Chatter Rises On Iran Strike

DOD Buzz ^ | 7/7/2010 | Colin Clark

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks sonofstrangelove.

When the McChrystal fracas broke out, several senior retired and current military officers worried quietly that moving leaders at Central Command at such a sensitive time in Israeli-Iranian relations could leave the U.S. unfocused on a likely Israeli threat. The selection and rapid confirmation of Gen. David Petraeus alleviated some of those concerns but CentCom remains without a leader who has undergone Senate confirmation. While that may seem academic to many, Senate confirmation confers great credibility on a military leader and grants them wider discretion than an acting commander possesses, both in their own minds and in those of Congress and the executive branch.

[j-damn]

*I know the idea of Israel cleaning Iran’s clock looks good to some from half a world away. But consider the secondary consequences, even supposing Israel does a first-rate job of taking out Iran’s nukes, ICBM’s, etc.*

The risks of the collateral damage you speak of would just increase as time goes by. There is no way to degrade Hizballah without war.

[ARepublicanForAllReasons]

You are both right. I didn't mean to wave the 'give peace a chance' banner. I am a realist, and like I said -- I knew long ago that Iran
1) would develop nuclear weapons, and
2) use them at the first opportunity against Israel

I only mean to point out that it won't be a cakewalk, with Iran in control of Hizbollah and ?who knows how many sleeper cells? all over the world, including right here. It will be WWIII, in all probability. Interesting times, like the Chinese say.

[Oceander]

I’ll believe it when I wake up and hear that it’s been carried out. Until then, I take the view that either (a) Obuttocks doesn’t have the courage to actually carry it out, and is just trying to bluff Iran (as if that has ever worked), or (b) it’ll go down about as well as the last time a democrat president attacked Iran - and will say a little prospective prayer for the lives of the US service-members who will be slain at the altar of Obuttocks’ overweaning ego.