Joint Chiefs Chairman: US Preparing Military Options Against Iran

The nation's top military officer said today that the Pentagon is planning for "potential military courses of action" against Iran, criticizing what he called the Tehran government's "increasingly lethal and malign influence" in Iraq.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a conflict with Iran would be "extremely stressing" but not impossible for U.S. forces, pointing specifically to reserve capabilities in the Navy and Air Force.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[betz55]

? The Iran issue is 100% Israeli. Iran is no danger to the US. Israel refuses to sign the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty which Iran has done. Israel refuses to allow IAEA inspections of their nuke facilites which Iran has done. Israel refuses to comply with any UN resolutions, which the US protects it from. Make Israel adhere to the standards that it and the US want to impose on Iran. Israel is the biggest bully,destabilizing,warmongering,belligerent aggressor in the ME and needs to be dealt with before Tehran. Iran has every right to defend themselves against Israel. It's absurd the pretense that Israel stands as the pathetic guardian against the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the ME. The IAEA in Israel ? The reaction would be spectacular and filled with claims of persecution and divine right. Israel's call for bombing Iran is utterly arrogant and typical.Unconditional, unquestioned, never ending financial support of Israeli policy is bad for the US. Israeli policies are no longer in line with US policies, and, as a result are making the US more of a target than ever in the Islamic world.The US arms Israel and shields Israel from international and UN repercussions which does us enormous harm in the eyes of the world. Good news? There will be when Israel and the US recognize a two-state solution, a separation between their country and this one, the United States.

[getoffmedz]

These attacks have been planned for years. Here is a somewhat scrubbed tutorial but well-worth reading - http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iran-strikes.htm
Also see the the topics on the upper right of the page.

It's always been a matter of when?

[eyesopenwide]

Here's an article I found that lays out in pretty good detail the historical relationship between Iran and the US. It's very informative and educational, and I really recommend people read this.

For example: How many Americans know this?

"Iran"s real policies and actions complicate Bush"s positionAlthough the Bush Administration has ignored it, and most mainstream media outlets typically do not explore issues beyond reporting what officials say, Iran"s actual position on nuclear weapons, on Israel, and other issues of the region, offers some complications to the official line.

Ahmadinejad does not hold much power; the Supreme Leader does
The Supreme Leader issued a fatwa against Nuclear Weapons, saying it was not Islamic
Iran actually offered peace talks with Israel (ISRAEL REFUSED)
Iran even condemned North Korea"s nuclear missile test
Furthermore, the US problems in Iraq have strengthened Iran"s influence, and the nuclear weapon debate occurs within that context."

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/MiddleEast/iran/#IransrealpoliciesandactionscomplicateBushsposition

[eyesopenwide]

I'm sorry, one correction. It was not Israel that refused, it was the US.

[Chiang]

We have plans on file for attacking everybody, including Canada and Europe.

[Reveille]

I'm not sure if you are serious or not, but we probably do have such plans. (well, maybe not for Canada). Back before WWII we even had plans on fighting England, let alone Japan. After all, no country had been England's commercial rival and avoided a war with her. My question to all those Iran planners would be, "With what are you going to fight this war with Iran if they object to the air strikes?" The USAF and the carrier fleet may have the world's greatest PR department but they have never explained just how the planes can hold territorry.

[TheShadow]

Can you say "October Surprise"?

[Chiang]

The "We're Gonna Attack Iran!" stories always come in the spring, and the attack is normally predicted for May.

[hoodrat]

The game is WAR - WAR IS GOOD FOR GREED, always has been. So has our efforts to invade IRAN. Since REAGAN - that has been our objective. Some of you criticize the upper echelons of the military - but it is their JOBS TO DO WAR! That's what you train for. It IS the civilian chickenhawks who mandate war - and for the military to carry out the will of their Commander in Chief, and their legislators. Blame always starts with the CIC(or the Svengali that has his arm up the CICs ass). Iran became a threat when they took the hostages during Carter - and it helps that they sit on a shitload of oil. Remember what the Russians said: Any armed aggression by the U.S., will be answered in kind. Makes the Wright comments sorta RIGHT?

[ChrisInTennessee]

Can anyone say martial law? Suspension of elections? Dictator for life? This has been in the works for over a year and the idiot in chief will attack Iran no matter who has to lie and die. Why are they still in the white house doing their evil? God help us and the innocent people in Iraq and Iran and everywhere else these monsters feel the need to massacre...in our name yet. Makes me sick.

[gevan]

So Adm. Mullen enters the political world. Whatever happened to the idea of civilian leadership of our armed forces? It will be interesting to see the Navy and Air Force invade Iran, won't it? Usually the Navy asks the Marines to help. This time, not so much.

[filo]

All I can say is WTF ???!!!???

[tompoe]

"increasingly lethal and malign influence" in Iraq. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,

Let's see. Americans look to our chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to decide whether we should think Iran is exerting an increasingly lethal and malign influence in Iraq. Even better, the jerk does not want to back that non-professional back-alley language up with facts. I guess we have to conclude this idiot has something less than a high school education, and is drinking the administration Kool-Aid. Great! So, why is this article published on Huffington Post?

[RDixon]

Israel is hell bent on pulling the puppet strings of the US military and starting another illegal and unwinable war that we the taxpayers will pay for with monetary debt and the youth of this country will pay for with blood.

McCain is fine with that.
So is Clinton.

Obama isn't fine with that so they call him a "terrorist".

Imagine that...

[ebbtide]

I don't care how manyt medals you are wearing on your military suitl.. I don't care how much scrambled eggs you wear on your shoulders. You have disgraced yourself and are nothing more than lackeys for George Bush, the neocons, and probably Bill and Hillary Clinton, since she has dived into the foreigm policy debate by saying she would nuke Iran.

You, you dear Generals are nothing more than puppets to the political wind. You purport to defend the US, when all you are doing is encouraging the US lust for empire.

I will not stand for it anymore. Iran IS NOT A THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES. Iran could not attack the United States if it tried.

Israel? Yes. and we should engage in a conflict that would escalate to another invasion on lies, lose our sons and daughters to protect Israel? Israel has said, you first Ajmerical. You send your sons amd daughters to die to attack our enemy, Iraq, and now it's the same for Iran.

I call bullcrap on the Generals, heavily weighted down with their precious medals. I call bull crap on our military commanders whose ethics just go with whatever neocon they deem will give them another medal.