All signs seem to point to yes. In particular, the British military has already started planning for a missile attack, combined with air strike, against Iran to be done in conjunction with the US.
So, is Iran the next Middle Eastern country to have war waged upon them?
I actually said “What the fuck?!?!?” out loud last night when I saw that article.
War/intervention with Iran doesn’t have to be inevitable, but it seems that the western powers are determined to make it so as they’ve been dropping big hints about how unacceptable it is to them that Iran is building nuclear capabilities for years now. I have no idea what Iran is doing, they know that this would create serious issues for them if Israel feels genuinely threatened (and it now seems to) and with the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan drawing to a close the US/UK actually has the capacity to focus on Iran now.
Whilst Ahmadinejad is a clown and has been beating the drums for a while now, the Council of Guardians are the ones really in charge of the country, and they don’t follow the same rhetoric that he spouts about death to the west/Israel. Again, I really don’t understand what they are hoping to achieve given a) Israel and its position and b) attacking Iran is probably something the western powers could sell to their public quite easily.
Obviously, they hope to get nuclear weapons which will make their various enemies back off. And of course they know that the West is willing to attack them; that’s why they want nukes. In the long run they know it’s a choice between nukes or being conquered and slaughtered, and they know it. They know quite well that negotiation or cooperation won’t help in the slightest; Saddam tried those and he’s dead. They know that they aren’t the problem; the West has been their enemy since before the present government existed. The present regime could commit mass suicide and it wouldn’t keep Iran safe from us.
So much BS in so few sentences.
The article in the OP is full of conjecture and fear mongering. Go back in the archives here and you’ll see this same stuff being put forward for almost 10 years now. They’re beating the war drums. Bush is going to invade Iran ANY DAY NOW! Covert operation in Iran make it almost certain that we will invade Iran IN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS!!
The US (and other countries) are always making contingency plans. Hell, we probably have contingency plans to invade Canada. Doesn’t mean we’re going to do it.
Just like we wouldn’t be crazy enough to invade Iraq over nonexistent WMDs, right? I’m sure the Iranians would find your insistence that they are perfectly safe quite reassuring. Surely the same country that invaded their neighbor Iraq, that is a long term enemy of theirs, that has repeatedly threatened them with everything up to and including nuclear attack would never dream of actually harming them.
That was in today’s paper - right next to it was this article which points out just how unlikely it is that Obama would start a new conflict in the Middle East in the year before an election. The recent “Iran plots with Mexicans to kill Saudi Ambassador” scandal was accompanied by some very clear messages that the US was not considering any kind of military response.
The chain events evisioned is: a) Iran develops nuclear capability to such a level that b) Israel feels compelled to launch military attack on strategic sites in turn c) causing Iran to attack the US thus d) forcing the US to respond in kind and finally e) bringing Britain in in support of US.
Even in this chain, there’s no suggestion that the US will initiate any action, even in support of an Israeli attack. So the only way there’s a conflict with the US is if a) Israel makes good on its threat to attack Iran and b) Iran makes good on its threat to respond by attacking the US.
The latter in particular seems very unlikely - it’s a good threat in that it encourages the US to put pressure on Israel not to act, but it’s a very bad action in that it pretty much forces a shooting war with the US. That’s only going to have one winner.
So why is Netanyahu frantically beating the war drums?
Israel cannot attack Iran (and be assured of destroying Iranian nuclear capabilities). Only if the USA can be prsuaded to attack, can there be any chance of success.
I think the idea of the US launching ANOTHER ME war is beyond crazy-we would have to be insane to attempt it.
Uhm, Bush is no longer president. Just in case you didn’t notice.
Uhm, Der Trihs didn’t mention Bush. You, however, did. Twice.
Does that mean anything? They’re always planning. The Pentagon probably has a plan on file for invading Pitcairn Island. With a tickler-system to make sure it gets updated every five years.
We cannot allow a guano gap!
Some Kurds might disagree with you on that point
Back in the 20s we had a war plan to invade Canada-military plans and actual war are two different things.
I would certainly agree the Council of the Guardians is more powerful than the President, it is the Supreme Leader who is in charge, hence the title(though some say Supreme Guide).
<hijack>Notice the date on that entry? What nation was the US backing in the Iran/Iraq war?
Gratuitous hint: who was blamed for the attack? Answer. </hijack>
I’m sure we always have a war plan to invade Canada or anywhere else. The Pentagon has officers who draw up war plans for every conceivable eventuality and update them periodically, so whatever happens, we’re at least conceptually ready to do something right away. The Germans had the idea first, I believe, back in the 19th Century.
Iran is definitely the next middle eastern nation that we are endlessly poised to just about be ready to be on the brink of invading and conquering viciously. Any minute now. Just a teensie tiny bit longer…wait for it…wait for it…
…
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…wait for it…
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sigh
Well, there is always tomorrow. Keep the faith…like dooms day prophesies, eventually they might actually happen. I mean, the world does have to end some day after all…
-XT
yawn
Try and stay awake there…it could happen any time now!!
-XT
Oh, are we About To Attack Iran Tomorrow, again?
These sort of folks have predicted, what, twelve of the last zero invasions?
But this time, it’s for serious.