Posted on 10/30/2010 3:46:28 AM PDT by Strategy
Stratfor's George Friedman is a realist on what it would really mean:
Destroying Iran's nuclear capability does not involve a one-day raid, nor is Iran without the ability to retaliate. Its nuclear facilities are in a number of places and Iran has had years to harden those facilities. Destroying the facilities might take an extended air campaign and might even require the use of special operations units to verify battle damage and complete the mission. In addition, military action against Iran's naval forces would be needed to protect the oil routes through the Persian Gulf from small boat swarms and mines, anti-ship missile launchers would have to be attacked and Iranian air force and air defenses taken out.
This would not solve the problem of the rest of Iran's conventional forces, which would represent a threat to the region, so these forces would have to be attacked and reduced as well. An attack on Iran would not be an invasion, nor would it be a short war. Like Yugoslavia in 1999, it would be an extended air war lasting an unknown number of months.
(Excerpt) Read more at andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com ...
You’re right, Sullivan! Let’s just wait until they get nukes. Idiot.
Dittos.
all that worry when a few assignations would take care of it all
do you really expect much from a homo?
Right on the money. Most wars do not really have to happen. A few specific removals and gov'ts, juntas, regimes, dictatorships are swayed to another, more 'productive, course.
The doctor shows you the test results and says the cancer is in your brain and major organs. You’ll live comfortably until the end, when the cancer will kill you in an accelerating painful fashion. Once that starts to happen your body will be transformed into one large tumor and you (civilization as we know it) will die.
You can wait for the inevitable or you can aggressively purse the cancer while your body is still relatively healthy. No matter what, there will be tremendous pain. The sooner you start treatment, the better the long term prognosis.
Right now we are in denial.
No matter what actions are taken, this cancerous state will affect the entire world.
I’m of the opinion that the harder we hit the cancer now, the less collateral damage we’ll face. Since 80% of the world’s oil goes past the Straits of Hormuz this battle will effect every American. Not to mention marginal countries where a brief interruption of energy can be measured hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Which lead doctor do we want? President Obambi?
You cant settle this with just airstrikes. You will need boots on the ground. Or a CIA that can plant the seeds for a revolution inside Iran by more moderate types.Iranians like the USA, but they will defend their homeland. If we could give them aid and promise to support any revolt, that would do more than anything IMHO.
Obama is such a weakling the Iranians nutjobs are just going to keep this crap up. They see no reason to think Obama is going to do anything about it.
all that worry when a few assignations would take care of it all
You are the only one I’ve heard saying the “Make Love not War” theory would work with these Iranians.
Who is this derfwad again? He thinks that in a time of war the Iranian swiftboats are just going to be cruising around in the Straits?
If the US want to clear a path without diplomatic niceties, the Iranians better have some invisible cruisers.
I’ll tell you what it would mean... to me... it would be the first time in a long time that old LLS would actually have something to be HAPPY about!
LLS
LLS
“You can wait for the inevitable or you can aggressively purse the cancer while your body is still relatively healthy. No matter what, there will be tremendous pain. The sooner you start treatment, the better the long term prognosis.”
What a great metaphor. Let’s not delude ourselves: this would be a lot bigger, nastier and uncertain than Iraq by a country (US) that hasn’t convincingly demonstrated an ability to win against a real committed adversary (not a Granada, not a Iraq) since, I’d say, WWII.
What a great metaphor. But let’s not delude ourselves: this would be a lot bigger, nastier and uncertain than Iraq by a country (US) that hasn’t convincingly demonstrated an ability to unite and win (really win) against a real, committed adversary (as opposed to a Granada, or an Iraq) since, I’d say, WWII.
Dang I had a long multi paragraph response to you which resonated with what you said, and it got blotted out with the click of a mouse.
Bottom line, you got that right no matter what the fr hapries have to say.
They want to ban me? fine. I’tll be more work to get multiple screennmeanes at strategy.com etc but it might be worth it.
Agreed . . . clueless globalist idiots.
Good thoughts....better thought might be:
You can wait for the inevitable or IF caught early enough, you can aggressively purse the cancer while your body is still relatively healthy. No matter what, there will be tremendous pain. The sooner you start treatment, the better the long term prognosis. For instance, in this case, 'early enough' would have been Jimmuh Carter!
or, obliterate Qum and other crnters where the mullahs gather.
obliterate the problem, kill the mullahs
NO cheers, unfortunately. May God grant him repentance.
You’re right andy, nukes are the only way.
