Republicans Anonymous

Seeking to discredit reports that the US might engage in a "pre-emptive" strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, Dick Cheney announced that Israel might attack Iran first:

Don Imus, who during the election campaign made no secret of his dislike of the policies of Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, then asked, "Why don't we make Israel do it?" It was a reference to a military option much discussed in Washington but rarely talked about in public by top officials.

"Well, one of the concerns people have is that Israel might do it without being asked," Mr. Cheney said. "If, in fact, the Israelis became convinced the Iranians had a significant nuclear capability, given the fact that Iran has a stated policy that their objective is the destruction of Israel, the Israelis might well decide to act first, and let the rest of the world worry about cleaning up the diplomatic mess afterwards."
(Source: NY Times)

The Bush Administration's attempt at deniability would be more convincing if the US had not already sold Israel the "bunker-buster" bombs needed for such a mission:

posted September 24, 2004, updated 12:15 p.m.
US sells Israel 500 'bunker-busters
Iran says Israel would 'pay a price' for pre-emptive strike against its nuclear facilities.
by Jim Bencivenga | ChristianScienceMonitor.Com

The announcement (in September, 2004) by Israel that it would buy 500 "bunker-buster" bombs from the United States concentrated the world's attention on the escalating crisis over Iran's clerical-ruled republic's alleged development of nuclear weapons, reports the International Herald Tribune. The 2,000 pound bombs, capable of penetrating concrete fortifications 6 feet thick, are part of one of the largest weapons deals between Israel and the US in years. The bombs include airborne versions, guidance units, training bombs and detonators. They are guided by an existing Israeli satellite used by the military.
(Emphasis added.)

Meanwhile, Seymour Hersh's report in this month's New Yorker Magazine of US forces scouting out Iranian targets for attack implies Mr. Bush has already decided upon attacking Iran by proxy. I suspect Mr. Bush and Karl Rove will again start the fear-mongering just after Labor Day, 2005 - and I suppose Sinclair Broadcasting will have a "Made for TV" movie on the Iranian hostage crisis ready to go by then.