Juan Cole on Dem. Now! 'now', on U.S. War Plans Against Iran, Turkey

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/23/1411254

Middle East Analyst & Historian Juan Cole on U.S. War Plans Against Iran, Turkey and His New Book "Napolean's Egypt: Invading the Middle East”


As President Bush seeks $196 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan we speak to Juan Cole about Iraq war and whether the war could spread to Iran and Turkey. President Bush has asked Congress for another forty-six billion dollars to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The request brings this year's total to more than one hundred ninety six billion dollars -- by the far the highest amount since the 9/11 attacks. If the trend continues, war funding could top one trillion dollars by the time Bush leaves office. By some measures, that amount would exceed the cost of the Korean and Vietnam wars combined.

The record-high request comes as the drumbeat continues for opening a new war in Iran. Vice President Dick Cheney warned Sunday that Iran faces “serious consequences” over its nuclear program and alleged role in Iraq. His comments came days after President Bush spoke for the first time of “World War III” if Iran obtains the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon. And the threat has been bi-partisan -- the three leading Democratic presidential candidates -- Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards -- have all declared that no option is off the table to stop Iran's nuclear program.

* Juan Cole, professor of History at the University of Michigan. He runs an analytical website called "Informed Comment" where he provides a daily round-up of news and events in Iraq and elsewhere in the Arab world. In his new book, Juan Cole steps back from his widely-regarded analysis of contemporary politics to chronicle the first Western invasion of the Middle East since the Crusades. “Napolean's Egypt: Invading the Middle East” is a history of France's 1798 invasion of Egypt, a conquest that still has repercussions today.

Last night at the library I picked up this novel: "Napolean's Pyramids", and what a surprise this morning when I heard about Napolean invading France!!! I had just finished reading about the French Revolution and him marching to Egypt, so what a coincidence.

I'm going to have to watch this more than once. So much information and great analysis.

given the Turkey lobby in congress.

that lobby is. Could war spread there? I guess it could but I could see the US selling out the Kurds just as easy.

I wish we could take at least half of their war profits (which altogether likely exceeds a trillion) to invest in reconstruction efforts, both here and those countries war-torn by US.