Bushquotes 0, Facts 3 in Foreign Policy Shutout

"I believe the most solemn duty of the American president is to protect the American people. If America shows uncertainty or weakness in this decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my watch. I am running for president with a clear and positive plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. "

--George W. Bush, September 2, 2004

Today is five days after the President, amid pomp and circumstance, and before the audience of his Faithful, spoke these ringing and enthusiastic words. Now it's time to face up to a few facts.

First, we have this interesting news from the AP wire:

"(AP) Iran has announced it plans to turn tons of uranium into the substance used to make enriched uranium, the U.N. atomic watchdog agency said Wednesday in a report stoking concern about Tehran's nuclear agenda. The confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency said the agency had been informed that the Islamic Republic planned to process 37 metric tons (more than 40 tons) of raw uranium into uranium hexafluoride.....A senior diplomat familiar with the agency declined to say how much hexafluoride could be obtained from that amount of raw uranium, also known as yellowcake, beyond saying it was a "substantial amount." Another diplomat, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said that enough highly enriched uranium could be produced from the hexafluoride derived to make several explosive devices."

Second, we have this little tidbit from the Tehran Times:

"TEHRAN (IRNA) -- Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani stressed that Iran's recent test of the Shahab-3 missile was successful, saying his ministry is ready to test it again 'in the presence of observers'. Iran said last month it carried out a successful test firing of an upgraded version of its Shahab-3 medium-range ballistic missile.

Shamkhani stressed that the Defense Ministry was confident of the successful test even before it was conducted. He said, "Given that an effective deterrent policy does not halt at a certain point, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues upgrading its defensive capability." .....Military experts have said the Shahab-3 missile is capable of striking Israel or any other enemy target in the region."

Finally, we have this excellent summary from Stan Crock in BusinessWeek Online:

"No Administration can endure a setback such as the Iraq occupation -- a costly affair that has left Iraqi radicals in charge of major cities -- without consequences....The massive cost of the war -- some $124 billion budgeted so far -- is draining the Treasury and threatening GOP initiatives from tax cuts to Social Security reform. U.S. armed forces are stretched thin, limiting their ability to operate elsewhere.....

What's more, even if Bush can start to extricate the U.S. from Iraq by 2006, the challenges for the President's assertive policy just get tougher. Iran and North Korea, the other members of Bush's Axis of Evil, aren't the hollow military targets Iraq was. "Options for military force are relatively limited" with those nations, says Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, a GOP national security specialist.....

The next major flash point looks to be Iran, which Washington charges is intent on pursuing a nuclear program. Iran has stronger economic ties to the outside world than Iraq, as well as a more formidable military. That makes the likelihood of a U.S. strike against Iran's nuclear facilities low. So despite the risks that economic sanctions could backfire, some U.S. officials hope tough ones could slowly erode support for the unpopular Tehran theocracy."

Let's see....a clear and positive plan to build a safer world. Would that be by fighting the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, Mr. President?