US is prepared for an Iran strike.

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Tikka, May 27, 2012.


  1. Tikka

    Tikka Monkey+++

    Asked to Confirm Military Is Ready for Iran Strike, Panetta Says Pentagon Has Plans for Everything

    "During an interview for “This Week,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta assured me that the United States has readied plans to carry out a military strike on Iran to prevent the regime from obtaining nuclear weapons if diplomacy fails to dissuade the country from its current path."

    "“It would be preferable to solve this diplomatically and through the use of pressure, than to use military force,” said Shapiro. “But that doesn’t mean that option isn’t fully available. Not just available, it’s ready. The necessary planning has been done to ensure that it’s ready,” he said."

    Asked to Confirm Military Is Ready for Iran Strike, Panetta Says Pentagon Has Plans for Everything - ABC News

    Saber rattling or a re-election stunt?
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Bluster, sim to the little guy with the bad haircut in the DPRK, but probably closer to the truth than not.
     
  3. limpingbear

    limpingbear future cancer survivor....

    Sometimes im glad my time in the military is over....here we go again, another country to invade, a regime to topple and replace with something the general populous wont abode and then on to rebuilding another middle eastern country at the expence of the American taxpayer.....

    Sorry....i need coffee....
     
  4. tulianr

    tulianr Don Quixote de la Monkey

    The pentagon can dust off a contingency plan for just about anything, but I don't believe that the current administration will launch a military attack on Iran, given existing conditions.

    Most of the world (I'm excluding Israel here) is content to continue their diplomatic efforts. They are dealing with a culture though, that has taken deception to the level of a fine art. Iran is talking about Nuclear Weapons Inspections, but talk is about all they will do. They will talk and delay and obfuscate, and continue right on with working to enrich their uranium.

    I hate to categorize an entire people negatively, but from a western perspective the categorization is apt, I believe. And part of the problem that western nations have in dealing with Iran is the disconnect between ""western" and "eastern" mindsets. Being honest and forthright is admired by western culture (though rarely encountered amongst our politicians). Being honest and forthright is just plain stupid in many eastern cultures, the Iranian culture included.

    I don't want to denigrate the people of Iran. The Iranians aren't the problem. Our understanding of Iranians is the problem. Elaine Sciolino, a journalist, produced a good book on the Iranian mindset from a western perspective and, in "Persian Mirrors", she points out that an Iranian child is more likely to be punished for telling a bad lie, than for lying. Lying is expected and admired in many day to day encounters. Lying is how things get done.

    Western diplomats sitting down with their Iranian counterparts at the negotiating table envision themselves at the hall of mirrors at Versailles, when they are actually in the house of mirrors at the fun park.
     
    CraftyMofo, ghrit and DKR like this.
  5. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    Add in the rampart paranoia and the constant feeling of being persecuted - son't forget, the Crusades are often brought up both in negotiations and thier press.

    Just for those that don't believe the difference in mind set - read this about the Basji

    From the Wiki entry -
    "During the Iranian revolution, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a decree founding the Basij as "a large people's militia", in November 1979. He is reported to have stated that "a country with 20 million youths must have 20 million riflemen or a military with 20 million soldiers; such a country will never be destroyed." <sup id="cite_ref-GlobSecNiruy_0-1" class="reference"></sup>



    This "people's militia" was established on April 30, 1980.<sup id="cite_ref-Alfoneh_5-1" class="reference"></sup> The Basij was open to those above the age of 18 and below the age of 45, and all women in that age category.<sup class="Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;"></sup> According to author Baqer Moin, the group "which was formed as a civil defense force, but in practice became a grass-roots intelligence organization, was largely made up of young boys aged between ten and sixteen and, during the war, unemployed old men, some in their eighties.<sup id="cite_ref-moin_12-0" class="reference">
    </sup>

    <sup id="cite_ref-moin_12-0" class="reference"></sup>
    During the Iran-Iraq War hundreds of thousands volunteered for the Basij, including children as young as 12 and unemployed old men, some in their eighties. These volunteers were swept up in Shi'i love of martyrdom and the atmosphere of patriotism of the war mobilization. They were encouraged through visits to the schools and an intensive media campaign. The Basij may best be known for their employment human wave attacks which cleared minefields or to draw the enemy's fire<sup id="cite_ref-moin_12-1" class="reference"></sup> It is estimated that tens of thousands were killed in the process. Some reports have the Basiji marching into battle marking their expected entry to heaven by wearing plastic "keys to paradise" around their necks.


