Article

2008-04-30 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by tipper 2008-04-30 05:44|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top
File under: Govt of Iran

#1 Hit 'em November 15th.

Posted by DarthVader 2008-04-30 07:27|| 2008-04-30 07:27|| Front Page Top

#2 I have reserve capability, in particular our Navy and our Air Force so it would be a mistake to think that we are out of combat capability," Mullen said.

Targets would include everything from the plants where weapons are made to the headquarters of the organization known as the Quds Force which directs operations in Iraq. Later this week Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is expected to confront the Iranians with evidence of their meddling and demand a halt.

***
my 2¢:
Just punching holes in Quds Force Headquarters buildings and their 'Jerusalem Assets' inside Iran ain't gonna deter Iran from killing our men and women in Iraq.

Nor will they deter Iran's Nuke Quest!.

Nor will a few accurate conventional weapons strikes stop The Qud's Force rocket & mortar teams, the penetrator IED cells and Kidnap cells. They will continue to infiltrate into Iraq until stopped the olde fashion way but with smart tools..

Posted by RD">RD 2008-04-30 08:27|| 2008-04-30 08:27|| Front Page Top

#3 until stopped the olde fashion way ~~but with smart tools..~~ with absolute crushing force.

Posted by RD">RD 2008-04-30 08:29|| 2008-04-30 08:29|| Front Page Top

#4 Hit 'em November 15th.

Why wait so long?

Posted by Mike 2008-04-30 08:57|| 2008-04-30 08:57|| Front Page Top

#5 A week after the election, two months before the inauguration.

Posted by Fred 2008-04-30 09:09|| 2008-04-30 09:09|| Front Page Top

#6 If that doesn't produce results, the State Department has begun drafting an ultimatum ....~~to be delivered by Jimmy Carter~~ that would tell the Iranians to knock it off - or else.

Posted by Besoeker 2008-04-30 09:27|| 2008-04-30 09:27|| Front Page Top

#7 Just punching holes in Quds Force Headquarters buildings and their 'Jerusalem Assets' inside Iran ain't gonna deter Iran from killing our men and women in Iraq.

How 'bout blowing up every Republican Guard barracks, military facility, the President's palace, the Parliament building, missile launching site, and suspected or known nuclear research/development site? I'm under the impression we have a great many bombs and missiles at our disposal, and goodness knows plenty of time to program them.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-04-30 12:18|| 2008-04-30 12:18|| Front Page Top

#8 Why stop there? Destroy every bridge, rail head, every bit of infrastructure in the country. Totally destroy the country over the period of about 2 weeks so that there is no power, no food, no water, no ability to move supplies and anything painted green. Then use interdiction strikes against anyone attempting to send them supplies across their borders. Show the world we don't even need nukes to turn their country into a barren wasteland.

Posted by Silentbrick">Silentbrick 2008-04-30 12:34|| 2008-04-30 12:34|| Front Page Top

#9 I believe the taking out of a single oil refinery would put a pretty severe hurting on them.

Posted by crosspatch 2008-04-30 12:36|| 2008-04-30 12:36|| Front Page Top

#10 The lay waste theory is of course compelling, as is the destroy the refinery option. But both of these hurt the average Iranian citizen far worse than the thugs that run the country. I think hitting the military targets sends a very clear message, one that the current leaders of Iran would be loathe to ignore. Don't forget that a whole lot of these guys have their fingers in the financial pie of the country. They don't want to lose that gravy train if at all possible. It isn't going to take too much to make it clear to them that the risk profile of their ongoing actions has increased dramatically.

Posted by remoteman 2008-04-30 13:20|| 2008-04-30 13:20|| Front Page Top

#11 But sadly, history has repeatedly shown that just hitting the military sites does not deter these guys. It didn't work on Saddam, it didn't work in Bosnia, it didn't work in Libya, it didn't work anywhere really. Destroy the country and let them start over. That gives them incentive to build a better country and avoid letting nutjobs have power.

Will innocent people die? Yes.

