US 'Iran attack plans' revealed (Two triggers)

[Flabbergasted]

US 'Iran attack plans' revealed


USS John C Stennis is being deployed to the Persian Gulf


US contingency plans for air strikes on Iran extend beyond nuclear sites and include most of the country's military infrastructure, the BBC has learned.
It is understood that any such attack - if ordered - would target Iranian air bases, naval bases, missile facilities and command-and-control centres.

The US insists it is not planning to attack, and is trying to persuade Tehran to stop uranium enrichment.

The UN has urged Iran to stop the programme or face economic sanctions.

But diplomatic sources have told the BBC that as a fallback plan, senior officials at Central Command in Florida have already selected their target sets inside Iran.

That list includes Iran's uranium enrichment plant at Natanz. Facilities at Isfahan, Arak and Bushehr are also on the target list, the sources say.

Two triggers

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says the trigger for such an attack reportedly includes any confirmation that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon - which it denies.


The Natanz plant is buried under concrete, metal and earth
Alternatively, our correspondent adds, a high-casualty attack on US forces in neighbouring Iraq could also trigger a bombing campaign if it were traced directly back to Tehran.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6376639.stm

[liberal N proud]

1. The bu$h regime most likely has a date already set for the initial attack

[Atman]

2. "...a high-casualty attack on US forces in neighbouring Iraq..."

Great...BushCo is going to kill MORE American citizens -- this time our own freakin' troops -- just to satiate his hard-on for war. Unfuckingbelievable. Er...well, no it isn't, actually. :(

.

[NYC]

3. Twenty-four hours.

Still, the Pentagon is continuing intensive planning for a possible bombing attack on Iran, a process that began last year, at the direction of the President. In recent months, the former intelligence official told me, a special planning group has been established in the offices of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, charged with creating a contingency bombing plan for Iran that can be implemented, upon orders from the President, within twenty-four hours.

"The Redirection" by Seymour Hersh.

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/070305fa_fact_hersh?page=2

[lyonn]

9. That is quite an article from the New Yorker and Hersh

From what I could gather from it the bushies have been putting their money on the wrong horse for a long time. One should or could go back to the Reagan Admin. to get the full effect of what the article talks about.

[NYC]

10. Yes, a fascinating article.

Who knows what will happen?

[kimmerspixelated]

4. The new surge of troops

will be sitting ducks, if this happens. Nice one-Shrub!

[BayCityProgressive]

5. Bush probably wants a high troop

casualty rate..that way the Dems will be pressure dinto "supporting the troops" by destroying Iran..to revenge our "fallen soldiers".

[Flabbergasted]

6. The only thing that will get democratic congress on board is a major disaster. nt

[AndyTiedye]

7. Major Disasters are a Bush** Regime Specialty

[Flabbergasted]

8. I wasn't going to go there but what the hell nt

[doc03]

11. Wouldn't Iran be justified to make a primitive strike

under the stated "Bush Doctrine" on the USA?