U.S. DEVELOPS RESPECT FOR IRANIAN MILITARY

Middle East Newsline ^ | 09/25/2006

[Biscuit85]

The United States has developed a grudging respect for Iran's military.

Officials said the Defense Department and Joint Chiefs of Staff have assessed that Iran's military was the second most powerful in the Middle East. They said that unlike Iraq, Iran was capable of sustaining a long war against the United States.

"Right now Iran is the most powerful military force in the region, except for the United States of America," U.S. Central Command chief Gen. John Abizaid said.

Abizaid said he was referring only to those countries in Central Command. The command contains such Arab countries as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Israel is located in U.S. European Command.

[msnimje]

"Right now Iran is the most powerful military force in the region...

Gosh, that powerful?

[Doofer]

There's nothing new to this.

[mazack]

"Right now Iran is the most powerful military force in the region, except for the United States of America," U.S. Central Command chief Gen. John Abizaid said.

I think he is underestimating the IDF.

[mdittmar]

Ooh,I wouldn't want to hear that if I was in the iran military.

[freedumb2003]

THey say this kind of thing because they have to.

You don't want to TELL the enemy they over estimate themselves. We also puffed up the Taliban and Iraq.

Good tactics.

[Senator Goldwater]

"I think he is underestimating the IDF"

Classic.

[Finalapproach29er]

Time to smash it.

[kinoxi]

I think they were classifying Israel as European.

[Biscuit85]

Israel under the leadership of Olmert won't bother with Iran

[Prost1]

According to Abazaid, the IDF is not in the region.

At least not the region he is speaking of...

So, Abazaid's comments have to give concern to Pakistan and Turkey, both countries in the "region".

[Williams]

The comments give concern to us. Iran is a significant military power to its neighbors. But Iran is a problem on many levels. Not a good situation, unless we do something about it.

[mazack]

Oh yeah ... that's why the UN won't let Israel serve on the Security Council...

[Westbrook]

MOABs, Daisy Cutters, FAEs, and, as a last resort, Tactical nukes.

.

[onyx]

Commander US Central Command General John Abizaid

General John Abizaid  Hi-res Photo	General John Abizaid Commander U.S. Central Command Assumtion of command July 7, 2003 General Abizaid was commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in June 1973. He started his career with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he served as a rifle and scout platoon leader. He commanded companies in the 2nd and 1st Ranger Battalions, leading a Ranger Rifle Company during the invasion of Grenada. General Abizaid commanded the 3rd Battalion, 325th Airborne Battalion combat Team in Vicenza, Italy, during the Gulf crisis and deployed with the battalion to Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. His brigade command was the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. He served as the Assistant Division Commander, 1st Armored Division, in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Following that tour, he served as the 66th Commandant at West Point. Later, he commanded 1st Infantry Division, the “Big Red One,” in Wurzburg which provided our first ground forces into Kosovo. He served as the Deputy Commander (Forward), Combined Forces Command, US Central Command during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Staff assignments include a tour with the United Nations as operations officer for Observer Group Lebanon and a tour in the Office of the Chief of the Staff, U.S. Army. European staff tours include assignments in both the Southern European Task Force and Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe. General Abizaid also served as Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Director of Strategic Plans and Policy (J5) on the Joint Staff and Director of the Joint Staff. General Abizaid’s military education includes Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, Armed Forces Staff College, and a U.S. Army War College Senior Fellowship at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. In his civilian studies, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Area Studies at Harvard University, and was an Olmsted Scholar at the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan. His decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with five Oak Leaf Clusters and the Bronze Star. He earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Master Parachutist Badge with Gold Star, Ranger Tab and the Expert Infantryman’s Badge

[Prost1]

I have not idea what your comment means.

And I doubt you have any idea either.

[KellyAdmirer]

Iran couldn't even beat Iraq. This is ridiculous. Besides Israel, who could take Tehran in about a month if it came down to it (without having to go atomic on them), who else even HAS a military in the region? Turkey? I bet Turkey would wipe the floor with Iran. Pakistan? Pakistan has nuclear weapons and would obliterate Iran. Seriously, this is an idiotic assessment, that the Iranian military is something to worry about.

[claptrap]

What is efing wrong with this picture.
I would prefer generals who stated that "We will
completely destroy Iran and the Iraq insurgents if
only Rumsfeld would untie our hands."

[SledgeCS]

So they have impoved from paper spitwads to rocks...

[Prost1]

Abazaid certainly looks a bit French, if you know what I mean!