Bombing Iran would cause very major world instability, a likely Israel/Hezbollah/Hamas missile war and huge world financial difficulties.
This because Iran is fanatical, ruthless and dangerous.
Not bombing Iran leaves Iran fanatical, ruthless, dangerous and armed with nuclear weapons and a feeling of invincibility.
The consequence of the former are terrible to contemplate.
The consequence of the later are terrifying to contemplate.
I won't add to your mood by telling you about a discussion I had about a client (I work with kids who've been taken out of abusive homes) who has a peculiar attitude about what the American way of life means. I'll just say, the libs are strangling the faith in that idea in the crib in order to set the stage for the changes Obama has been instituting.
Your wise comment makes this whole thread worthwhile. I have enjoyed your postings on FR and hope Tuesday, at least, brings you some smiles. Be well.--John
The way our society has been thinking since Truman those brass stones will never reach the WH again I’m affraid.
“What Andrew Sullivan’s Constant Bombing As An Analyst Really Means”
Thanks Strategy.
If the current tension between Turkey and Israel rises, Turkey may also permit arms shipments and Iranian soldiers that will pass to Syria through its territory and airspace.
Thanks John! You post made my day! GOD bless America!
I do understand about child abuse... but in the America of my childhood... those kind of parents were confronted by neighbors and that stuff was stopped... one way or the other.
LLS
In my small way I try to bring a perspecitve unlike a lot of the bleeding hearts I work with, and while I appreciate your point of view, it's just not the reality we have today, and I don't blame the kids for that, you know?
The Turkish national security council recently designated Israel as a “major threat” in a document known as the “red book,” which lists threats to Turkey.
The council decided to remove Syria, Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia from the list of threats. Greece, however, is still considered a threat, whereas Iran was also removed from the list.
If we elect the correct person in 2012... that will no longer be a problem.
LLS
I believe in what Christ taught us about children. Evil exists and only evil could ever harm an innocent child.
“Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.” JESUS
“At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Obama is telling the American people:
Allah hu Akbar, Allah is Great.
(Dhimmis)
Yeah, right! “I love the smell of naplam in the morning. Smells like...victory!”
Napalm or nuke ‘em till they glow. The sooner the better.
OK, I've thought about it. Let's do it!!!!!!!!!!
Who should we assign?
The U.S. has waited way to long on this issue, to the point that parody songs have been written about it.
Andrew’s first mistake was to use Stratfor’s analysis.
We have nukes... we have them on ships ready to fly... if we used them against iran’s military and industrial complexes and to take out their capital and their leadership... and stopped this silly notion of nation building... not a single boot would be needed. What is needed is faith in the American way of life and a willingness to see it continue on... and brass balls to issue the order. The last requirement is why it will never happen. Not with a muslim as CiC.
//////////
EX ACT LEEEE.
We only need one day...... and maybe two nights.
Isn’t it funny that people worry about the aftereffects of nuking Iran, but don’t seem to care about what happens if Iran nukes Israel?
Amen!
LLS
Yeah not going to happen with him in charge .
Elections have consequences .Some of our very blue cities will pay an instant hefty price for that vote when the nuclear warheads are incoming.
After that we will find faith and wish we had the American way of life.
Tough times are coming and our leaders are making sure of it.
Perhaps we need to mount a cyber attack on Iran's computers that will totally shut them down? Iran has a fairly technological society, but what happens when the computers no longer work or the phones or a host of dependent systems? How do the mullahs cope with being back in the Stone Age communications-wise?
What's not said about the Stuxnet virus is Iran may not have the ability to fix the problem without bringing in outside contractors. If you can't fix the problem without outside aid, how do you know your contractors are fixing your problem? They could be fixing the current one but embedding far more serious code that will emerge after they've been paid and left the country.
Iran has good reason to fear sabotage due to the talent “brain drain” going on within the Iranian IT community. Those who can leave the country and take their skills and abilities with them. What's left are the substandard writers of computer code; code cobbled-up by other substandard programmers.
A comprehensive cyber attack on the Iranian infrastructure would be catastrophic. That's why it should be done before they get close to the bomb.
I think that they are so corrupt and stupid that they the think it is business as usual.
LLS
Too bad we can’t get the Iraqians and the Iranis into another nice prolonged war. Get them to slaughter each other mercilessly.
Drag the Saudis in there with them!
LLS
I like the way you think. ;-)
Well... you have heard about “Great Minds” thinking alike! :-)
LLS
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.