(burning) Bush continues to flip off the world...

It looks like the next step in (burning) Bush's war against the world has begun.

US Air Force planes are now provoking Iranian defenses, making unauthorized flights within Iranian air space.

The flights, which have been going on for weeks, are being launched from sites in Afghanistan and Iraq and are part of Bush administration attempts collect badly needed intelligence on Iran's possible nuclear weapons development sites, these sources said, speaking on condition of strict anonymity.

Afghanistan and Iraq... makes you wonder why we invaded, doesn't it?

While, on the record: "We are not aware of any incursions into Iranian air space," said Cdr. Nick Balice, chief of media at the U.S. Central Command.

And elsewhere: Ellen Laipson, president and CEO of the Henry L. Stimson Center and former CIA Middle East expert, said of the flights, "They are not necessarily an act of war in themselves, unless they are perceived as being so by the country that is being overflown."

Laipson explained: "It's not unusual for countries to test each other's air defenses from time to time, to do a little probing -- but it can be dangerous if the target country believes that such flights could mean an imminent attack."

"Target Country"? "Not unusual to test air defenses"? "A little probing"? Sounds a whole lot like your typical, Republican double-speak.

Dark times ahead, folks. Sorry to say, it looks like things are getting worse.