But how many more innocent people have to die because of these people until we strap on the porta-spine and do the right thing? These dictators we're so afraid to remove have a daily cost in innocent lives. That cost isn't small or insignificant. And every day that we debate or engage in talks, it only grows higher. Threats only work if they are real and so far we have continued to show the world that the US talks big and pretty much does nothing. Iraq and Afghanistan are seen as aberrations of our normally passive behavior and barbarians are biding their time, hoping that the next president will return us to the days of lobbing a few cruise missiles at tents and calling that "Doing something."

Posted by Silentbrick">Silentbrick 2008-04-30 13:32|| 2008-04-30 13:32|| Front Page Top

#12 Yep, go hard or go home....and then publicly blame their leadership for making us reluctantly do it to them.

Posted by Broadhead6 2008-04-30 13:50|| 2008-04-30 13:50|| Front Page Top

#13 "But both of these hurt the average Iranian citizen far worse than the thugs that run the country."

So what. Those thugs run the country because the people allow them to. When the people rise up, no government can put them back down. Keeping the people comfortable while you engage the government is stupid. It just prolongs things. The people should be made to realize that as long as they allow that government to remain in power, their standard of living is going to suffer for it.

Didn't the fall of the communist dictatorships teach us ANYTHING?

Posted by crosspatch 2008-04-30 14:21|| 2008-04-30 14:21|| Front Page Top

#14 e Pentagon ordered military commanders to develop new options for attacking Iran

Is this statement accurate or just tossed out there? Are they polishing up old plans, or developing new high-leverage approaches?

I'd say just bomb the crap out of everything that makes sense.

Whatever the case, the military will need fuel. Take that out (storage, refineries, distribution, major supply lines) and then watch where their tankers go (along remaining difficult supply lines starting at carefully crafted choke points) and take that out, too.

If Iran feels like invading Iraq, they will probably try to invade along lines that allow them to steal gas as they advance if they can't transport it in.

I'd be especially concerned about special forces activity, I think.

Posted by gorb 2008-04-30 14:36|| 2008-04-30 14:36|| Front Page Top

#15 Iran has been rationing fuel for about a year saving up for this. They probably have a bazillion gallons in underground storage by now.

Posted by crosspatch 2008-04-30 14:52|| 2008-04-30 14:52|| Front Page Top

#16 ref #15, gee, I hope that is the case, because the fires would be an extra special visual effect for the MSM to show. Underground storage of POL is especially vulnerable to penetrators and our MOAB's.

Posted by NoMoreBS">NoMoreBS 2008-04-30 15:14|| 2008-04-30 15:14|| Front Page Top

#17 Well, if we're going to start something over there, we'd better make sure that everyone on our side is up to snuff on NBC procedures. With plenty of ABM systems in place, too.

Posted by mrp 2008-04-30 15:33|| 2008-04-30 15:33|| Front Page Top

#18 Little bit of hyperbole on the part of CBS.

Consider: Marines are conducting ops in southern Afghanistan; the IA and Coalition are conducting ops in south Iraq. It's been proven that a carrier can support both ops. But it's much easier to have two CSGs in the Gulf to cover contingencies.

Posted by Pappy 2008-04-30 15:39|| 2008-04-30 15:39|| Front Page Top

#19 From all I've read the population is pro-wester at the present time. No, they are not rising up en-masse to strangle the mullahs. Wish they would, but easier said than done in a totalitarian state. So I'd rather not alienate those people, if at all possible, by blowing everything up around them. I do think more limited applications of force will be adequate to the task. Not as satisfying as bounce the rubble perhaps, but potentially more effective in the end.

Posted by remoteman 2008-04-30 16:01|| 2008-04-30 16:01|| Front Page Top

#20 IN the gulf? Why would they enter a restricted space like that? Carrier defense requires room to move.

Posted by mojo">mojo 2008-04-30 16:03|| 2008-04-30 16:03|| Front Page Top

#21 "No, they are not rising up en-masse to strangle the mullahs. "

There might be a more subtle unintentional thing going on too. Now that the government is back in charge in Basra and other places South of Baghdad, the people have started to loosen up. The women are back in jeans, and people are having a beer again after work. These areas are a major destination for Iranians on religious pilgrimages. So they get a taste of the freedom and either want to stay in Iraq or they begin to resent their own situation at home more.

