US Developing Contingency Plan to Bomb Iran: Report

[Breeze54]

US Developing Contingency Plan to Bomb Iran: Report

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0225-02.htm

Published on Sunday, February 25, 2007 by Reuters

Despite the Bush administration's insistence it has no plans to go to war with Iran,
a Pentagon panel has been created to plan a bombing attack that could be implemented
within 24 hours of getting the go-ahead from President George W. Bush, The New Yorker
magazine reported in its latest issue.

The special planning group was established within the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
in recent months, according to an unidentified former U.S. intelligence official cited in
the article by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh in the March 4 issue.

The panel initially focused on destroying Iran's nuclear facilities and on regime change but
has more recently been directed to identify targets in Iran that may be involved in supplying
or aiding militants in Iraq, according to an Air Force adviser and a Pentagon consultant, who
were not identified.

The consultant and a former senior intelligence official both said that U.S. military and special-
operations teams had crossed the border from Iraq into Iran in pursuit of Iranian operatives,
according to the article.

In response to the report, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said: "The United States is
not planning to go to war with Iran. To suggest anything to the contrary is simply wrong,
misleading and mischievous.

"The United States has been very clear with respect to its concerns regarding specific
Iranian government activities. The president has repeatedly stated publicly that this country
is going to work with allies in the region to address those concerns through diplomatic efforts,"
Whitman said.

Pentagon officials say they maintain contingency plans for literally dozens of potential
conflicts around the world and that all plans are subject to regular and ongoing review.

The article, citing unnamed current and former U.S. officials, also said the Bush administration
received intelligence from Israel that Iran had developed an intercontinental missile capable
of delivering several small warheads that could reach Europe. It added the validity of that
intelligence was still being debated.

The article also included an interview conducted in December with Hezbollah leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who said that while he had no interest in initiating another war
with Israel, he was anticipating and preparing for another Israeli attack sometime this year.

Israel launched a cross-border offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon last July.

Nasrallah also said he was open to talks with Washington if such discussions "can be useful
and influential in determining American policy in the region," but they would be waste of
time if the purpose was to impose policy.

sheesh....

[patrice]

1. Plus Cheney already has a tested plan for ground invasion of Khuzestan, Iran

The interesting thing about Khuzestan is that it is located in the southwest corner of Iran, on a flat plane, on the Persian Gulf, and 90% of Iranian oil goes through there.

The Bernard Lewis Plan was created by the British in 1950 and given to Saddam Hussein in 1980 during the Reagan administration when Rumsfeld and Cheney were Saddam's handlers. Because Hussein used this plan to invade Khuzestan, its flaws have been identified and amended.

http://www.rozanehmagazine.com/MarchApril06/AKhuzestan.html

More: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x277535

Do you really think people who did what they did to Iraq would really have any scruples about invading Iran? Especially since it'd be relatively a small defensible corner, easily supplied from the Gulf AND 90% of Iranian oil, so they'd have a strangle hold on the rest of Iran.

[Breeze54]

3. No!

Do you really think people who did what they did to Iraq
would really have any scruples about invading Iran?

No! They did it during Vietnam too! "Special Forces"...aka CIA?!

[patrice]

4. Sy Hersh's piece in the New Yorker and his spot on CNN today

basically proove that troops don't matter. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=286609

I haven't read it yet; got it this morning and then went out and just got back. I need to sit down and take notes so I can see the angles.

[Breeze54]

5. Thanks for the links.

I don't get cable tv, so the links help. ;)
Thank you!
I need to read more about this also.

[magellan]

2. That's not all they're crossing the border for

...and those "special ops" teams include a group on our terrorist list, but what the hell, chasing Iranian operatives is an umbrella excuse they can sell to America. (Are our border agents permitted to cross into Mexico to run down illegals? No, but a lot of RWers think they should be.)

It reminds me how we and the Brits were secretly bombing the shit out of Iraq in Summer/early Fall 2002 to "soften" it up for an invasion that hadn't even been approved yet. (Edit to add: and remember how BushCo swore up and down there were nothing but contingency plans at the time.)

I'm afraid this thing is happening just as it did with Iraq and there isn't a soul who can stop it.

[patrice]

6. Bernie Sanders said on Thom Hartman's show Friday that

articles of impeachment will be introduced if BushCo attacks Iran.

[dysfunctional press]

7. i'm sure that u.s. 'contingency plans' to bomb every country in the world exist

after all...better safe than sorry- it's better to have a contingency plan and not need it, than to have no contingency plan and need one.