[richardtavor]

I don't know what kind of validity this has, but it is interesting that Iran is holding August 22nd as a special date...

[Emmett McCarthy]

I think that whenever Iran strikes against Israel they will also give the order to violently activate the various Hezbollah cells which are already here in the U.S.

[gondramB]

Well we certainly ought to prepare in case Iran attacks. But I bet they won't - they have never attacked directly - they let others actually take the risk.

On the other hand, we don't often have so much heavy equipment and manpower so close to Iran.

[Jameison]

"but is actually preparing to strike at Israel, European and US interests"

I hope they do.
Note to Iran: The response will not be "proportionate".

[Red Badger]

It is my belief that Iran has already developed and enriched enough uranium to make a small nuclear weapon, and will(has?) supply it to Hezbollah to fire into Tel Aviv. August 22nd is the day that it will be fired and all hell will break loose across the middle east and Europe and quite possibly Major American cities............

[johnny7]

I saw it as an ultimatum... which few of the 'experts' chose as an appropriate translation. Since we have not complied with Ahmadinejad's 'suggestions-for-coexistence'... it follows that Iran is likely on a war-footing.

Of course, that's IF... you believe he means what he says.

[varon]

"It is a phrase with historical significance in Islam, for, according to Islamic tradition, in year six of the Hejira - the late 620s - the prophet Mohammad sent letters to the Byzantine emperor and the Sassanid emperor telling them to convert to the true faith of Islam or be conquered. The letters included the same phrase that President Ahmadinejad used to conclude his letter to Mr. Bush."

It will be interesting to see if President Bush starts attending prayer meetings in his neighborhood Mosque or have a towelhead by his side at all times.

If you spot Mrs. Bush covered by a burkha, then it's a done deal.

[SlowBoat407]

I believe Iran sees this as a national suicide attack. Ahmadinejad seems perfectly willing to turn his own country into a smoking ruin if he thinks it will bring about the islamic version of the end times.

Are we ready to oblige him?

[GWB00]

Don't worry things will get better with Iran once Ned Lamont is elected to the US Senate./sarcasm off

[RichardW]

I think it may be time for some nuclear therapy.

[mjp]

Iran is not merely playing a serious game of brinkmanship, but is actually preparing to strike at Israel, European and US interests.

How do you say "glass parking lot" in farsi?

[Edgerunner]

Iran will become the first "forbidden zone" to be made out of an entire country...

[RightWhale]

It has as much validity as Iran's capability and intent. No more, no less. Iran might not be able to win an all-out war against Israel, but they can do a lot of damage before they are done.

[kjam22]

You know..... Iran and Iraq fought a long war to a stalement. And we marched to Baghdad in about a week. When it gets right down to it.... we could march to and through Teran anytime we choose. We could put their nutjob in the same cell as Saddam anytime we choose.

We heard all of the build up about how powerful the Iraqi army was before we took Baghdad. I rank all of this talk about Iran in that same category.

[kabar]

I don't believe it. Iran likes to keep the pot stirred. As a result, the price of oil remains at high levels giving the regime greater oil revenues, which helps them remain in power.

[af_vet_rr]

I don't think it has any validity. Iran needs Europe to stay out of things (i.e. not give the US or Israel carte blanche in regards to military actions) and can't afford an open war with Israel or the US.

Attacking the US or Europe would bring NATO into it (people forget, there are NATO forces operating all over Afghanistan, immediately after 9/11, and even up through today - the attack on the US activated a NATO military response).

Iran's leadership is crazy, but they aren't North Korea crazy.

[NavyCanDo]

I played out some ugly scenarios that could happen if this preemptive attack story is true — one having our attention diverted because of a major 9/11-like attack on our soil by 11 Egyptians (yea those 11).

Man, I pray I’m wrong.

[Mr. Jazzy]

The attacks would probably not occur in Israel but here in the US. Iran believes that without the US, Israel will be destroyed. Remember that these murderers tried to take out the Pentagon and failed. Once they attack a target, they keep coming back until it is destroyed.

You better believe that NEST groups are busy all over the nation right now, but especially in in high value target areas that would weaken the defense of the nation.

The enemy has only to plant several devices in areas of the nation in order to reduce out strike back ability. The only force that the terrorists are not able to compromise is our nuclear missile submarine fleet when it is at sea.

Just my opinion.

[RinaseaofDs]

I'm not so sure that Iran is the end of the threat.

Russia's behavior of late has been strange. I think the fall of the USSR was liberating, in a sense. They were literally collapsing under the weight of their own empire - the committment to its maintenance.

I'm not sure the Russians are convinced that they couldn't survive a nuclear or biochemical war.

As for the Chinese, that's a different story. They are a nation of people. The Russians aren't interested in controlling land with troops. They have oil and gas in abundance too. So why not knock the rest of the west back down to their level. If the US goes away, what interdependencies with the West and with the US are in jeopardy? With China, that answer is long and distinguished, but not with Russia.

Using Iran and Syria as proxies costs them very little, and if they back Iran in some whacked out strategic strike, again no real case has been made against the Russians. This isn't 1962, where we publicized the shipping of strategic nuclear missiles to Russia, and have pictures of Russian scientists setting them up.

This time all we have are Iranian troops, Iranian technicians, and Syrian intelligence helping the Hezbos. That the Russians are behind all of this, with the MSM openly complicit in helping out the enemy, you don't have the risks the Russians had in 1962.

I believe, though I have no proof, that its the Russians we've been dealing with the entire time.

Putin is a sharp cookie. Russia is far more capable on its own than when it had all of its unwilling, problematic satellite countries to attend to. They are way more focused than they ever have been.

Russia's still the real threat here. Iran and Syria are the patsies.

[GreyWolf]

I wonder how many boomers are in the Persian Gulf right now? Multiple platforms, multiple launch tubes, multiple warheads, and a target rich environment. Does he have a clue what the cost would be if he pulls something?

[reagan_fanatic]

Don't make any stupid mistakes, Iran. Many of us still remember what happened to our embassy personnel in 1979 and when your hezbollah stooges killed 241 of our Marines in Lebanon.

Just remember - paybacks are hell.