Jan. 31, 2007 13:30 | Updated Jan. 31, 2007 14:20
Report: US plans strike against Iran
By JPOST.COM STAFF
Talkbacks for this article: 8
The US was drawing up plans to attack sites where Iran is believed to be
enriching uranium before President George W. Bush's candidacy comes to an
end, the UK-based Times reported on Wednesday.
According to the Times, the Bush government has been inviting defense
consultants and Middle East experts to the White House and Pentagon for
tactical advice.
The Pentagon was reported to be considering ways for the US to destroy
nuclear facilities such as Iran's main centrifuge plant at Natanz, despite
the fact that Bush and Vice President ***** Cheney hoped that diplomatic
efforts to restrain Iran would succeed.
Senior Pentagon planners recently advised the White House, however, that
they did not yet have accurate intelligence as to the whereabouts of all
Iran's nuclear enrichment sites.
Iran's nuclear program has been generating world-wide tension in recent
months, despite claims by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the
research is for peaceful means. The UN has threatened to put sanctions on
Iran if they do not abandon the program.
According to analyst Shmuel Bar of the Institute for Policy and Strategy
at the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center in Israel, an American strike
would only trigger the Iranian regime's primordial survival impulse. This
would almost certainly result in a full-scale Iranian assault on Kuwaiti
and Saudi oil fields, in an attempt to exact a price that would dissuade
the West from carrying its assault to the point of regime change, he told
The Jerusalem Post.
In addition, there is a 'real danger' that the Iranian regime could
instigate labor strikes among the Shi'ites of southern Iraq, said Dr. Ian
Bremer, president of the risk consultancy firm, Eurasia Group. This could
drop oil production from over a million barrels per day, 'even to zero for
short periods of time,' he warned.
Furthermore, as several analysts pointed out, any strike that was not
dramatic enough to bring down the regime and discredit Ahmadinejad
outright would trigger a surge of popular support for Ahmadinejad's
faction in the regime, giving him a decisive advantage in the complex
power struggles that characterize Iranian politics.
According to the Times report, despite speculations and divided opinions,
the favored US scenario is to attack the Iranian nuclear plant with a
small number of ground attack aircraft flying out of the British
dependency of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
The British would however have to approve the use of the American base
there for an attack and would be asked to play a supporting role by
providing air-to-air re-fuelling or sending out surveillance aircraft,
ships and submarines.
The British Foreign Office has insisted that a diplomatic solution is
still possible.
Haviv Rettig contributed to this report.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467856230&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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| User: "Perseid" |
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| Title: Re: REPORT: US PLANS STRIKE AGAINST IRAN |
03 Feb 2007 05:16:10 AM |
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After Much Chewing of Cud and Cogitation, "Docrodile"
<swampthing@hellsbayou.net> Spat the Words
Jan. 31, 2007 13:30 | Updated Jan. 31, 2007 14:20
Report: US plans strike against Iran
By JPOST.COM STAFF
Talkbacks for this article: 8
The US was drawing up plans to attack sites where Iran is believed to be
enriching uranium before President George W. Bush's candidacy comes to
an end, the UK-based Times reported on Wednesday.
According to the Times, the Bush government has been inviting defense
consultants and Middle East experts to the White House and Pentagon for
tactical advice.
This is surprising, considering that Bush always makes his
decision to invade first, then seeks affirmation to justify
his pre-meditation.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467856230&pagename=JPost%2
FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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