Those who fail to learn from the past...

Preznit Bush, today:

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President George W. Bush has called Iran an issue of "grave national security concern" but said he wanted a diplomatic solution to the Islamic republic's nuclear ambitions.

{snip]

"We're going to press for as vigorous a response in the council as we can get, and hope that gets the Iranians' attention," John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said Thursday.

"This is a test for the council. If the Iranians do not back off from their continued aggressive pursuit of nuclear weapons, we'll have to make a decision of what the next step will be."

Well, let's recall the past, shall we?

February 15, 2002:

Cheney said Iraq and any other country dealing with terrorists should think twice about "whether they want to face the wrath of the United States and the kind of threat that that would represent."

Cheney told the Council On Foreign Relations in a question-and-answer session military action is only one option. He describes Iraq as "very much a concern."

March 16, 2002:

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told CNN's "Novak, Hunt and Shields" that President Bush has not made a decision about military action against Iraq. He said Bush is keeping all of his options, including diplomacy, on the table, but called Hussein a "very dangerous man" who poses a threat to the United States.

March 22, 2002:

"What I've told others, including President Fox, is we have no imminent plans to use military operations," Bush said in Monterrey after meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox. "We'll be deliberate. We'll consult with our friends and allies. But we'll deal with Saddam Hussein, and he knows that. We'd like to see a regime change in Iraq."

October 22, 2002:

US President George W Bush has said he believes that Iraq can be disarmed peacefully and that he is willing to give diplomacy one more try.

January 31, 2003:

President George W. Bush said Thursday that he would welcome exile for President Saddam Hussein and his top "henchmen." But he also said final efforts to avert war with Iraq would be given only "weeks, not months."

The White House continued a major diplomatic push for international support before a crucial debate on Iraq next week at the UN Security Council.

March 13, 2003:

Negotiations on a new United Nations resolution on disarming Iraq could continue into next week, according to UK and US officials.

"The diplomatic process is under way. And it may conclude tomorrow. It may continue into next week," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said on Thursday.

February 12, 2003:

The White House said Tuesday that it was marshaling "intense diplomacy" in the face of strong European-led opposition to its tough approach on Iraq and still hoped the UN Security Council could pass a new resolution on the use of force against Baghdad.

March 15, 2003:

Bush, Blair and Aznar were to pursue "every last bit of diplomacy, to work toward passage of a (UN) Security Council resolution in New York, and to push the diplomatic initiatives one more time", said Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer.

I'm not saying these parallels NECESSARILY mean we'll be going to war with Iran anytime soon... but the parallels are there, and we'd be stupid not to pay attention to them. Fool me twice, can't get fooled again.