President Bush already has called the GWOT "World War III." Now he again invokes the phrase—but in a more conventional sense, arguing that it looms in the future if Iran devlops the atomic bomb. Of course, a pre-emptive attack to (ostensibly) prevent Iran from getting the bomb is a surer and faster route to global conflagration. Additionally, as we have repeatedly noted, more sophisticated minds count the GWOT as World War 4, arguing that the Cold War was World War III. Note that Bush also scapegoats Iran for the high price of oil—which actually has more to do with the mess that he himself created, with similar propaganda, in Iraq. From the pan-Arab al-Bawaba, Oct. 17:

US President George W. Bush on Wednesday claimed that a World War III is possible, if Tehran acquires nuclear technology.

"We got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel. So I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon. I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously. And we'll continue to work with all nations about the seriousness of this threat."

Bush added he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Iranian threat. "I'm looking forward to getting President Putin's read-out from the meeting (with Iranian officials in Tehran)," said Bush in a press conference, claiming he was not worried by the growing ties between Tehran and Moscow.

While the Russian leader has warned the White House against any military actions against Iran, President Bush is trying to rally Moscow's support for tougher measures against Tehran. "It's important for the Iranian people to know we harbor no resentment to them. We're disappointed in the Iranian government's actions, as should they be. Inflation is way too high; isolation is causing economic pain. This is a country that has got a much better future, people have got a much better—should have better hope inside Iran than this current government is providing them," he said.

Finally, note that the ominous comment comes just weeks after Bush invoked "nuclear holocaust" in a similar context—which makes us wonder what he's got up his sleeve for his administration's endgame year.

See our last posts on Iran, global nuclear fear, and the politics of the GWOT.