Joint Chiefs chair: US prepping military options against Iran

[havocmom]

Source: Ann Scott Tyson of The Washington Post.

The nation's top military officer said today that the Pentagon is planning for "potential military courses of action" against Iran, criticizing what he called the Tehran government's "increasingly lethal and malign influence" in Iraq.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a conflict with Iran would be "extremely stressing" but not impossible for U.S. forces, pointing specifically to reserve capabilities in the Navy and Air Force.

<snip...>

Mullen's statements and others by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recently signal a new rhetorical onslaught by the Bush administration against Iran, amid what officials say is increased Iranian provision of weapons, training and financing to Iraqi groups that are attacking and killing Americans.

In a speech Monday at West Point, Gates said Iran "is hell-bent on acquiring nuclear weapons." He said a war with Iran would be "disastrous on a number of levels. But the military option must be kept on the table given the destabilizing policies of the regime and the risks inherent in a future Iranian nuclear threat."



Read more: The Washington Post.

---

Folks, it is past time to stop engaging in the side shows and keep our eyes on the center ring. They seem hell bent on making sure we don't have any veterans to take care of.

China must have extended our line of credit and cheney has more money to blow on his corporate pals. Plus, I do not believe cheney can afford to be out of office. Too much to account for.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/25/AR2008042501480_pf.html

[ohio2007]

1. Breaking news; Joint chiefs make plans for every country.

Even Canada. This isn't news

[puerco-bellies]

14. Umm, how many other countries did the J.C.O.S. mention.

As a target of possible military action, whilst intoning that same country as killing U.S. soldiers and planning to acquire WMD's in pretty much one breath? Haven't we seen this movie before?

[leftchick]

2. $10.00 a gallon gas

And that is the least of it. These mother fuckers need to go. I sure wish hillary did not feel the need to be a neocon as well. :mad:

[ohio2007]

3. Time to start drilling for oil off the gulf coast

Just like the Chinese do off Key West

[NBachers]

13. Just Wait Until Our Majestic Navy Sails Right Into Tehran!

They're already using nukes in Iraq- the "depleted" uranium has a half-life of four and a half billion years, and there's a fine dusting of it throughout the entire region. Spontaneous abortions, miscarriages, birth defects, cancer, pain, death. They won't hesitate to use nukes in Iran.

[Lorentz]

19. DU casings are not nukes.

And there is hardly a "fine dusting" throughout the entire region. Your hysterical and uneducated ravings do your movement a disservice.

[Zhade]

24. Do some basic research,you're embarrassing yourself.

NT!

[lovuian]

4. WWIII is coming tick tock tick tock

:nuke:

[ShockediSay]

11. PUHlease, let's not get bulldozed again, by the Murdochs, by NBC

an affiliate of perhaps America's largest war contractor,

by MSM which is looking to corner their markets by eliminating

diversity {some more sane coverage would have been great

before we went into Iraq}

No more bulldozing bullsh*t again!

[ohio2007]

20. WW III is over. WW IV is on the horizon and all candidates are in favor of living on the edge

Hillary wants to nuke em,
Barak is willing to invade another sovereign nation
McCain wants to keep the status quo

[InkAddict]

5. Are there any of Milton Friedman's disciples there?

Did they read this black pirate's papers during the Koran commercial breaks?

If so, I may reconsider...:nuke:

[bluesmail]

6. Time has come today. Time to make some more money.

MIC

[bbgrunt]

7. k and r

[unkachuck]

8. Gates said Iran....

...."is hell-bent on acquiring nuclear weapons."....and you, mr gates?....you're 'hell-bent' on what?....policeman of the world?

....where are you trying to take us and why?....what are the long-term problems your policies will create that my grandkids will have to resolve?....

....even your buds, kissenger, schultz, etc. agree you guys suck at executing anything (but people)....if you guys start another war will it also fail?....our treasury in not unlimited....

....and can we believe you?....are you lying to us like before?....how would we ever know?....trust you?

[Faygo Kid]

9. We better WAKE UP here at DU, Hillary backers or Barack supporters alike

There's a train comin' down the track, and Dick Cheney has his hand on the whistle. The media won't pay attention. It's closer than ever; no later than June.

[judasdisney]

16. I have zero faith in ALL Democrats in office to impeach immediately when the attack occurs

And so, I say, fuck this wasteland. I'm outta here.

[Alcibiades]

10. America: Hell Yeah!

Let's go kick some ass!

:patriot:

[NM Independent]

12. If we're not in Iran before Bush leaves office...

I'll shit anyone reading this a golden brick.

Accept it. It's done and, short of a revolution, there's nothing that can be done about it.

