Saddam and Iran Prepare WMD

efreedomnews.com ^ | August 15, 2002 | Jonathan Rhodes

[VaBthang4]

I for one would actually favor having the Middle East blow up into Islamic rage the moment we bring Hussein down. I would favor seeing every Arab nation in the region taking up arms and engaging the United States.

It is the single greatest way to defeat terrorism and permanently secure Israel.

Would alot of Americans and Israelis die as a result...yes.

Would America and Israel prevail...yes.

We could crush Arab militancy once and forever. Hisbollah, Islamic Jihad, the wahabbis, all of them erased. New Governments could be installed and oil would flow freely without the threat of embargo or sanction affecting the world market....because it is the World's market and not ours that takes the hit from Middle Eestern embargos...it isnt the 70's anymore.

Palestinians that werent wiped out by the Israelis would be forced to capitulate because they would no longer have support from outside souces....save the whining from Europe.

Unfortunately I dont believe the Arab Nations taken as a whole has the courage to stand up to the US militarily. So it'll probably be a slow drawn out process of removing Hussein and then strong arming the others. I have no problem with twisting any Arab nations wrist because in the end I believe what we want is correct and what they want is not. I'd rather let the eurowimps and Liberals ponder moralistic results. Iraq probably will try to pull something. Anything they could try to do in theatre is a waste of time and can be dealt with. Any missle launch would be defeated by either American Patriot missile systems or by the Israeli Sparrow systems [which are reported to be more effective].

Any Iraqi movement of troops and material is watched at all times and well considered. All Iraq can do practically is lay there and take it.

Are there a million and one scenarios possible....yes.
Do any of them lead to an Iraqi trump card....no.

China doesnt have the capability to intervene on any practical level and though far from certain it is highly unlikely that the Russians would flip given what they stand to lose in squaring up to the US Military.

The only real option for Hussein and the other Arab states is a Chemical/Biological/Nuclear attack on our major cities [New York City, Chicago etc, etc.] and Washington DC.

I would expect them to use diplomats or people with diplomatic immunity to pull it off. An attack with synergy in several different locations [LA, Houston, Miami, Indianapolis, Denver] would be the best option for Arab states. They wont face us Militarily but does anyone have real doubt that they are willing to use terrorists to attack us internally? 9/11 serves as an example and encouragement to embark on this sort of thing.

I do not know how possible this is or isnt as I am not competent to speak on the surveillance/security that surrounds Arab diplomats in this country or how well we monitor diplomatic pouches and shipments to the various embassies and UN.

In the end...anything done in the AO by Iraq is a waste of our time...and just drags things out. His defeat will be secured the moment George W. Bush makes the call.

Iran may play cute little games with Iraq and anyone else but reality is that right now their greatest threat is internal. They've imported Saudi and Iraqi brute squads to come in and crush interal revolt because regular Persian soldiers arent doing so with any zeal. The slightest hint of a serious American military intervention...for any reason...would bring about their fall quickly...they cannot be trusted as they are devout Muslims but they will try to walk upright in light of American presence in the Gulf region.

This is an instance where might actually does make right.

All of this is pure specualtion and opinion but it is more based on reality and practical ability then the original article written by efnwriter.

[mikhailovich]

The US trades with China, yet threatens to defend Taiwan if China invades. I can think of countless other examples. But when Russia tries to survive and compete economically, she is questioned.

[VaBthang4]

Thanks.

I hate to come off like the Pollyanna but you have to have basic ground rules to discussing what Iraq & Iran could do. Otherwise some guy could say that "Iran will launch rockets into space that will descend into American airspace before turning into a million small UAVs that home in on high concentrations of C02 and destroy American cities by lazer" and have an equal ammount of consideration.

That like the initial article written by efnwriter is completely impossible and not remotely practical.

I think it "could" get real nasty, I also think it "could" be a cakewalk but to look at either possibility I have to step off from reality.

