OpEdNews » Report: US Has Prepared to Attack Iran

Tags for This Article:

Populum Tag Cloud Control Panel
	Fine tune your search to access content

Articles	Links
Diaries	Products
Events	All

All time
Last 6 mos
Last month
Last week
Last 24 hrs

From:
Month Day Year

To:
Month Day Year

Alphabet Popularity	Count ON Count OFF
This Level	Sub-levels

Tag(s): Iran; Iran War; Military; Oil; Pentagon
Add to My Group

August 28, 2007 at 10:34:51

Report: US Has Prepared to Attack Iran

by David Swanson Page 1 of 1 page(s)

www.opednews.com

SAVE FAVORITES

VIEW FAVORITES

View Ratings | Rate It

Detailed Pentagon plans for a military attack on Iran are far more extensive than has been reported in the U.S., according to top British military analysts. There have been occasional news reports on various strategic bombing options - both conventional and nuclear - but this is the first comprehensive look at the full range of Pentagon plans.

A new report obtained by RawStory.com concludes that the United States has made major preparations to attack Iran, and that such an attack will likely target much more than just weapons or nuclear facilities.

Raw Story's article breaking this story and including expert responses to the report is HERE.

The report as a PDF is HERE.

The authors are Dr Dan Plesch and Martin Butcher. Dr Plesch is Director of the School of Oriental and African Studies’ Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy. Martin Butcher is an international consultant on security politics.

Excerpts:

The study concludes that the US has made military preparations to destroy Iran’s WMD, nuclear energy, regime, armed forces, state apparatus and economic infrastructure within days if not hours of President George W. Bush giving the order. The US is not publicising the scale of these preparations to deter Iran, tending to make confrontation more likely. The US retains the option of avoiding war, but using its forces as part of an overall strategy of shaping Iran’s actions.

Any attack is likely to be on a massive multi-front scale but avoiding a ground invasion. Attacks focused on WMD facilities would leave Iran too many retaliatory options, leave President Bush open to the charge of using too little force and leave the regime intact.

• US bombers and long range missiles are ready today to destroy 10,000 targets in Iran in a few hours.
• US ground, air and marine forces already in the Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan can devastate Iranian forces, the regime and the state at short notice.
• Some form of low level US and possibly UK military action as well as armed popular resistance appear underway inside the Iranian provinces or ethnic areas of the Azeri, Balujistan, Kurdistan and Khuzestan. Iran was unable to prevent sabotage of its offshore-to-shore crude oil pipelines in 2005.
• Nuclear weapons are ready, but most unlikely, to be used by the US, the UK and Israel. The human, political and environmental effects would be devastating, while their military value is limited.
• Israel is determined to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons yet has the conventional military capability only to wound Iran’s WMD programmes.

Take action -- click here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
Don't Attack Iran

Click here to see the most recent messages sent to congressional reps and local newspapers

http://www.davidswanson.org

DAVID SWANSON is a co-founder of After Downing Street, a writer and activist, and the Washington Director of Democrats.com. He is a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, and serves on the Executive Council of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including Press Secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, Media Coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as Communications Coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Swanson obtained a Master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia in 1997.

	Contact Author
	Contact Editor
	View Other Articles by Author

Bookmark this page: (what's this?)

(More...)

9 comments

An interested citizen.
ThePrizeAn interested citizen.

Report: US Has Prepared to Attack Iran

It's highly probable that this is disinformation to ignite fear in the Iranian leaders. A military confrontation with Iran is extremely unlikely for several reasons.

Ahmadinejad's popularity has waned dramatically since his tenure as president began. A direct, massive aerial assault would be counterproductive vis-a-vis the Anglo-American interests right now.
Rather than dealing with his failures domestically, Ahmadinejad would much rather deal with an exogenous shock that would galvanize the populous and give him license to activate his non-state apparatus proxies in Lebanon, Gaza and Iraq as well as attempting to interdict tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz; however, the western Anglo-American banking-intelligence-petroleum-military-industrial axis is operating from a position of power, not one of weakness.

The move to agitate and antagonize the fissures in the Iranian government structure are already being exploited. Much of this action is akin to Operation Ajax (1953) rather than Operation Iraqi Freedom. Surreptitiously, the West will force the unwinding and weakening of the unpopular Iranian regime and then work to Balkanize the country. To borrow from Carl von Clausewitz: "War is merely a continuation of politics". Total war isn't necessary to effectuate the desired end so politically it's untenable and unnecessary.

by ThePrize (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 7 comments) on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 12:01:54 PM

Brett Paatsch is an Australian born secular humanist with degrees in management and science and an interest in politics. He is a former pro-American that wishes to be pro-American again and thinks the impeachment and repudiation of President George W Bush for the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 is necessary to reestablish trust in American signatures on international treaties and confidence in the global rule of law.
Brett PaatschBrett Paatsch is an Australian born secular humanist with degrees in management and science and an interest in politics. He is a former pro-American that wishes to be pro-American again and thinks the impeachment and repudiation of President George W Bush for the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 is necessary to reestablish trust in American signatures on international treaties and confidence in the global rule of law.

Anglo-American interests may not accord with Bush's interest

We are hearing here in Australia today Bush talking of a Iran and of a "nuclear shaddow" over the Middle East.

This smacks of the same BS political-spin for a gullible public as the "smoking gun" coming in the form of "a mushroom cloud" that preceeded the invasion of Iraq.

Bush is headed for history's basket of infamy. Rove is gone. Gonzales has gone. Bush and Cheney remain and there are moves afoot to impeach them. If they feel themselves to be misunderstood and in the right they may feel they have little to lose and much to gain by doubling or tripling their desperate efforts to reform the middle east.