[judasdisney]

15. Scott Ritter's comments this week

Scott Ritter was interviewed on Stephanie Miller's morning show this week.

You can download the interview segment at iTunes (search for "Stephanie Miller" under podcasts).

Ritter says that war with Iran is "INEVITABLE" and apparently imminent.

Here are some quotes (I'm transcribing) from the interview:

Ritter: "...Emergency defense appropriations to acquire "Massive Ordinance Penetrators," a bomb specifically designed by the U.S. Air Force for an attack on Iran -- the delivery date is APRIL. That's this month. Modification of the B-2 and B-1 bombers to carry the "Massive Ordinance Penetrator" -- delivery date, this month. Modification of handling facilities in the Middle East and elsewhere to handle the bombers with the new bombs -- delivery date, this month. And now you've got ---" (interrupted by Stephanie, never finished his ongoing litany of reasons).

[havocmom]

21. cheney needs reasons to cancel the normal government. War does that

and makes a ton of money without question for his patrons.

The current administration is hell bent on being the last administration. America is now a pauper state without friends. Mission accomplished, indeed.

[jonnyra]

17. America is a terrorist state

America is a rogue nation, armed with the worlds deadliest weapons threatening other nations with destruction. We the people will stand by, once again and watch as America, the terrorist state launches yet another attack on a nation which poses no threat what so ever to our security...NONE! We are nation run by murderous thieves, liars and scoundrels. No better than Hitler and his regime.

[LynnTheDem]

18. Just imagine if ANY nation said they were "prepping military options against America"

Gee, we'd sure be fucking outraged at such illegal threats against us.

[kitty1]

22. Israel is preparing war against Syria and Lebanon

It looks more and more like Israel is deliberately trying to provoke separation of Syria from Iran and Lebanon by threatening was with Syria as they are not negotiating peace in good faith by assisting Hezbollah and by proxy Iran. There will be a confrontational set up by Israel which will cause Hezbollah to retalliate, by because of this retalliation another more widespread war will begin, involving Syria this time. The Israeli Was ship that was recently spotted off the coast of Lebanon and confronted by another Italian ship in the area is a case in point. Israel's rocket attack on a Syrian installation a few months ago, has also heightened tensions there.

snip

Neutralizing Syria: Prerequisite for Neutralizing Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran

Damascus is pivotal to the framework of resistance in the Middle East against Israeli, Anglo-American, and Franco-German interests. Syria acts as a bridge between Iran and Iraq at one end of the Middle East and the Levant on the other. Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, Iraq, and Iran are all tied together through Syria. <23>

Not long after the 2006 Israeli defeat in Lebanon, Tel Aviv started crafting the “justifications” for more wars in its surrounding neighbourhood, the Levant. <8> The Israeli definitions of “miscalculation” have been extremely vague and ominous.

The Israeli definition of a “miscalculation” also means any arbitrary fire into Israel. The Jerusalem Post defined a “miscalculation” that could spark a war with Syria as an incident “along the border, in the form of a terrorist attack that escalates into a larger conflict.” <9> Such an incident could easily be sparked through conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

A false flag operation could also bring such an incident about. On July 18, 2007 there was rocket fire from South Lebanon into Israel by an unknown group, something that could have been used as a pretext for war. In Syria, Lebanon, and the Arab World the incident was believed to be the work of the Israelis and their allies in an effort to justify a future war.

Removing Syria from the “Resistance Bloc” is a prerequisite for Israel, America, and their partners for tackling Iran. With Syria removed from Iran’s influence, the entire Levant could be controlled and the resistance in the Palestinian Territories and Lebanon under such players as Hamas and Hezbollah could be significantly weakened. Under such a framework, the Levant could be integrated into the economic order of the so-called “Western Powers” under the Washington Consensus and within the Mediterranean Union: this is where Israeli, Anglo-American, and France-German Middle East interests merge.

In 2006, the ultimate objective of the Israeli attack on Lebanon was to remove Syria from its alliance with Iran and insert Damascus within the orbit of a new regional order. With this understanding in mind, the 2006 Israeli attacks on Lebanon were revealed to have been planned to also target Syria.<25>
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8727

Don't be surprised if say around June or July you hear about a major Hezbollah attack on the Israeli border, much like in 06.
This time the onslaught will spread out further and if Iran decides to play ball, all bets could be off.
With Syria out of the way, Iran will be weaker in their dominance around that area and especially in Iraq. This is why the West wants the Saudi's on board so badly. This war will prove to be very widespread and ugly if it goes off. It will have to occur well before the fall elections in the U.S. to make an impact.

[anakie]

23. Fallon out, Betrayus in

the scenario is becoming increasingly plausible.


Peace