Posted on 11/28/2004 5:46:18 AM PST by Flavius
DOHA: A top US commander has warned Iran and other countries never to underestimate the US air and naval power, discounting concerns that the US forces are too tied down in Iraq to respond to challenges elsewhere.
"To deter a nation state you should never underestimate the air and naval power of the United States," General John Abizaid, the commander of US forces in the Middle East, told AFP in a joint interview late on Friday.
"Why the Iranians would want to move against us in an overt manner that would cause us to use our air or naval power against them would be beyond me. We have an incredible amount of power," he said.
Abizaid made the comment in response to questions about whether the United States, with the bulk of its ground forces tied down in Iraq, had the means to meet other contingencies such as a conflict with Iran.
Abizaid pointed to the US-led assault on the former Iraqi rebel stronghold of Fallujah as an example of the overwhelming force that can be brought to bear by a relatively small ground force of some 10,000 troops backed by air strikes launched from US aircraft carriers in the Gulf.
"And so we can generate more military power per square inch than anybody else on earth, and everybody knows it," he said and added: "If you ever even contemplate our nuclear capability, it should give everybody the clear understanding there is no power that can match us militarily," he said, speaking as he flew to his headquarters here from Afghanistan.
Lawmakers from both US parties have pressed for increase in the size of the army, warning that US ground forces have been strained to breaking point by a longer, more violent struggle to pacify Iraq than anticipated.
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resisted calls for permanent increase in the size of the army, relying instead on temporary increase and a reorganisation to squeeze more combat brigades from the existing force.
"The question is do you need to have a very, very large conventional land force to deal with the forseeable problems of the next 20 years?" said Abizaid. "My answer is if the international community hangs together and there is not a bloc of nations for example that would come together in some way as to present a threat to the United States, we’ve got it about right," he said. As it pursues a long war against Muslim extremism, the United States should rely on local forces to fight insurgents, he said.
"My view is that the way to win these wars, to win the insurgencies in both Afghanistan and Iraq, you need to build Afghan and Iraqi capacity, and in the long run the need for large numbers of American troops will come down," he said.
"So the priority has to be helping countries help themselves. After all, who better can go against the cellular structures in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, wherever you may find them, but the people that live there," he said.
Meanwhile, Abizaid acknowledged more troops are needed in Iraq through the January 30 elections. However, no decisions have been reached on how many are required or where they will come from, he said.
"And of course one of the key things we have to understand is what the Iraqis are capable of doing or not capable of doing between now and the elections," Abizaid said. "So the big question is what American plus Iraqi equation equals good enough security for the elections, and everybody needs to understand there is not going to be perfect security for the elections," he added.
Shoot, one tube on one L.A class boat would fix Tehrans wagon PDQ.
"Go ahead punk; make my day."
I believe I heard the other day that our Air Force is the largest in the world, which is not surprising. The second largest in the world is that of the Navy. I really feel good about this. ;)
No Kidding! We've an awful lot of airpower and cruise missile capbility that's not being applied right now. 'Boots on the ground' aren't necesary to deal them a major setback.
Yeah I know Sarge, it's called wishful thinking. I imagine the only nuke popping off over there would be an islamic one. I'd much rather see the people in Iran rise and smash the Mullahs.
Besides our air and naval power, the bulk of our army is right next door in Iraq. It would be a fairly trivial thing for major army Armored or Cavalry formations to take off into Iran.
I just don't think any sane person in Iranian government is seriously contemplating taking action against us.
I would also like to add that the majority of the US population (61 million) would never consider backing down in a face-off with Iran. The US is here to survive. And survive we will. Iran put that as a constant in your equation before you do anything stupid.
The insane ones in that government are the bother.
We now have bases in Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan which will allow attacks from variety of directions against the Iranian military. If Iran continues to threaten Iraq and Afghanistan in any means using their military and intelligence to slip through those border and assisting Al Qaeda, Iran will be heavily punished by force. their Air and Navy power will probably cease to exist in one week and maybe less.
I sincerely hope you're right about the bulk of Americans never backing down to these 10th century brain trusts.
We have a lot of work to do here in America in refuting the lies and deceit of our own left-leaning wingnuts to increase the number of clear thinking individuals.
Our young need to be taught it's not only cool to be patriotic...it's absolutely vital.
Will you make us use nukes or MOABs? Well...seeing any of them will vaporize you and we are the strongest military in the world, you have to ask yourself one question...do you feel lucky? Well..do ya'...PUNKS!?
The regimes of ther mullahs is rotten..ready to be toppled..it might just take a push or two...most of the Iranians want the thoecracy to end..asap..
Ping
I find it more than interesting that the General needed to issue this warning?
Go for it, idiots.
Some of the most irritating talking points mouthed by the Democrats during this year's election were the absolutely ridiculous positions that we were "bogged down in Iraq", that we were "spread too thin", that the hunt for Bin Laden in Afghanistan was deferred due to our battles in Iraq, and other such balderdash. Whenever I heard this sort of thing, it always amazed me that anyone could possibly believe such malarkey.
And when it comes from us, it's not blotivating BS, as is 99.9% of all Muslim speak.
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