IRAN - Why the Heck not?????

[elsid13]

US has "intensive diplomacy" under way on Iran By Steve Holland
Wed Jan 11, 1:16 PM ET

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/iran

The White House said on Wednesday that Iran has made a "serious miscalculation" by clearing the way to resume uranium enrichment and that intensive diplomacy was under way with European allies and others about what to do now.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan, traveling with President George W. Bush on a brief trip to Kentucky, told reporters that if the European-led negotiations had run their course, then there was no other option but to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

Iran removed U.N. seals at uranium enrichment research facilities on Tuesday and announced it would resume "research and development" on producing uranium fuel, prompting angry reactions from Washington, the European Union and Russia.

"I think that the Iranian regime has made another serious miscalculation by their latest actions, and we are engaged in some intensive diplomacy right now. We are talking with our European friends and others about how to move ahead and those discussions continue," McClellan said.

He said the international community had given Iran a chance to negotiate in good faith, but instead Tehran "is showing yet again that they are going to ignore the demands of the international community, and I think that's a serious miscalculation."

"We believe that if the negotiations have run their course and Iran is not going to negotiate in good faith, then there's no other option but to refer the matter to the Security Council," McClellan said. "If that happens then we would talk about what actions need to be taken at that time."

In London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair called for the U.N. Security Council to consider action against Iran.

Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has found no firm proof to the contrary.


Ok does anyone think that American Public would support military action? Even if UN and EU fully supported it???

[Rascal]

Like I said in another thread...there is no way in hell there will be an invasion. The terrain there is impossible to maintain control and if they think the terroists are bad enough in Iraq they haven't seen anything if they go to Iran.

We might do some strategic bombing, or at the most an Army Ranger attack and destroy so stuff, but there will not be an invasion. Not only will the public say no, but so will the military brass. There is no way we will win that war...it will make Vietnam look easy.

[enjolras]

One big difference is the local mood. IF you have the support of the EU and you can LEAD with EU troops... the Iranian populace is largely pro-west and more homogenous than in Iraq.

It wouldn't be easy, but I think it is doable.

[elsid13]

One big difference is the local mood. IF you have the support of the EU and you can LEAD with EU troops... the Iranian populace is largely pro-west and more homogenous than in Iraq.

It wouldn't be easy, but I think it is doable.


The Iran young population is very western oriented, but it also extremely nationalist. Any invasion or direct military actions would lead to hard core leadership gaining support. The "soft" approach should be used here.

[alkemical]

http://www.321energy.com/editorials/meridian/meridian121005.html

The Meridian Report
A Global Perspective on Energy


But this simple 1-2-3 argument may be about to come under attack. A successful start-up of trading operations on this Bourse could lead to an erosion of the US Dollar. Hence this Bourse is a de facto weapon. A weapon so ferocious, that has the ability to undermine the entire US economy, and topple the US Dollar from its lofty perch. After all, why would Oil importing nations need to keep as many US Dollars in reserve if they can purchase Oil in Euros? The ramifications of a weakened US Dollar are serious. Global purchasers of US debt instruments may begin to shy away from a weaker currency in favor of Euro denominated debt instruments. This would place upward pressure on US interest rates and the serious imbalance of the US economy would be laid bare for all to see (as if we don’t already see it). After all, the US has no choice but to keep foreign investors interested in buying US debt. Management of the trade deficit and budget deficit depends on it. The housing market would surely collapse under the weight of higher interest rates. With mortgage rates now above 6% we are already seeing the signs of weakness of the housing market. Now imagine mortgage rates at 8% or even 9%. Given this scenario, it should come as little surprise that China recently moved all of a sudden to re-position its Renminbi currency away from the US Dollar and instead to a basket of global currencies. The Chinese are definitely not stupid. They have excellent relations with Iran and are well aware of the threat this new Bourse poses. Notice how the Chinese still have not told us the exact makeup of this basket? However, you can bet the Euro figures very prominently in the weighting of this basket.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Like I said in another thread...there is no way in hell there will be an invasion. The terrain there is impossible to maintain control and if they think the terroists are bad enough in Iraq they haven't seen anything if they go to Iran.

We might do some strategic bombing, or at the most an Army Ranger attack and destroy so stuff, but there will not be an invasion. Not only will the public say no, but so will the military brass. There is no way we will win that war...it will make Vietnam look easy.

It's apparent you never served in the military. There is nothing that's not doable in their eyes.

[scorpio]

I read an article today that said Israel is already staging exercises for an attack on Iran to be conducted as early as May. It will essentially be the same thing they did last time - a precision airstrike on Iran's main enrichment facility in an effort to set their program back 2+ years, NOT a ground invasion by any country in any capacity. I'll try to find a link.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

It's apparent you never served in the military. There is nothing that's not doable in their eyes.

No kidding.

There's nothing that's not doable in the minds of the denizens of BushWorld either - just look at the thinking exhibited by the chickenhawks who planned the current Iraq misadventure.

Maybe some sort of major confrontation (hyped 24/7 by the lapdog media, of course) with Iran (military or other) will be this years' midterm "October surprise."

[Rascal]

Slug you can kiss my ass. They are just not killing machines that have no common sense. With attitudes like that it's obvious you never served in the military.

And yes the brass will say no as I've read reports saying so.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

With attitudes like that it's obvious you never served in the military.

It's only "obvious" to people who:

A) Missed BB's previous posts describing his military service.

B) Have never served.

:D

[bendog]

Is the "surgical" strike even an option? From what I've read, it isn't both because Iran has hardened the site this time, as well as spreading the program out of just the site. Moreover, such a move would really alter the political balance and shift things more to the radical islam view.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Slug you can kiss my ass. They are just not killing machines that have no common sense. With attitudes like that it's obvious you never served in the military.

And yes the brass will say no as I've read reports saying so.

Like I said, It's obvious you have never served in the military.

[elsid13]

Is the "surgical" strike even an option? From what I've read, it isn't both because Iran has hardened the site this time, as well as spreading the program out of just the site. Moreover, such a move would really alter the political balance and shift things more to the radical islam view.


It been before by the Israels, the key like always will be intelligence and how harden the target are. Hitting multiply targets aren't a problem if your INTEL is good. The question is the US and its allies ready to protect Straits of Hormuz from Iran surface to surface missiles or mini-sub that Iranian might have.

[elsid13]

It's apparent you never served in the military. There is nothing that's not doable in their eyes.


The brass and the troops will do what they order to do. But they will attempt to provide SECDEF and NCA all the risks associated with any potential actions. You never going to hear the leadership openly come against something when they're still uniform, it would be political suicide. By the time this folks reach O7 and above they know how to play the political game.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

The brass and the troops will do what they order to do. But they will attempt to provide SECDEF and NCA all the risks associated with any potential actions. You never going to hear the leadership openly come against something when they're still uniform, it would be political suicide. By the time this folks reach O7 and above they know how to play the political game.

The military is only asked to assess military tactics and options not political strategy. If someone in the administration decides a military operation is needed it will happen. The military brass pride themselves on being to launch operations anywhere in the world under any conditions. There is basically nothing they consider "not doable".

[elsid13]

The military is only asked to assess military tactics and options not political strategy. If someone in the administration decides a military operation is needed it will happen. The military brass pride themselves on being to launch operations anywhere in the world under any conditions. There is basically nothing they consider "not doable".

Which is what I said. The leadership will attempt to steer the NCA away from some thing - ie nation building projects, it just to hard on resources or military action that don't think will be successful. Albert in Clinton Administration strongly advocated military action against Serbia for regime change, the Pentagon was against direct military action.