The United States denied on Friday it was preparing for military action against Iran and Syria, after President George W. Bush issued a stern warning to them, raising concerns of a spillover from the Iraq war."No, no! Certainly not! [Heh heh!]"
Bush, in his speech on Wednesday unveiling his revised Iraq strategy, accused Tehran and Damascus of allowing use of their territory for launching attacks inside Iraq, and vowed "we will interrupt the flow of support." U.S. lawmakers voiced concern on Thursday the Iraq war could spread to neighboring Iran and Syria if U.S. troops were to chase militants across the border. But U.S. officials insisted the plan was to disrupt supply lines from inside Iraq.
"Really. Trust us on that."
White House spokesman Tony Snow said he wanted to knock down an "urban legend" that Bush was "trying to prepare the way for war with either country and that there were war preparations under way."
"Oh, no. Don't let that possibility influence your thinking. [Snicker!]"
"There are not," he told reporters. "What the president was talking about is defending American forces within Iraq. There's lots of war gaming. This notion that somehow the president was announcing as a precursor to planned military action, a planned war against Iran, that's just not the case."
"Really. [Snurf!]"