[snarks_when_bored]

To repeat a mistake and think the outcome will be different is the fool's way:  either nations of good character and firm courage stop Iran before it goes nuclear or else Iran will bring a lot more of Hell to our planet than it already has.

[SandRat]

I’m thinking the difficultites we had before Gen P. are all attributable to General John Abizaid.

[Zhang Fei]

Abizaid, who’s Lebanese-American, spent a lot of time in the Mideast - even attending one of their schools. I think he’s a little too close to the subject.

[ozzymandus]

Didn’t I see this Abizaid person on some TV show condemning Rush for talking about “phoney soldiers”??

Gee, I wonder why the general thought Rush was talking about him?

[El Gato]

Rarely has the adage that generals always fight the last war been so blazingly confirmed. The idea that Iran can be deterred, just like the Soviet Union was, is so soothing and natural that there is good reason to believe that Abizaid reflects thinking common in Western security spheres.

The Soviets didn't have an imaginary Iman in a well, whispering in their ears that they should, "Wipe Israel off the map", or "Kill all the Capitalists.

Stalin and his replacements were evil, but not crazy, men. Can we truly say the same about the Mad Mullahs and Angry Ayatollahs of Iran, not to mention the nut jobs in their government.

[jeffers]

Abizaid knows stuff.

Anyone who thinks Iran’s going to be a cakewalk is wishful thinking.

It’s going to hurt.

Remember when Spain went turncoat?

Worse than that.

But Abizaid is like about any other military commander. His universe ends at the level of command one rung higher than he’s at.

What he doesn’t see, is that no matter how much war with iran is going to hurt, letting Iran get nukes will be much worse.

That’s typical, I can cite historical example after example, and if you dismiss a military commander’s opinion without understanding what he sees, and what he doesn’t see, you’re setting yourself up for unpleasant surprises.