The military-industrial complex and other complexes may weild influence but it is wrongheaded to think that the President and Vice-President of the United States united in a desire to redeem themselves don't have enough incentives of their own even without outside influences.

I repeat Anglo-American interests may not in fact accord with Bush and Cheney's interests - they may only need to rationalise to themselves that it does.

by Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 22 diaries, 1010 comments) on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 7:25:57 PM

42 year old computer tech from texas
mike42 year old computer tech from texas

iran arms

All I have been hearing for the last 2 years or so is how much money they hav been spending on upgrading their armed forces. Much has been made about how good their anti-aircraft is and especially these new supersonic cruise misiles that can take out an aircraft carrier. Also we are not suppose to have a defense agianst these.

by mike (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 89 comments) on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 2:15:07 PM

Bill Cain is a professional travel photo-journalist who writes primarily for the Concord Monitor in Concord, New Hampshire. He's visited all seven continents, countless countries and his travel experiences have contributed to and are reflected in his world views.
Bill CainBill Cain is a professional travel photo-journalist who writes primarily for the Concord Monitor in Concord, New Hampshire. He's visited all seven continents, countless countries and his travel experiences have contributed to and are reflected in his world views.

Iran

Honest to God, if I read one more prediction about an attack on Iran, I think I'm going to convulse into a spasmodic, retching lunatic. Either supply concrete, irrefutable evidence, or leave this nightmare alone.

Did someone say "Disinformation"?

by Bill Cain (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 284 comments) on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 5:00:34 PM

Been around the block a few times.
Blue PilgrimBeen around the block a few times.

It might be disinformation:

it would be insane to attack Iran -- but that hasn't stopped them before. It was insane to attack Iraq, and both experts and huge numbers of people told them that. These are not sane people we are talking about!

by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments) on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 5:10:52 PM

Student of history, religion, exoteric and esoteric, the Humanities in general and advocate for peace, justice and the unity of humankind, not through force, but through self-realization and mutual respect.
Mac McKinneyStudent of history, religion, exoteric and esoteric, the Humanities in general and advocate for peace, justice and the unity of humankind, not through force, but through self-realization and mutual respect.

Well Sadism, Racism and Greed Have Their own Inner Logic

In terms of perverse sexual satisfaction on the sadistic level, Bush and his ilk are experiencing endless psychological orgasms of tension release. In terms of fulfilling their racist and relgiously bigoted urges to slaughter swarthy-skinned Moslems, there is also continuous release. Of course, the relase is always temporary, for these psychos live in a constant state of inner tension. The are imprisoned within their own negative psyches and bodies.

And in terms of greed, the unscrupulous are raking in astounding profits.

Of course these were the same driving forces behind the Third Reich, racism, sadism and greed, and we saw then how the irrational in man, when allowed to dominate an entire country, destroys everything in its path, including said country.

by Mac McKinney (42 articles, 67 quicklinks, 164 diaries, 1060 comments) on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 7:14:34 PM

'The people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.' Thomas Jefferson 1787
Munich'The people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.' Thomas Jefferson 1787

Regarding Iran, Bush today said

Violent Islamic radicalism has two "strains"—Sunni extremism, as embodied by al-Qaida, and Shia extremism, as represented by Iran's government. "We will confront this danger before it's too late."

Bush pointedly accused Iran's leadership of trying to destabilize Iraq, calling Tehran a destructive influence that puts American lives at risk.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RA6IS80&show_article=1

by Munich (0 articles, 64 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 808 comments) on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 7:29:14 PM

The Crusade Continues

Bush is ratcheting up the rhetoric all the way now. They just need an incident. It's really up to the Heavens now as to whether this moron takes the planet on a deeper trip into Hell, him and his AIPAC, Neocon-pig handlers.

by Mac McKinney (42 articles, 67 quicklinks, 164 diaries, 1060 comments) on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 10:20:56 PM

Sandy Sand began her writing career while raising three children and doing public relations work for Women's American ORT (Organization for Rehabilitation through Training). That led to a job as a reporter for the San Fernando Valley Chronicle, a weekly publication in Canoga Park, California. In conjunction with the Chronicle, she broadcast a tri-weekly, 10-minute newscast for KGOE AM. Following the closure of the Chronicle, Sand became the editor of the Tolucan Times and Canyon Crier newspapers...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Sandy SandSandy Sand began her writing career while raising three children and doing public relations work for Women's American ORT (Organization for Rehabilitation through Training). That led to a job as a reporter for the San Fernando Valley Chronicle, a weekly publication in Canoga Park, California. In conjunction with the Chronicle, she broadcast a tri-weekly, 10-minute newscast for KGOE AM. Following the closure of the Chronicle, Sand became the editor of the Tolucan Times and Canyon Crier newspapers...

to see more of bio, click on member name

What's W. going to attack with?

The NRA? All he has left are airplanes and nukes. An army that's exhausted and burned out there? No army, no National Guard here to protect us.

Of all the try-to-scare-us-to-death rhetoric from yesterday's speech, this jumped out as omigawd, what does that mean?:

W: "I have authorized our military commanders in Iraq to confront Tehran's murderous activities."

The Los Angeles Times said: In particularly muscular language, Bush cited recent evidence of Iranian weapons in Iraq and renewed his demand that the Iranian leadership halt support for attacks on U.S. troops.

So where's the proof, George, and do you really expect us to fall into the category of fool me again; no, shame on you for fooling me; no, fool me again and I'll get you; well no, shame on somebody?

by Sandy Sand (140 articles, 0 quicklinks, 193 diaries, 1363 comments) on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 at 9:15:56 AM