General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWorth remembering: the roots of Al Qaeda go back to the U.S. inserting troops inside Saudi Arabia
Anyone trying to "game out" the ultimate costs to the U.S. of armed conflict with Iran can't confine that ledger to initial military costs involved in "winning", not even if the short and mid term effects on the world economy of the energy disruptions that armed conflict with Iran would trigger get factored into the equation.
Even if, through military action, the U.S. could achieve Bolton's wet dream of complete regime change in Iran, why would anyone think that would reduce rather than increase the use of terror against the U.S. world wide by Shiite extremists angered at U.S. efforts to topple the Iranian theocracy? Where is the "game plan" to counter that?
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)the real back story. Do not forget,we supplied the Gas to Saddam for use on his own people as well as the Iranian Troops he was killing in his surrogate War.
Memories of who and whom did what to who and whom last for Generations in most of the world.
watoos
(7,142 posts)there are also a lot of Shiite militias in Iraq who wouldn't take kindly to our bombing their brethren in Iran.
The reason that the surge was successful wasn't because we increased our troops, it was because we picked a side, we picked the Sunni side and paid them not to shoot at us but to shoot at Shias. I wouldn't want to be deployed in Iraq once we start bombing Iran.
safeinOhio
(32,527 posts)a return of the Shah and his brutal secret police. They remember, we dont.