    The typical human wave tactic was for Basijis (often very lightly armed and unsupported by artillery or air power) to march forward in straight rows. While casualties were high, the tactic often worked. “They come toward our positions in huge hordes with their fists swinging,” an Iraqi officer complained in the summer of 1982. “You can shoot down the first wave and then the second. But at some point the corpses are piling up in front of you, and all you want to do is scream and throw away your weapon. Those are human beings, after all.”<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"></sup>

    <sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"></sup>
    According to Dilip Hiro, by the spring of 1983 the Basij had trained 2.4 million Iranians in the use of arms and sent 450,000 to the front.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"></sup> Tehran Bureau estimates the basij peak number at the front at 100,000 by December 1986.<sup id="cite_ref-Alfoneh_5-2" class="reference"></sup> By the end of the war between 700,000-800,000 Basij volunteers were sent to the front.<sup id="cite_ref-rferl_15-0" class="reference"></sup> In 1985 the IRNA put the number of basij at 3 million."


    By contrast, Iran was a piece of cake.


    Iran is much larger than Iraq, slightly larger than Alaska (or 2.5 x Texas) with a population of over 65 million. We pick a fight with these folks and we will have a fight on our hands.


    The Pentagon may have a plan, if recent past history is any indication, it ain't gonna cut the mustard.

    <sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"></sup>
    One last thing, Look up the story on the "Keys to Paradise". The head nutjob still has his...

    And if that doesn't scare the living peewaddling out of you, read this article
    http://www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/ahmadinejads-world

    Makes the Japanese in WWII look like pikers.
     
    tulianr likes this.
  6. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Bear in mind that cultural differences are not limited to the middle east. Look to the Western Pacific rim for another place of difficult negotiations, and I do not mean Japan. At least there, you will not find madmen, just sharp negotiators that will not lie but the truth is (often) hidden.
     
    tulianr likes this.
  7. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

  8. larryinalabama

    larryinalabama Monkey++

    Its extremely likley that "Persia" or modern day Iran will take ove the middle east. M any Bible scholers think it is inevateble, that being said dont know what the atheist are saying, just licking a finger and putting it someswhere. They gog magog war, in which the entire world goes against Isreal will likley happen within the next 15 years, and the USA has no role it he war whatsoever, thus something will kill off our power before that, temporarly or permanint.

    As far as Obama goes a prememptive strike on Irans nuclear sites will assure his relection and In my poinion is something our country needs to do for our own survival.

    I doubt anything will happen this year, and the problem is that Obama being an Islamist and Roomney a Morman the usa will sever ties with Isreal (the only demoracry in the middle east) as both religions hate Jews.
     
  9. Silversnake

    Silversnake Silverback

    Re-election stunt. Thing is, I bet he would overall lose votes for doing it. Anyone who believes a strike against Iran is a good thing probably would never vote for Obama irregardless whether he strikes or not. However, he would drive away his base for war mongoring.

    And yes, I did use the word irregardless intentially.
     
    tulianr likes this.
  10. Alpha Dog

    Alpha Dog survival of the breed

    I think that if we do go in that it is going to be a different type of war one that we are not ready for. To me Iran and North Korea is the biggest two countries I fear for us to engage. First I don't care what any goverment person tells us they have nukes and will use them without a second thought. Even if it kills everyone in their own country. Second is our rules of war that they force our soldiers to follow. There is no rules when it comes to war the only objective for a warrior is to kill and win at all cost. Third and god knows I don't want to offend any Soldier young or old you all have my thanks for what you do annd for what you have done, You have my highest respect and you are all hero's to me with a place in my heart and this is not directed to the soldier but to the leaders. Third we have became a weak nation.
    Im not sure who said it but you can not fight a gentleman's war against savage force. They no not of a gentleman, they no only of war and what winning a war brings.
     
  11. tulianr

    tulianr Don Quixote de la Monkey

    This is what I'm talking about - delay and obfuscation.

    <header> Iran Not Ready for Nuclear Visit

    </header> Maybe come back later. That’s what officials in the Islamic Republic told inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency on Saturday after the United Nations group requested access to a suspected nuclear-weapons-development site near Tehran.

    “The reasons and documents have still not been presented by the agency to convince us to give permission for this visit,” Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told reporters.

    The complex at Parchin is the site of “extensive activities,” according a report by the IAEA. Iranian leaders have said that complex is a military facility. Western diplomats have suggested that Tehran is stalling to allow time for evidence of nuclear experiments to be removed.
     
  12. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

survivalmonkey SSL seal        survivalmonkey.com warrant canary
17282WuJHksJ9798f34razfKbPATqTq9E7