Weather Clears for a US Strike on Iran

AsiaTimes.com ^ | July 3, 2010 | Victor Kotsev

[GiovannaNicoletta]

War drums are beating in the Middle East. In a short time, the United States has increased the number of its carrier strike groups opposite Iran to three, and reports are raining down of a tightening ring of American and Israeli concentrations all around the Islamic Republic. On the diplomatic front, the Israelis are unusually concerned about their international image (for example, making concessions in Gaza) while their top officials - including Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself - are shuttling between Jerusalem and Washington.

Everybody in the region is restless. Turkey is making spectacular diplomatic pirouettes. Egypt is quietly seething, and Saudi Arabia less quietly so. Jordan's king had ruefully predicted war if no peace was achieved by the summer [1], and summer has now come. Syria and Lebanon are positioning themselves to weather the coming storm [2]. Yemen is in disarray. Russia, China, India, and a host of other powers are vying to make the best of the fracas. The Iranian regime itself appears to be digging in for a fight.

[GiovannaNicoletta]

If there is an attack on Iran which involves the United States, Israel will most probably be blamed.

This may be the trigger which sets off the Psalm 83 war.

[MrLee]

Psalm 83 is next (and soon) according to the way I read things, too.

[nuconvert]

Radio Farda (the Iranian branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) reports that Kuwait, UAE and Germany have begun refusing refueling Iranian owned passenger planes as of 2 days ago.

[Jeff Head]

IMHO, Israel will probably strike deep into Iran. Our carrier forces are there to support them with data, and to use their AEGIS vessels (2 AEGIS destroyers and one AEGIS cruiser with each carrier, all capable of having the anti-ballistic missiles loaded) to intercept any Iranian ballistic missiles and to make sure Iran doesn’t try any attacks of their own with their air force or navy.

[varon]

Weather Clears for a US Strike on Iran

That action would be a boost for Obama's Socialists in the mid-term elections and perhaps assure him a second term.

[ken21]

why would comrade obama strike iran?

[FrankR]

Insofar as democrats know that "war" is good politics when an election nears, or when they need to hide something (i.e. clinton's aspirin factory bombing), this may be just obama flexing his anorexic biceps...postering...sabre rattling.

Everything he touches is falling apart, his base abhors war, so why would he start, or become involved in, another war?

I am admittedly no middle east expert, but I can' see obama getting involved unless there is political gain in it for him.

[tacticalogic]

why would comrade obama strike iran?

Because it creates a perception about him and the Democrats that they believe will help them stay in office.

[Dallas59]

Obammy? Commander and Chief? LOL!

[2harddrive]

MAYBE Hussein will instead order the 3 carriers to attack, to knock out, ISRAEL! What then???

[cavador]

IT’S A CASE OF THE MODERATE ATTACKING THE FUNDAMENTALISTS!

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“why would comrade obama strike iran?”

Comrade Obama is more likely to strike Israel, although it's hard to tell which Mooselimb puppetmaster he kisses this week.

[Jeff Head]

He won’t...but I believe Israel will and has made it clear and Mao-Obama needs some faux improvement in his poll numbers.

[hennie pennie]

>>>> "Radio Farda (the Iranian branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) reports that Kuwait, UAE and Germany have begun refusing refueling Iranian owned passenger planes as of 2 days ago." <<<<

[Erik Latranyi]

why would comrade obama strike iran?

Because all good socialists always look out for themselves first and easily sacrifice their allies to retain power.

[AdmSmith]

This is probably due to the sanctions. Mahan Air and IranAir are not getting fuel.

[BobS]

Every ME country has been sophisticated military hardware from us for a while. Guidance Enhanced Missiles, Standard Missile-3s and PAC-3s. And the ground/ship based control systems for those.

This is a war where the Arabs and Israelis are going to work together on.

It won't take very many to destroy Iran's economy. What are Iran's military trucks going to run on? Piss?

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Ping!

[GiovannaNicoletta]

Ping!

[ex-snook]

"why would comrade obama strike iran?"

War - it's been the way to end unemployment and boost the economy.