American military and intelligence officials said that Air Force planning groups are drawing up lists of targets, and teams of American combat troops have been ordered into Iran, under cover, to collect targeting data and to establish contact with anti-government ethnic-minority groups." Steve Soto says Bush has no legal authority to conduct such warmaking activities, and wonders why the Democrats are so notably silent on the matter. Steve has posted an email exchange he had with retired Colonel Sam Gardiner, who appeared on CNN International late Friday and revealed that the Iranians already know the Bush Administration is actively engaged in what can be construed as an act of war against their county, by inserting American forces inside Iran for intelligence gathering and target selection activities. --- Some of today's Democrats were in Congress back in 1984, when considerable outrage was voiced about similar unauthorized acts of war, after President Reagan illegally ordered the mining of Nicaragua's harbors, for which the US was condemned by the World Court. Akaka, Biden, Byrd, Dodd, Dorgan, Durbin, Harkin, Inouye, Kennedy, Lautenberg, Leahy, Levin, Sarbanes. Plus Jeffords. Perhaps they could use a little reminder. update: Digby has an excellent post on the subject.