Beware an Attack on Iran

Is the Bush administration ramping up for an attack on Iran?  The signs seem to point in that direction.  On March 11, Navy Adm. William Fallon, commander of the U.S. forces in the Middle East, retired early because of differences with Washington on Iran policy.  And now, Dick Cheney's current Middle East tour may be designed to prepare our Arab allies for an imminent "preemptive" war against Iran.

Bush and Cheney have long been rattling the sabers in Iran's direction.  The disaster they created in Iraq isn't going well, no matter how they spin it.  They may feel that engaging the United States militarily in Iran would make it harder to elect anyone other than the seasoned military man, John McCain. The Republican presidential candidate just happens to be touring Iraq with Sen. Joe Lieberman, one of the strongest advocates of a U.S. military strike on Iran.  Lieberman is likely on McCain's short list for a vice-presidential running mate.

Admiral Fallon took early retirement after making comments that contradicted the Bush administration's aggressive stance on Iran. Fallon told the Arab television station Al Jazeera last fall that a "constant drumbeat of conflict" from the administration against Iran was "not helpful and not useful."  After Fallon announced his retirement, the New York Times reported a senior administration official as saying Fallon's comments about U.S. Iran policy "left the perception he had a different foreign policy than the president."  If Fallon wants to talk to Iran rather than attack it, then his policy differs from Bush's.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, however, has downplayed the significance of Admiral Fallon's abrupt retirement. Admiral Mullen proclaimed recently, "In my view, this should not be seen as a sign – at all – towards any kind of conflict with Iran." Perhaps the chairman doth protest too much.

The White House has been spewing pugilistic rhetoric toward Iran. In spite of the unanimous conclusion of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran is not developing nukes, Bush immediately declared, "I have said Iran is dangerous, and the NIE estimate doesn't do anything to change my opinion about the danger Iran poses to the world - quite the contrary."  (See here).

News reports on Monday announced that Dick Cheney is on a surprise weeklong visit to Iraq, Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Turkey.  High on Cheney's agenda is the topic of U.S. policy toward Iran.

Connect the dots.  They paint a very frightening picture.

Marjorie Cohn,  MWC News Magazine senior editor, is a professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, president of the National Lawyers Guild, and the US representative to the executive committee of the American Association of Jurists. Cohn is the author of, Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law. Other articles by this author :. Visit her web site at: http://www.marjoriecohn.com/

Recommend this article...

Did you enjoy this article? Please bookmark it onto:

Comments (8)

4. 21-03-2008 01:40

iraq/iran etc.

 
oct 2003 T Lott : 
“Honestly, it’s a little tougher than I thought it was going to be,” Lott said. In a sign of frustration, he offered an unorthodox military solution: “If we have to, we just mow the whole place down, see what happens. You’re dealing with insane suicide bombers who are killing our people, and we need to be very aggressive in taking them out.” 
 
my question: 
is there any wisdom in it? i guess some .

hlg usa

7. 08-04-2008 05:37

petraeus.fallon ,odom questions

Sk Petraeus and ODOM 
 
1) Ask them why German Newspaper e.g. spiegel.de show the destroyed 
 
APC resp. ILAV (Armed personel carrier Tank) last sunday in Sadr City. 
 
And why American Press has not come across his Vehicle. 
 
It is important that we know everything about the warfare and the current balance of POWER . I learned from analysing the picture and the 
 
RPG carrying people around it there , that it must be relatively easy 
 
to hit those vehicles. ALso easy is it to accumulate sufficient RPG 
 
and preposition the individual(s) accordingly and when the day comes 
 
to deploy , all ILAV's can be lost in a matter of hours (deploying time) 
 
 
 
2) withdrawal , how safe is a carefully planned withdrawal from Bagdad ? 
 
In the open desert , movements/maneuverings look relatively safe. 
 
Instructions to refugees ? There could be large masses in the way 
 
resp. in line of anticipated fire. 
 
 
 
3) Training. All iraqies are trained in Infantry Marksmanship . Is it 
 
true , if someone demands training , he is actually just after 
 
absorbing a trainer from his unit. 
 
4) Embedding troops. Is it a risk of becoming a hostage for a GI 
 
TO an Iranian-led regional axis that includes Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria? 
 
Lately many individuals have been observed switching sides or 
 
even commence friendly fire . 
 
This is the most serious concern, the counter-weapon to Nukes are hostages . They can be dispursed and some of them used as human shields to protect high value targets , and held for more than 444 Days, for Generations! Look at North Korea , I learned Families still pslit up 
 
after 55 Years after cease-fire signing. 
 
 
 
 
 
5) Reposition beyond the Horizon . Give up Bagdad Bashra 
 
However maintaqin the Airspace and the OILFIELDS .Feasible ? 
 
All areas or only Curdistan and the Bashra Fields/Ports ? 
 
 
 
6) Attack Iran to cease fire or capitulation. Corridor to Afghanistan. 
 
No question because ,should not be discussed public. 
 
There will be hearings to the appr. commitee ina few hours. 
 
7) Establish Mediteranean acces corridor(s) . Feasible ? 
 
 
 
Friendly Bases . Infrastructure schools Housing US Communities.feasible ? 
 
Safe ? can it be made and held safe ? 
 
9) Bagdhad again . All these Taxi's , 60% unimployed, and soo much 
 
movements /business transports , Radiocalls day and night. 
 
Paying customers ? NO I doubt it. Is this all Sadrs OPS ?

hlg

Write Comment

Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article. Personal verbal attacks will be deleted. Please don't use comments to plug your web site. Such material will be removed. Just ensure to *Refresh* your browser for a new security code to be displayed prior to clicking on the 'Send' button. Keep in mind that the above process only applies if you simply entered the wrong security code.
Name:
E-mail
Homepage
Title:
BBCode:
Comment:
Code:*
	I wish to be contacted by email regarding additional comments

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.4