Posted on 01/17/2007 8:53:52 AM PST by maquiladora
WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States has signaled to Gulf Arab allies that an attack on Iran could take place in 2007.
Diplomatic sources said the Bush administration has raised the prospect of a U.S. strike on Iran over the next few months. The sources said the discussions with Gulf Cooperation Council states have also been conducted by U.S. Central Command as well as the U.S. intelligence community.
"There has not been a U.S. commitment, but the discussions have been interpreted as an expression of intent," the source said. "Right now, the U.S. message is that the GCC must get ready for any contingency."
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets foreign ministers from the GCC states as well as Egypt and Jordan. The sources said Ms. Rice intends to brief the foreign ministers on U.S. strategy toward Iraq and Iran in a meeting scheduled to take place in Kuwait.
Hmmm.
Re-deploy from Iraq to Iran?
US Naval forces in the gulf, ground forces in Iraq and ground forces in Afghanistan, we've practically got them surrounded.
I'll bet Iran is not prepared to fight a two front war.
Politcally difficult, yes. However, we could just bust things up some and leave.
Bingo!! Either that, or figure out some kind of UN sanction type of thing that they will violate...
>>The United States has signaled to Gulf Arab allies that an attack on Iran could take place in 2007<<
Gee, ya think?! The escelation in rhetoric the last few months, the carrier groups, the 20,000 extra troops (awfully close to Iran), the new rules of engagement in Iraq. The Patriots you mentioned...
Am I missing anything?
We would have to defend UAE and Bahrain for sure...
"Middle East Newsline is directed by Steve Rodan, a journalist with more than 20 years experience who has worked for U.S., European, Arab and Israeli newspapers, radio and television. Rodan is fluent in Arabic and Hebrew and has won awards for investigative and enterprise reporting. He was one of the first journalists to write on Iran's missile and nuclear weapons programs, Israeli-Russian joint defense marketing, and the first to document Egyptian-North Korean missile cooperation. He has provided exclusives to such publications as Jane's Defence Weekly in London, Defense News in Washington, Military Technology in Bonn, The Jerusalem Post in Israel, The Sunday Express in London and Le Nouvelles Actuelles in Paris."
IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NO WAY WILL GEORGE BUSH LEAVE OFFICE KNOWING THAT WHILE HE WAS IN OFFICE IRAN OBTAIN NUCLEAR WEAPONS, HE'S ALREADY QUESTIONED FOR IRAQ, BILL CLINTON WAS QUESTIONED FOR NORTH KOREA HAVING THE BOMB, SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN AND VERY SOON,YOU CAN BET ON THAT>>>>>>>>>>
I agree. I'm thinking very surgical strikes against their WMD's. No invasion.
YOU BET YOUR SWEET A$$ THEY WOULD
And FAE their butts too !!!!
Wow, look at the big target.
CVNs have their uses but fightin IRN's subs in the shallow and restricted waters of the gulf is not a task I would relish.
I read a piece by Mario Loyola a few weeks ago - he claims that Iran's Generals are ticked off at Ahm-mad-in-a-tree for provoking the US when they know we could drop them like a bad transmission.
He states an armored brigade on a thunder-run (with tons of air support) could sweep their units aside with ease.
of course we're not talking holding ground - just a very strong bitch-slap and wack a few facilities.
Apparently the Bush administration doesn't care if WE are
invaded (from the south).
F-16's, AWACS and tanker aircraft being flown into Turkey for the first time since the Iraq war.
Iranian subs can't get past the breakwater without being tracked / tailed by out Attack boats.
They will be destroyed before their outer doors are completely open
Isn't that "mulleting"?
Not to mention Iran's collection of very nasty anti-ship missiles.
We already have:
1) troop surge in Iraq
2) Patriot anti-missiles being deployed in Gulf states
3) carrior groups steaming toward the Iranian coast
4)Incirlik USAF base in Turkey being beefed up w/F-16's & AWACS
NOW add:
5) Just across the newswire as of a few hours ago: "Gates hints @ troop increase in AFGHANISTAN." Hmmmmmmm.
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