Report: US plans strike against Iran

[kpete]

John Byrne
Published: Thursday February 1, 2007

The US continues to develop plans to strike Iran, according to an article in the UK Times which was detailed Wednesday in the Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467856230&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

According to the Times, the Bush Administration has been inviting defense consultants and Middle East experts to meetings for "tactical advice." RAW STORY has reported frequenly on US-Iran tensions, revealing that Vice President Cheney's office is the biggest advocate of a military strike.

Bush Administration officials deny the claim. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said in a radio interview Thursday that the US still believes tensions with Iran can be resolved diplomatically.

Still, he Burns not that "all options are on the table."


more at:
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/US_has_contingency_plan_to_strike_0201.html

[acmavm]

1. Make the Cheney family put their asses on the line. Send the

pregnant one too.

[lancdem]

2. Of course, Cheney's office would be the biggest advocate

:mad:

[Kelly Rupert]

3. We have plans for all military possibilities.

We have plans for war with China. We have plans for war with Russia. We have plans for an Indo-Pakistani war. We have plans for war with Syria and Iran. We have plans for war with North Korea. I wouldn't be surprised if we had plans for war with Canada sitting in some filing cabinet.

The White House seems to be considering military action without giving a second thought to diplomacy, true. However, I really can't see them actually exercising the military option with Iran--there simply isn't the national support, even with their media campaign. I think the most likely outcome when Ms. Clinton assumes office (shudder) is a strengthened Iran on the verge of nuclear capability exercising shadow control over Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. And I think that will be the ultimate result of Bush's war.

[lancdem]

6. I hope you're right

I really do. But I don't trust these people are far as I can spit.

[Kelly Rupert]

9. Neither do I. And I think that my scenario might, long-term, be even more dangerous

than airstrikes. Now, I have no idea what would happen with an air campaign, though I can make a few guesses. They run everywhere from "Iran rolls over" to "Iran unleashes the Basij on Iraq, eventually triggering a region-wide war." However, with the "Prepare for war and do nothing" route, Iran throws the entire Mideast into a Sunni v. Shi'a cold war, which has the possibility of degenerating into a region-wide bloodbath.

The only remotely satisfactory option is to try to engage Iran in active, fair diplomacy as co-equal partners. However, I can't see this administration bothering to talk to people, so I can't really see much hope.

*sigh*

It's kind of shocking how disastrous this war was.

[EVDebs]

15. Tim Weiner called them 'the crazies in the basement' of the WH

referring to DoD's ops in the Reagan era, in book Blank Check.

http://www.americanshareholders.com/news/asa-repats-03-20-06.pdf

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. In case anyone missed the CNN crawl yesterday, the Air Force

has begun to start flying at the Iraq/Iran border...to protect the US troops, of course.

That's how any "tactical" bombing mission is going to get justified by Bush. He's protecting the troops dontcha know. I don't see an invasion of Iran, more likely one from Iran into Iraq while we're operating from the air over Iran bombing the shit out of Tehran and other strategic sights (which will also coincidentally be 'suspected newkyoulure labs').

[bdamomma]

5. come on Fitz put Cheney behind bars!!!

[progressivebydesign]

7. All we can do is SHOUT from the rooftops about this!

I mean, all we can do (and what our Senators are doing beautifully), is to SHOUT LOUD about Bush's Iran ambitions, and the PNAC ambitions, and bring it into the public forum. Even the most diehard of conservatives will protest another front in this neverending war in the Middle East. The PNAC needs to be exposed ON TV now... ABC, CBS, CNN, and the rest need to really do their work and EXPOSE the PNAC roadmap right now. ONLY public opinion can stop them.

[murray hill farm]

8. If we do not stop these madmen,

then we are no different than the german population that did nothing and saw nothing and knew nothing while hitlers concentration camps and death camps killed so many of their brothers and sisters. If we, as americans do not stop these madmen, then we are as much to blame as they are for the world domination by envasion and mass killing done by our leaders to our brothers and sisters of the world

[mnhtnbb]

11. So true.

[madrchsod]

10. all options are always on the table

they have always been on the table since 1979. the problem is that another incident such as the airliner downing could really lead to a major conflict with these two nutballs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_655
Iran Air Flight 655 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[redqueen]

12. When is Congress going to step up and rein this madman in?

:grr:

[TZ]

13. That would be a nice diversion

from all the crap you are taking at the Scooter Libby trial wouldn't it Lord Vader??:grr: :mad: :mad: :grr: :argh:

[helderheid]

14. MSNBC is reporting that this feels like we're being fed BS again (in not so many words)

[Boo Boo]

16. The Carrier "Ronald Regan" recently sailed from San Diego, ostensibly

to relieve another Carrier on station in the Gulf, but the rotation was not scheduled and the Reagan sailed on short notice with the crew being called back from leave early. It was reported locally as being part of the "President's surge plan," but obviously you don't need another Carrier Battle Group for that. I don't buy the rotation story.

How many Carriers in the Gulf does that make? Four?