Posted on 04/27/2008 7:02:16 AM PDT by kellynla
Making it crystal clear to Iran, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Friday that the United States is preparing for "potential military courses of action" against it if Tehran does not stop aiding insurgents in Iraq and fails to stop building nuclear weapons.
Admitting that a third conflict in the region would be "extremely stressing" for America's military, he warned Iran that it was mistake to suggest the United States did not have the resources to strike Iranian military targets.
"I have reserve capability, in particularly our Navy and our Air Force, not just there, but available globally,'' Mullen said. "There are lots of potential military courses of action.''
Mullen made similar comments about the Pentagon's ability strike Iran last November.
"From a military standpoint, there is more than enough reserve to respond if that, in fact, is what the national leadership wanted to do, and so I don't think we're too stretched in that regard," he said then.
Mullen's comments, made during a Pentagon press conference, are aligned with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Gen. David Petraeus, both of whom have stepped up the pressure on Iran. Gates said last week that Iran is "hell-bent" in acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran can’t set the price of oil. Not by themselves. My guess (only a guess) is that enough players in the market are pricing in a catastrophic disruption in world oil supplies. If starting bombing Iran now, what would the price of oil shoot up to? I’m thinking $200 is not out of the realm of possibility. Looked at from that perspective, $120 would be dirt cheap. I’m wondering if this is what the oil market is telling us. Fundamentally, many say it should be at $80 now.
No, they can't, but they can continue to create mischief in the Persian Gulf area by funding and equipping insurgents in Iraq, continually challenging ships in the Persian Gulf and the Straight of Hormuz, and continue to make not so veiled threats against Israel and anyone who supports them. All that helps fuel (no pun intended) the fear in the speculators in the oil markets and Iran knows this full well......
Agree totally.
About five years too late. But better late than never.
I'd go so far as to make the exchange a 5/1 return; throwing in a few of our finer ones just for payback and to show 'em who's boss.
The Admiral is too professional to vocalize this but he is mightily annoyed at being called the top soldier.
“The Admiral is too professional to vocalize this but he is mightily annoyed at being called the top soldier?”
“top soldier?”
when & where was he called the “top soldier?”
Some of the many, many other threads about this minor press conference.
Well I guess I missed that...
I don’t spend as much time on FR and/or the “news” conferences as I used to...
Thanks.
Bravo Zulu, Sir
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Yes,...just imagine....
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