Posted on 11/02/2011 2:40:31 PM PDT by Seizethecarp
Britain's armed forces are stepping up their contingency planning for potential military action against Iran amid mounting concern about Tehran's nuclear enrichment programme, the Guardian has learned.
The Ministry of Defence believes the US may decide to fast-forward plans for targeted missile strikes at some key Iranian facilities. British officials say that if Washington presses ahead it will seek, and receive, UK military help for any mission, despite some deep reservations within the coalition government.
In anticipation of a potential attack, British military planners are examining where best to deploy Royal Navy ships and submarines equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles over the coming months as part of what would be an air and sea campaign.
They also believe the US would ask permission to launch attacks from Diego Garcia, the British Indian ocean territory, which the Americans have used previously for conflicts in the Middle East.
The Guardian has spoken to a number of Whitehall and defence officials over recent weeks who said Iran was once again becoming the focus of diplomatic concern after the revolution in Libya.
They made clear that Barack Obama, has no wish to embark on a new and provocative military venture before next November's presidential election.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2801525/posts
so, do the Saudis actually have more pull with Obama than his own base does?
Looks like we are about to find out.
War might well be seen by Obama as the key to his re-election.
Obama doesn't want any messy, unpredictable events to derail his campaign, but Netanyahu did persuade Obama to un-block delivery of bunker-busters, which might have well have been a green light.
If Netanyahu goes in alone, Iran will attack the US assets and allies nearby.
Looks like rather than go after Syria after Libya, Iran is the next target as Syria's Assad, and also Gaza and Hamas, can't go on the offensive without Iranian support.
Saudis are steamed that al Quds tried to whack their US ambassador and this kind of reckless behavior could only increase exponentially if Iran gets the bomb.
Saudis are rumored to have green-lighted Israeli overflight rights for an attack on Iran.
Well, Barry needs a war for the re-election campaign...
looks like Israel and the UK will go it alone
everyone knows 0failure is pro-muslim and is doing everything he can to maneuver events to help form a califate and possibly start a new ottoman empire
This may be a wag-the-dog move to take the focus off of Cain’s troubles!
Uh...read the article much?
Or it’s a promotion for the new Pizza Hut on Diego Garcia... I could be wrong.
do you honestly believe 0failure will do anything to hurt iran? he’s done everything he can to give them time and space to develop their nuclear program
it’s *highly* unlikely the US would actually do anything
Pizza Hut? Another freeper to turn on Cain?!
In other words, he's done about the same "to hurt" Iran as Bush did?
Not really, but the theater of it all is fascinating. I guess something I left off of my preparedness list is handbaskets.
The UK has only a handful of Tomahawks, but their real contribution is allowing B-2s to open the campaign from their Deigo Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.
Iran has declared that even if Israel attacks along it will attach US bases and ships so the US will be dragged in in any case.
Obama will fight to advance the world socialist agenda aligned with secular Sunni Muslims (westernized...formerly allied with the USSR), like the PLO. Iran is the enemy of the secular and Wahhabi Sunni Muslims as well as enemy of the US and Israel. They are against all in the area except Alawites in Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah...and they are backed by Russia and China in the UN.
No need, FRiend! A grande basket will be provided that can hold 300 million!
Maybe, if everything went well. But I always found it very troubling how visibly disturbed Adm. Mullen looked every time a reporter asked about a possible Iran attack.
I thought you were to “never let them see you sweat”?
The repeated fear shown by Mullen telegraphed to Iran that the US was indeed stretched too thin to mount an attack without derailing other military priorities...and Mullen and the Joint Chiefs repeatedly told the press and Congress that the US was stretched too thin. That is the whole Russian, Chinese and North Korean strategy. Create a flare-up in North Korea and divert a carrier group over there and away from Iran.
The Iranians have bought a lot of supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles from the Chinese, BTW, and it they scored a hit on a US capital ship like a carrier or Aegis cruiser or destroyer it could be very bad for Obama. The Iranians can also bombard US bases around the Gulf with missiles. It is also not known how many terrorist sleeper cells the Iranian Quds force has placed in the West, ready to go into action with pre-planned suicide attacks if Iran is attacked.
Piece breaking out all over.
Sure glad these folks can keep a secret.
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