Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran

Ariel Sharon may just be what the doctor ordered to boost W's polls.

ISRAEL’S armed forces have been ordered by Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, to be ready by the end of March for possible strikes on secret uranium enrichment sites in Iran, military sources have revealed. The order came after Israeli intelligence warned the government that Iran was operating enrichment facilities, believed to be small and concealed in civilian locations. Iran’s stand-off with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over nuclear inspections and aggressive rhetoric from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, who said last week that Israel should be moved to Europe, are causing mounting concern. The crisis is set to come to a head in early March, when Mohamed El-Baradei, the head of the IAEA, will present his next report on Iran. El-Baradei, who received the Nobel peace prize yesterday, warned that the world was “losing patience” with Iran. A senior White House source said the threat of a nuclear Iran was moving to the top of the international agenda and the issue now was: “What next?” That question would have to be answered in the next few months, he said.

An "action" by "Iranian agents" would be a nice start to the conflict. It would also give a nice boost to W's polls. What better way than instilling fear followed by a show of force after a terrorist act to appear "presidential."

Conspiracy nut? Paranoia on my part? Or is it just reality that this administration has lied before and used fear as a tool to bring about the Patriot Act, the war in Iraq, the occupation of Iraq...?