A BBC report on Monday made clear that the Pentagon has completed contingency planning for extensive air strikes on Iran that go “beyond nuclear sites and include most of the country’s military infrastructure”. The article continued: “It is understood that any such attack—if ordered—would target Iranian air bases, naval bases, missile facilities and command-and-control centres.”And:
“British military sources told the New Statesman, on condition of anonymity, that ‘the US military switched its whole focus to Iran’ as soon as Saddam Hussein was kicked out of Baghdad. It continued this strategy, even though it had American infantry bogged down in fighting the insurgency in Iraq. The US army, navy, air force and marines have all prepared battle plans and spent four years building bases and training for ‘Operation Iranian Freedom’.”Turns out Iran really does feel the need for nuclear power, due to shrinking oil production -- or so reports the Wall Street Journal, in a story summarized by Raw Story here.
What is significant about the BBC report is that it identified two “triggers”, demonstrating that an attack on Iran is under active discussion. According to security correspondent Frank Gardner, the first was “any confirmation that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon”. This trigger provides a sweeping excuse for military action, as the Bush administration insists that Tehran already has a nuclear weapons program, despite the lack of definite proof and repeated denials by the Iranian regime.
Iran's citizenry has always pointed to the nation's nuclear program as a source of pride, and they would react with bitterness toward any leader who tried to shut down the program. Neoconservatives would have you believe that in the wake of American airstrikes, a popular uprising within that country will take down the Iranian leadership. That scenario is pure fantasy.
1 comment:
How many hours away from Iran's euro oil bourse opening?
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