[advertising guy]

damn

[pissant]

Glad he is retired.

[Fitzcarraldo]

sounds like he’s out of the loop

[familyop]

He’d probably feel welcome back in Lebanon, Italy, or someplace like that.

[SaxxonWoods]

“Iran is not a suicide nation,” he said. “I mean, they may have some people in charge that don’t appear to be rational, but I doubt that the Iranians intend to attack us with a nuclear weapon.”

I agree, I doubt Iran intends to attack us with a nuke.

It’s Israel they will attack.

[Rudder]

Every effort should be made to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, but failing that, the world could live with a nuclear-armed regime in Tehran...

This first sentence is beyond shizo. "Every effort" means pulling out all the stops, including bombing them back beyond the stone age. But obviously the author doesn't mean he wrote, or he forgot what was written just after finishing the sentence. Or...

I can't figure out this diplomatic double-speak.

[KTM rider]

Seems Abazaid gets around

[Cinnamon]

let’s not piss em off right? I mean they already wants us dead, if we oppose them, they might wants us double dead!

[nathanbedford]

"I believe the United States, with our great military power, can contain Iran — that the United States can deliver clear messages to the Iranians that makes it clear to them that while they may develop one or two nuclear weapons they'll never be able to compete with us in our true military might and power," he said.

Well, of course, the question is, will our superior military strength in fact be sufficient to contain a maniacal, suicidal atomic Iran? General Abazaid's four stars do not necessarily give him any greater insight into this question then I enjoy, or any reader possesses for that matter. He says they will not use the bomb against us and we all pray he is right, but how does he know? If he is wrong with the downside is intolerable, therefore, why should we base our foreign policy on his opinion?

The whole problem with Iran coming in to possession of the bomb is that they may not be deterable because they are fanatic and even suicidal in their lust for Armageddon. We cannot rely on general Abazaid and we cannot rely on the CIA because they have gotten everything wrong so far. We have to err on the side of prudence.

If we are having difficulty waging a asymmetrical warfare against a ragtag guerrilla in Iraq because we have not yet demonstrated, even with the surge, that we can defeat such an insurgency at a price Americans are willing to pay, why in the world would you believe that we could successfully wage a cold war with Iran? One suitcase bomb in one American city spells defeat for us. That is the very nature of asymmetrical warfare and we are simply not prepared to slug it out with atomic weapons.

If general Abazaid wants to lecture me about the strategic implications to, for example, the flow of oil through the Straits of Hormuz, or potential civil wars spreading to neighboring countries, in the event of an American strike to interdict Iran's nuclear program, I will listen with a thirsty ear. But I would also expect him to devote an equal time in his lecture to the strategic implications for upsetting the precarious balance of power in the Gulf region should the Iranians achieve the bomb.

[Almondjoy]

Love those liberals.

“I mean I doubt...........”

What the heck.. it must be nice to live in fantasy land.

I really doubt that someone would want to kill 6 million Jews.

I really doubt even a dictator would kill over 10 million of his fellow countrymen.

I really doubt that a (teacher-preacher-enter your favorite position here) would ever want to take advantage of their position with young children.

I really doubt anyone would ever kill someone just for a few dollars.

Sorry General.. Heaven on Earth hasn’t arrived yet... hate to break it to you.

[onedoug]

Another Clark.

[Rome2000]

Evidently none of these idiots have learned any lessons from Patton.

Fight the war and keep your opinions to yourself.

Any general that doesn't understand that is probably not a very good general.

[davidosborne]

...but I doubt that the Iranians intend to attack us with a nuclear weapon."

With all due respect Mr. Retired General, I do not concur.... having said that, I must add my disclaimer that the opinion expressed by me, is my PERSONAL opinion, and may or may not reflect the opinion of the U.S. Governement Officials(NOT-RETIRED)

[william clark]

Abizaid: World Could Abide Nuclear Iran

Of course we could. I just don't want to be downwind of the fallout.

[Erik Latranyi]

This is a great example of the narrow vision of many military commanders...especially those who forgot how to deal with guerilla tactics after arriving in Iraq.

If Abizaid does not understand that the threat is not from a nuclear Iran, but the transfer of technology by Iran to terrorists organizations, then he deserves all the criticism that can be hurled his way.

[Gritty]

Somehow or other, the Islamic nutbags are going to get a nuclear weapon. It will either be from North Korea, Pakistan, Iran, or on the black market. They will be likely to use it. They have expressed a desire to use it.

Iran, as well, has expressed more than just a desire to use nuclear weapons. The difference, they are a state actor, not an international movement without the internal resources to build one. Iran has expressed their direct intentions to use nuclear weapons against both Israel and us. Unless there is a regime change, the clock is ticking closer daily to that horrendous moment when Iran acquires them and they empoly them against us at their leisure. We either stop it by changing their regime or we stop it by destroying their program. Anything short of that is playing with our national survival and the survival of millions of our citizens.

"Living with it" means the odds are almost 100% that one day we will be on the receiving end of it. Can we survive it? Perhaps. Should we take the chance basing it on the hope they will act rationally? No.

Iran is already killing American troops in Iraq and doing all it can to destabilize the region and institute a new caliphate. For Abazaid to ignore the stated intentions and ongoing actions of a mortal enemy like Iran is nothing short of shocking. He is falling into the same diplospeak as the handwringers at the UN, the EU, and the worldwide Left.

[Paradox]

I kind of agree with the guy, and have said as much in the past. Once you go Nuclear, you are now in the MAD party with all the rest. A Nuclear Iran invites itself to be completely annihilated if they did anything stupid. No rational people would do anything stupid.... but.. and a BIG but.. Alot of those folks are irrational, by our standards anyways. That, and I dont trust them to not let some other nutbags have The Bomb. So all in all, I’d rather NOT have a nuclear Iran out there.

[Sun]

I don’t think General Abizaid understands Jihad.

[arthurus]

What world is he talking about? surely not this one.

[kenmcg]

This guy was the man in charge for four years......maybe he’s a big reason why we haven’t finished the job yet!!