Rep Dennis Kucinich sent the following letter to the White House, and it just frosts my cookies that the REST of them aren't doing the same. Isn't it their JOB? Remember that little ol' checks and balances thing? Honestly, I think there's a grand total of about four congresscritters that are doing their job w/r/t national security. The rest of them don't even have the conjones to ask legitimate questions and demand information, which is what the Kucinich letter does. I wanted to link to it, but I got it as an email attachment. I don't see it in his website press releases yet. The date on it is 4/15/06.

Anyway, here's the letter...
(edit- here's a link to the letter at the Downingstreet.com site. That's the source from my email)


Dear President Bush:

Recently, it has been reported that U.S. troops are conducting military operations in Iran. If true, it appears that you have already made the decision to commit U.S. military forces to a unilateral conflict with Iran, even before direct or indirect negotiations with the government of Iran had been attempted, without UN support and without authorization from the U.S. Congress.

The presence of U.S. troops in Iran constitutes a hostile act against that country. At a time when diplomacy is urgently needed, it escalates an international crisis. It undermines any attempt to negotiate with the government of Iran. And it will undermine U.S. diplomatic efforts at the U.N.

Furthermore, it places U.S. troops occupying neighboring Iraq in greater danger. The achievement of stability and a transition to Iraqi security control will be compromised, reversing any progress that has been cited by the Administration.

It would be hard to believe that such an imprudent decision had been taken, but for the number and variety of sources confirming it. In the last week, the national media have reported that you have in fact commenced a military operation in Iran. Today, retired Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner related on CNN that the Iranian Ambassador to the IAEA, Aliasghar Soltaniyeh, reported to him that the Iranians have captured dissident forces who have confessed to working with U.S. troops in Iran. Earlier in the week, Seymour Hersh reported that a U.S. source had told him that U.S. marines were operating in the Baluchi, Azeri and Kurdish regions of Iran.

Any military deployment to Iran would constitute an urgent matter of national significance. I urge you to report immediately to Congress on all activities involving American forces in Iran. I look forward to a prompt response.

Sincerely,

Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress