Debunking the U.S. "Evidence" Against Iran

[Update: Meanwhile, as Bush ridicules those who say he's eager to attack Iran, a top Cheney aide discussed in the Washington Post and leaks that 2007 is "the year of Iran" and that war with one of Iraq's closest neighbors is a "real possibility."]

Some interesting information is coming down the pike since the U.S. government, in a largely anonymous press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, laid out its "compelling" evidence of Iranian intervention as the fault for all things bad in Iraq. Talking Points Memo appropriately calls it "intel bamboozlement" and TPM Muckraker links us to the now-infamous Defense Dept. PowerPoint IEDs presentation of "the case against Iran."

Josh Marshall also offers this:

Good catch by Newshog blog. Today in Australia, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Peter Pace, declined to stand behind the assertions of that background Iranian IEDs briefing in Iraq.

Next, check out Juan Cole's thoughtful explanation on why this case is just rhetoric to justify what President Bush has likely already decided to do. Juan Cole gets thousands of times more veracity with me than the Bushes, PowerPoint presentation (ha!) or not.