# Possible Iran involvement in Iraq: Now what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 31, 2007, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249 "2007-01-31T08:23:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/41 "2007-02-01T18:14:59Z")
[http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Two\_Iraqi\_generals\_suspected\_of\_complicity\_0201.html](http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Two_Iraqi_generals_suspected_of_complicity_0201.html) **Two Iraqi generals suspected of complicity in attack on US GIs .** This thing just keeps getting worse, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/42 "2007-02-01T19:37:19Z")
[QUOTE=tagos] Bush believes that he already has permission as an attack on Iran is an extension of the war in Iraq. [/QUOTE] 😕 Has he ever actually said that? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/43 "2007-02-02T00:55:01Z")
He hasn’t backed off from the unitary-executive defense-responsibility stuff, a.k.a. rule by decree, has he? Well, there you have it. When do we get to see the Keyboard Division of the Elite Republican Guard telling us here that Iran has \*already \* attacked American forces, hence has declared jihad, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/44 "2007-02-02T00:58:11Z")
[QUOTE=Lamar Mundane] [http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Two\_Iraqi\_generals\_suspected\_of\_complicity\_0201.html](http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Two_Iraqi_generals_suspected_of_complicity_0201.html) **Two Iraqi generals suspected of complicity in attack on US GIs .** This thing just keeps getting worse, doesn’t it? [/QUOTE] When come back, bring credible cite. (“Raw Story” citing Fox News? Why not just link to Little Green Footballs while you’re at it?) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/45 "2007-02-02T01:11:40Z")
I think Bush himself said it best: “There’s an old saying in Tennessee – I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee – that says fool me once, shame on…shame on you…fool me, you don’t get fooled again.” ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/46 "2007-02-02T01:20:32Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] In six months, we might find ourselves negotiating with Iran for the release of tens of thousands of American POWS (not hostages), and it would be the Iranians who would be negotiating from a position of both strength and right. [/QUOTE] How exactly do you see the Iranians capturing “tens of thousands” of American soldiers? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/47 "2007-02-02T04:12:01Z")
[QUOTE=Oakminster] How exactly do you see the Iranians capturing “tens of thousands” of American soldiers? [/QUOTE] We have 140,000 in the field. If they lost to the Iranians and weren’t all killed, what else would be the outcome? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/48 "2007-02-02T04:16:08Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] We have 140,000 in the field. If they lost to the Iranians and weren’t all killed, what else would be the outcome? [/QUOTE] A retreat into Saudi Arabia? Iran’s army isn’t THAT good. I can’t see them winning a full scale ground war outright, so dramatically as to take that many prisoners. You’d be talking about not just a defeat, Brai0n, but a military debacle of historical magnitude. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/49 "2007-02-02T04:26:16Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] A retreat into Saudi Arabia? [/quote] Plausible. Unless they get captured trying to invade Iran. And retreating into SA . . . might lead to an even **worse** outcome. Remember how this whole thing started. [QUOTE=RickJay] Iran’s army isn’t THAT good. I can’t see them winning a full scale ground war outright, so dramatically as to take that many prisoners. You’d be talking about not just a defeat, Brai0n, but a military debacle of historical magnitude. [/QUOTE] That is **exactly** what W has set us up for. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/50 "2007-02-02T04:34:10Z")
Oh come on. we’re talking about the same Iranian army that Saddam’s boys fought to a standstill for eight years. Plus we have far superior air power. So it’s not realistic to fret about Iran invading Iraq and overwhelming our troops there. I’m much more concerned about US troops being sent into Iran (and yet another quagmire). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/51 "2007-02-02T04:44:46Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Oh come on. we’re talking about the same Iranian army that Saddam’s boys fought to a standstill for eight years. [/QUOTE] Saddam’s boys didn’t have to worry about attack from the rear. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/52 "2007-02-02T04:52:02Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Oh come on. we’re talking about the same Iranian army that Saddam’s boys fought to a standstill for eight years. [/QUOTE] Saddam’s forces took 375,000+ casualties. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/53 "2007-02-02T05:10:30Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Saddam’s forces took 375,000+ casualties. [/QUOTE] How many did the Iranians take? And how many did we take in defeating Saddam’s army in conventional combat? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/54 "2007-02-02T05:11:50Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Saddam’s forces took 375,000+ casualties. [/QUOTE] And that was with the US backing him up. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/55 "2007-02-02T05:17:30Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] How many did the Iranians take? [/quote] About 500,000 with the help of chemical weapons. > [@](#): > > And how many did we take in defeating Saddam’s army in conventional combat? We didn’t engage in that much conventional combat with Saddam’s army. Iran is a different kettle of fish, though. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/56 "2007-02-02T05:21:34Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Iran is a different kettle of fish, though. [/QUOTE] Not that different. Our air power would overwhelm them _in a conventional war_. I am much more worried about _un_conventional warfare. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/57 "2007-02-02T05:24:54Z")
The US military is ranked #1 in the world: [http://www.globalfirepower.com/country\_detail.asp?country\_id=1](http://www.globalfirepower.com/country_detail.asp?country_id=1) Iran is ranked #16: [http://www.globalfirepower.com/country\_detail.asp?country\_id=25](http://www.globalfirepower.com/country_detail.asp?country_id=25) This is not a close fight. We can destroy the Iranian military. Note that to date I’ve seen no rational justification for doing so, and if it happened, I might have to attend the first political protest event of my life. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/58 "2007-02-02T05:38:49Z")
The US military is spread over the world, and according to its own senior command is near “breaking” from the Iraq war. The Iranian army is well rested and has nothing to do but defend its own homeland from an invader/would-be occupier. Plus, if they’ve got nukes, that’s an equalizer, and if they don’t, why would we want to go in there anyway? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/59 "2007-02-02T05:40:17Z")
Oh, all right, let’s get a little closer: The Iraqi Army hasn’t even \*existed \* for over 3 years - but how’s that war over there going for us these days? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249/60 "2007-02-02T05:40:58Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] I am much more worried about _un_conventional warfare. [/QUOTE] You mean, guerilla? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-iran-involvement-in-iraq-now-what/390249.md?page=4)