WASHINGTON — Congress has warned the Bush administration against
leading the United States in a war with Iran.
"What I think many of us are concerned about is that we stumble into
active hostilities with Iran without having aggressively pursued diplomatic
approaches, without the American people understanding exactly what's taking
place," Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat, said.
The warnings were voiced by Democratic and Republican senators, who
instead called on the administration to engage with Teheran. The senators,
members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, cited the
administration's information campaign that led to the U.S. invasion of Iraq
in 2003.
The warnings came during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on
Jan. 30 to examine the nomination of John Negroponte as deputy secretary of
state. Bush has transferred Negroponte from director of national
intelligence to the No. 2 post in the State Department.
During the hearing, Negroponte was asked whether the United States was
heading toward a war with Iran. Negroponte said President George Bush
preferred a diplomatic solution, but added "We don't rule out other
possibilities."
Officials said the Bush administration has ordered a more aggressive
policy toward Iran both along the border with Iraq as well as in the Gulf.
They said the U.S. military plans to increase air reconnaissance along the
Iranian border as well as naval patrols near the Iranian coast.
"We have picked up individuals who we believe are giving very
sophisticated explosive technology to Shia insurgent groups who then use
that technology to target and kill American soldiers," Undersecretary of
State Nicholas Burns said in a radio interview. "It's a very serious
situation. And the message from the United States is, Iran should cease and
desist."
Bush has also appointed Adm. William Fallon as chief of the U.S.
military's Central Command. Fallon would become the first admiral to head
Central Command in a move that analysts said could signal U.S. strategy in
any confrontation with Teheran.
"They have not been helpful in Iraq," Fallon told the Senate Armed
Services Committee. "It seems to me that in the region, as they grow their
military capabilities, we're going to have to pay close attention to what
they do and what they may bring to the table."
But committee members urged the administration to reconcile with Iran
and its ally Syria. They included Senators Chuck Hagel, George Voinovich and
committee chairman Joseph Biden.
Negroponte said both Iran and Syria continued to contribute to the
insurgency war in Iraq. He said U.S. efforts to persuade Syria to halt the
flow of insurgents have failed.
"I would never want to say never with respect to initiating a high-level
dialogue with either of these two countries," Negroponte said. "But that's
the position, as I understand it, at this time."
On Wednesday, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said diplomatic
efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis have not succeeded. But
Kissinger told the Senate committee that he doubted that Bush would launch
war against Teheran.
"Military action by the United States is extremely improbable in the
final two years of a presidency facing a hostile Congress -- though it may
be taken more seriously in Teheran," Kissinger said. "Teheran surely cannot
ignore the possibility of a unilateral Israeli strike if all negotiation
options close."