Council on Foreign Relations told of U.S. plans for Iran strike

World Tribune ^ | April 11, 2006

[oceanview]

we couldn't even stop SCUD attacks from iraq during GWI, couldn't destroy them all. yet you believe that taking out all those iranian coastal missiles, mobile and hidden, is going to be easy. it isn't.

and the insurgency spillover into iraq, is going to be massive.

[Thunder90]

It is more like...

CFR attempts to block plans of the US to bomb iran by exposing plan to UN.

[defenderSD]

I didn't say it would be easy to take out their missile sites. I said it could be done in a few weeks, but that would take a massive effort by the USAF, Navy fighters, the RAF, and any other interested countries that want to help reopen the strait. This would probably be a massive and nasty air war between our air power and Iranian anti-aircraft forces.

I don't think this situation is comparable to Gulf War I, where Iraq was just using "launch and hope" tactics with their Scuds and never knew what they would hit, if anything. Attacking ships in the strait is going to take spotters near the strait and accurate, real time targeting of Iranian cruise missiles. That would not be easy for spotters to do while being pounded from the air by hundreds of bombs and missiles every day. Also, after we finish off their nuclear facilites, reopening the straits is going to be top priority for our air power. I could be misinformed, but I don't think locating and bombing SCUDs was a top priority for air power in Gulf War I.

[oceanview]

we went after those SCUDs constantly - very hard to find. and its going to be worse along that iranian coast if we hope to keep gulf oil moving.

[defenderSD]

If it ends up in an air war along the Persian Gulf coast, it will probably be difficult to get all the cruise missiles within 30 days. I have read that those Silkworm missiles are highly inaccurate and they would be very lucky to hit a ship with those missiles. I'm not a missile expert, but that's what I've read. If this ends in a military conflict, it may be a dangerous job to work on an oil tanker in the gulf for some time. But I doubt that Iran would be able to hit many tankers, although they will throw a scare into a lot of people while trying.

It seems like the long-term solution is to build new pipelines to the Red Sea to move oil out of Saudi, Kuwait, and Iraq and bypass the threat from crazed Iranians.

[Waco]

Wait till Iran hits NYC. We need all the dead libs we can get. The arabs killed 2 or 3000 of them in 2001 and what are they doing now? Cheering for our enemies, that's what!! Buncha McKInney wannabes I'd say.

[familyop]

"we went after those SCUDs constantly - very hard to find. and its going to be worse along that iranian coast if we hope to keep gulf oil moving."

Your comparison between what we had during Operation Desert Storm and what we have now is a fallacy.

First, let's make the difference between launchers and in-flight missiles clear. All of the launchers will be very easy for our military to take out. We have technology since the first Gulf War to see much more of what's on the ground.

We can take out many more in-flight missiles and have at least three new and operational levels of anti-ballistic missile defense. All of the past few tests have been successful, including a target that was hit by one of our missiles as that target was about to enter the atmosphere.

The Iranian military has no chance to hold on to the Strait or even to exist where our military doesn't want it to.

[joesnuffy]

Ahhh the shadowy masters speak....

[bayouranger]

How right you are, sir! It will not be the 1st time for a mass group of people to hang themselves.

[nonliberal]

if GW Bush has any brains he will destroy "all" of Iran's capability to produce oil. That action will destroy the Iranian government overnight.

He may have the brains but he doesn't have the balls.

[dfwgator]

[gopwinsin04]

Looks like the big boys have decided.

[oceanview]

the silkworm launchers are small and alot more mobile then the SCUDs. the iranians don't need to "hold" the straits, just sink a few tankers and close it for a while - the world oil markets will go nuts, and there will be other financial dislocations.

[familyop]

"the silkworm launchers are small and alot more mobile then the SCUDs. the iranians don't need to "hold" the straits, just sink a few tankers and close it for a while - the world oil markets will go nuts, and there will be other financial dislocations."

An alternative would be to allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. It's Shahab-6, when completed, is expected to have a range of about 3.500 miles. Iran will likely try to extend its reach to our east coast cities. If that one doesn't work, they'll acquire the parts for a weapon with more range. Notice that Republican hawks are willing to pre-empt in order to protect the most Democrat-heavy part of our population.