Posted by crosspatch 2008-04-30 16:09|| 2008-04-30 16:09|| Front Page Top

#22 #17 Well, if we're going to start something over there, we'd better make sure that everyone on our side is up to snuff on NBC procedures. With plenty of ABM systems in place, too.
Posted by: mrp 2008-04-30 15:33

Just don't talk to the Bastard reporters from NBC...oh, you mean Nuke, Bio, Chem.... Never mind!

Posted by Omomoth the Kid7023 2008-04-30 16:41|| 2008-04-30 16:41|| Front Page Top

#23 I have to disagree with majority opinion here.

Hitting the Mad Mullahs with overt, substantial military force will unite much of the population behind them. That happens everytime you bomb a population. The Serbs, the North Vietnamese, the Germans, etc., all united behind their leaders when the bombs began to fall.

I don't want to bomb Iran, because right now much of the Iranian population is sympathetic to us and against the Mullahs.

As I've advocated before, I want a large series of unfortunate events to occur in Iran, targeted at the Mad Mullahs and the most critical parts of the Iranian economy (e.g., gasoline refineries). All deniable and explained away as the results of insha-allan maintenance. Lemony Snickett would be my best friend.

This assumes we had a CIA that could do these things and keep their damned mouths shut.

Do not use overt military force on Iran. The Iranian people will close ranks, the world will get all pissy against us (again), and our country will explode.

Be smart. Do this behind the scenes. Deny everything and wait for the revolution.

Posted by Steve White">Steve White 2008-04-30 16:56|| 2008-04-30 16:56|| Front Page Top

#24 We've already been waiting for the revolution for a long tome.

Posted by Darrell 2008-04-30 17:01|| 2008-04-30 17:01|| Front Page Top

#25 Hope the war plans are more up to date than CBS' video: My beloved Intruder pictured was retired over 10 yrs ago. and the Lawn Dart is the A model.

Posted by USN,Ret. 2008-04-30 17:45|| 2008-04-30 17:45|| Front Page Top

#26 IN the gulf? Why would they enter a restricted space like that? Carrier defense requires room to move.

Sigh. It isn't that friggin' small.

Go and research history of the First Gulf War. You'll find that there were multiple carrier groups operating in the Gulf then.

At this point for support ops, closer-in means quicker response, heavier load outs, and faster turnaround. Something that, y'know, kinda helps during intense ground ops?

Posted by Pappy 2008-04-30 18:09|| 2008-04-30 18:09|| Front Page Top

#27 Steve, agree with much of what you say, but ...

Hitting the Mad Mullahs with overt, substantial military force will unite much of the population behind them. That happens everytime you bomb a population. The Serbs, the North Vietnamese, the Germans, etc., all united behind their leaders when the bombs began to fall.

I'd say those populations were already united behind their leadership BEFORE the bombs fell. Not so the Iranians.

This assumes we had a CIA that could do these things and keep their damned mouths shut.

But we don't, and we all know it.

Do not use overt military force on Iran. The Iranian people will close ranks, the world will get all pissy against us (again), and our country will explode.

In order: Maybe. Of course. Only if we appear to be losing. But none of that matters, because the stakes - a nuclear-armed, medieval, islamic theocracy dominating the region from which the elixir of western economies flows - are too high.

Be smart. Do this behind the scenes. Deny everything and wait for the revolution.

Way too late for that. Feeble diplomatic half-measures have ensured military action, if GW has the stomach for it. Big if.

Posted by Kirk 2008-04-30 18:09|| 2008-04-30 18:09|| Front Page Top

#28 FWIW, I completely agree with the doctor.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2008-04-30 18:57|| 2008-04-30 18:57|| Front Page Top

#29 JPOST > ASSAD AIDE: WE [Syria] WILL NEVER CUT TIES WID HIZBULLAH, IRAN. Assad Emissary-Officio also infers that NO ONE CAN RULE IN SYRIA WIDOUT DEALING AND RESOLVING THE GOAL HEIGHTS ISSUE, i.e. Taking same back from Israel.

