To quote Nicole on Crooks and Liars: never before have five words given me such a chill. US “Iran attack plans” revealed.

US contingency plans for air strikes on Iran extend beyond nuclear sites and include most of the country’s military infrastructure, the BBC has learned.

It is understood that any such attack - if ordered - would target Iranian air bases, naval bases, missile facilities and command-and-control centres.

The plans exist. This is like 2002 all over again. Oh no, we’re not really PLANNING on attacking, but we have all the plans in the works. You know, just in case we have to use them. And what would cause such a thing?

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says the trigger for such an attack reportedly includes any confirmation that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon - which it denies.

Alternatively, our correspondent adds, a high-casualty attack on US forces in neighbouring Iraq could also trigger a bombing campaign if it were traced directly back to Tehran.

Now I want everyone, once again, to flash back to late 2002. Think of what we were told concerning Iraq, that we weren’t actually going to invade except as a last resort. We wanted a diplomatic solution. But all of this “evidence” kept creeping up. Saddam was involved with al Qaeda, Saddam had WMDs. Consider how strong that evidence was. Now think about what may be coming in 2007.

The drums of war are beating again. Bush botched Afghanistan, and failed in Iraq. Now the obvious course of action is to move into Iran. Third time’s a charm, after all.

 Sorry I haven’t been around, folks. Computer problems, getting on the internets is a little tricky lately and updates may be sporadic. Anyway, to catch up…

So one thing I’ve hawked on more than most is the disconnect between rhetoric and action in the Bush Administration. The Iraq Fiasco is repeatedly called the epicenter of the Faux War on Terror, while the REAL battle against the terrorists who attacked us over in Afghanistan goes largely ignored. The Taliban is still exerting power, and now it seems al Qaeda is regrouping and training again. You read that right.

American officials said there was mounting evidence that Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, had been steadily building an operations hub in the mountainous Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan. Until recently, the Bush administration had described Mr. bin Laden and Mr. Zawahri as detached from their followers and cut off from operational control of Al Qaeda.

The United States has also identified several new Qaeda compounds in North Waziristan, including one that officials said might be training operatives for strikes against targets beyond Afghanistan.

Okay, I know I may be accused of asking a lot from the president. But to read that the man responsible for 9/11, the group who carried it out, the entity which, through a supposed connection to Saddam Hussein, was used to justify the invasion of Iraq, are not only still alive, but still strong enough to reform and train potential recruits simply makes me sick to my stomach.

If Bush had at least truly dismantled al Qaeda, killed bin Laden and the other leaders, then I could have accepted the Iraq invasion at least a little bit. I’d have been able to say “well he gets things done when he does them, and he truly is committed to fighting terrorism,” but now I can’t say that at all. Bush’s legacy will go down as one of imperialism, arrogance, neglect, ignorance, and callousness. All of which seem to have been done consciously.