Just in case you thought I was nuts

When I wrote my column on the possibility of Armageddon in Iran I figured it would seem absurd to most reasonable people. I assumed most folks would say that the idea that the Bush junta would intentionally provoke a devastating attack for the purpose of justifying a devastating retaliation wsa beyond the pale even for them. Then the news filled up with reports of new weapons being tested by Iran, and more Republican sabre-rattling. Now Think Progress has this:

Joseph Cirincione is a respected non-proliferation expert at the Carnegie Endowment, one who admits he “was the last remaining person in Washington who believed President George W. Bush when he said that he was committed to a diplomatic solution.” Yet, in a new column for Foreign Policy magazine, he says he now believes that senior U.S. officials have already made up their minds to attack Iran:

For months, I have told interviewers that no senior political or military official was seriously considering a military attack on Iran. In the last few weeks, I have changed my view. In part, this shift was triggered by colleagues with close ties to the Pentagon and the executive branch who have convinced me that some senior officials have already made up their minds: They want to hit Iran. … What I previously dismissed as posturing, I now believe may be a coordinated campaign to prepare for a military strike on Iran.

I didn't think I could scare myself more than I did when I wrote the thing. I was wrong.