IMO, and among other thingys, SYRIA NEEDS TO HELP IRAN + ISLAMISTS KEEP THE US-ALLIES AS FAR AWAY [linear distance] FROM IRAN + CENTRAL ASIA AS POSSIBLE. Methinks RUSSIA is well aware of the covert Islamist intentions to knock it out geostrategically and empower NUCLEAR IRAN + NUCLEAR JIHAD-ISLAMISM/TERROR, and is part of RUSS DIALECTIC RATIONALE TO SEND TROOPS INTO GEORGIA'S BREAKWAY REGIONS UNDER THE GUISE OF TROUBLES WID GEORGIA???

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-04-30 19:06|| 2008-04-30 19:06|| Front Page Top

#30 OTOH, FREEREPUBLIC > LEBANESE SINGER [Beautiful Hizzb Supporter] CAUSES GULF STORM. FREEP Poster -"Camels/Decapitation versus Cleavage" is UN-ISLAMIC???

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-04-30 19:13|| 2008-04-30 19:13|| Front Page Top

#31 How 'bout blowing up every Republican Guard barracks, military facility, the President's palace, the Parliament building, missile launching site, and suspected or known nuclear research/development site? I'm under the impression we have a great many bombs and missiles at our disposal, and goodness knows plenty of time to program them.

TW, while I applaud the thought, the MM's and AJNutjob are just in it for their own ego, power and loot. They'll depart the sinking ship at the first opportunity, leaving everyone else to attain Paradise. I've always fantasized that the best way to deal with people like this is the death of a thousand cuts: every time they flush a toilet, it should explode; every time they start a car it should burst into flame, etc, etc.. Just to add a little spice and mystery, their newly-purchased Russian missle sites could also occassionally shut down or catch fire, and so on. As I said, just a fantasy; I wish we had the Ops to actually do it. Might make them lose a little sleep for a change, and keep them looking over their shoulders, wondering if their 13th Grand Poobah was yanking their chain.

Posted by Black Bart Phinter4658 2008-04-30 19:35|| 2008-04-30 19:35|| Front Page Top

#32 How about a SDB delivered to every mullah leadership house one night. Add in every police station that does mullah enforcement to free up the population and some regular ol' big-ass JDAMs for the Army.

All time on target.

Kills the leaders, the leader's enforcers and the Army and it's leaders.

Leave the population. Once the leaders and thugs are gone wait a week to see if good things happen. If bad things happen flatten the whole thing. Comm, power, fuel, bridges and ports. The see if they have a change of heart.

I like the first part best.

Posted by jds 2008-04-30 20:48|| 2008-04-30 20:48|| Front Page Top

#33 Take it from an old air power guy who sat on Le May' a lap. Today you need a SOF ground component to literally take down the mullahs & Iamanidiot.

Posted by Jack is Back! 2008-04-30 22:01|| 2008-04-30 22:01|| Front Page Top

#34 REDDIT > NATO WARNS RUSSIA OVER GEORGIA MOVE. Georgia's territorial integrity at risk.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-04-30 22:44|| 2008-04-30 22:44|| Front Page Top

23:26 Sninert Black9312
23:16 Sninert Black9312
23:14 JosephMendiola
23:01 JosephMendiola
22:44 JosephMendiola
22:31 twobyfour
22:26 charger
22:24 DMFD
22:16 John F. Kennedy
22:13 eltoroverde
22:07 Formerly Dan
22:01 Jack is Back!
22:00 JosephMendiola
21:39 OregonGuy
21:39 JosephMendiola
21:34 Chuck Simmins
21:32 Chuck Simmins
21:25 Jack is Back!
21:25 JosephMendiola
21:15 Frank G
21:14 Pappy
21:13 Rambler in California
21:11 SteveS
20:51 JosephMendiola