Otherwise you get what you have in this thread...a bunch of branched out discussions that are built on a false foundation and by default are not plausible.

It's a waste of everyone's time and borders on being Liberalism 101..."the sky could actually fall, so let's freak out and get lost in fantasyland".

[Mike Darancette]

But when Russia tries to survive and compete economically, she is questioned.

Don't get me wrong I hope Russia takes Iraq to the cleaners. Iraq will not exist as it does now within one year, bet on it.

I hope someday that Russia and her people become prosperous and the cultural leaders they once were.

[efnwriter]

I love this site - the dialogue is usually intelligent and straightforward.

In reply, I believe we would love international help, but help or not we have to do it. Regardless, Saddam will fall. I can't disagree with Schwartzkopf - and thanks for the link - but he is really only quoted in the article as saying “It is not going to be an easy battle but it would be much more effective if we didn’t have to do it alone,”
So I interpret this not to say he "joined a growing number of senior US military and political figures yesterday who are opposed to a unilateral invasion of Iraq " as the writer stated in the opening paragraph (for his own political lurposes) but instead he is speaking as a comander should - get all the help you can, get overwhelming force to protect as many of your peoples' lives as possible, before you go. I also interpret his quotes as the battle will happen ( His quote is "It's not going to be an easy battle ) so he knows it is a go. He just liked the help in GUlf I.

Read another superb Gulf I interview with him at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/oral/commanders.html

By the way, I believe the correct estimated figure for the War on Terrorism budget is 80 billion, but I also hear Bush will propose a tax cut after Labor Day - YES!

[efnwriter]

I agree with you that Saddam will use WMD sleepers in the US and Israel - but I also believe he will use WMD's on the battlefield as well - and in an offensive. And yes, it would then go nuclear - especially if Saddam hits Israel with WMD's. I would like to see the US make moves like Israel is - vaccinating 1st responders against anthrax and smallpox especially. 25,000 gas masks were handed out at the US Capitol, every Israeli has one, why don't we?

Hey, maybe we'll all get lucky and Saddam will keep to conventional warfare, we'll kick his butt and he'll either die or slip off to Argentina like his hero Hitler!

[efnwriter]

Poll Links as you requested:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10140-2002Aug12.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/vault/stories/data081202.htm
Jonathan

[efnwriter]

Thanks for the kudos.
Jonathan

[greggy]

One thing is for certain the entire Arab world understands Israel is the only nation in the Middle East with second strike capabilities and Israel will not hesitate to make the second strike against the entire Arab world.

The Muslim mind only cares about Jihad. Their own deaths are but another chapter in the multi-century old fight to convert the entire world to Islam. They don't care so much if they die as long as Israel goes first. This is particularly true with many of the clerics who have great enfluences over the masses.

[greggy]

This worst case scenario I outlined is far from being powerful enough to bring Israel to its knees......FAR.

This is not so worst case as you say. But Pentagon studies have presented scenarios where an America president would surrender to the Soviets to save American lives. I don't see it out of the realm of possibilities with any nuclear power.

[greggy]

I do not think either he nor we have more than a month or two left at the outside before acting in a big way.

One can point to the propaganda machines of the US military and say it could happen any time. But when you look at the effects it must be having on Saddam (to preempt an American attack), you can readily see that it should be coming real soon now. I just don't see Saddam as one who will keep playing a mind game with W.

[hflynn]

The Muslim mind only cares about Jihad. Their own deaths are but another chapter in the multi-century old fight to convert the entire world to Islam. They don't care so much if they die as long as Israel goes first. This is particularly true with many of the clerics who have great enfluences over the masses.

The Muslim body has a different view of life versus death as was proven in Desert Storm when Olympic sprint records were shattered by thousands of Iraqi soldiers racing to surrender to the nearest reporter or camera man.

Cleric influence over the masses? Oh you mean like the Taliban influence over the masses in Kabul? Gee what ever happen to that influence? LOL! It doesn't exist when the guns are taken away from the clerics.