Is US Preparing to Attack Iran?

The US administration's announcement that it is preparing to "declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization" (Per New York Times) is in essence a indirect declaration of war against the Iranian government. This decision is bound to give the influential neo-conservatives in the administration ammunition to encourage military aggression against Iran.

The bottom line is that the US has not been successful in gathering the international community's support against Iran to halt its nuclear program; they have shifted gears to label it a terrorist state and justify any actions against Iran. By labeling a faction within a government as a 'terrorist organization,' the US is technically placing the government in the same category, and, therefore preparing their public and the international stage for a serious confrontation with Iran.

Sources who shared this announcement with the Washington Post and New York Times have asked to remain anonymous; they realize the provocative nature of their message. Other than providing carte blanche for military action, it not only annuls negotiations with Iranians over Iraq's security, but also undermines Iranian moderates who favor discussions with the international community.

This decision although designed to apply financial pressure on the Islamic Republic to halt its nuclear program, is unlikely to have any such effect. This organization has been traditionally accused of involvement in terrorist activities and has hence prepared itself for any such charges; they have kept themselves independent of financial ties to any western entity in light of potential sanctions. Therefore, financially they are quite protected.

The Revolutionary Guard is a vast organization that operates on many levels in Iran from the military to cultural organizations; it has a covert and complex network of financial investments, making it virtually impossible to trace. Many of Iran's ruling elite such as Members of Parliament, ambassadors and government officials, are former members of the Revolutionary Guard. The only real effect of such an announcement is that this group will have great difficulty in traveling, investing, educating their children, or engaging in economic transactions in western countries.

The major blow will come to the Iranian society; the government will place the country on 'war alert', making security its first priority and using it to apply even more pressure on civil society, democratic movements and media. At a time when Ahmadinejad's government is facing domestic and international crisis, such a move will be a god sent for them -- an excuse to exonerate them from keeping all their promises they made to the Iranian people prior to election.

Needless to say, labeling a part of Iran's army 'terrorist organization', will translate to even greater instability in the Middle East.

Comments

[Stirner]

If Iran is attacked, we can be assured, thanks to such noisy Zionists as Liebermann, Kristol, and other AIPAC neocons, that the Jewish folk in the United States will be seen as the instigators of the war. The war will not be won. Our military is exhausted and there is no public support for any war, no matter how many "Tonkin Bays" are invented. It is almost past time for influential Jewish people to be heard who do not share in the continuing and uncritical support of Israel. It is too dangerous a game to be allowed to continue.

[JFHill]

Amen, brother. Our Independent Senator from Dementia is a true pain in the butt.

Is it too late to resettle the Israelis in Wyoming and the Palestinians in Montana? Maybe turn the Holy Land into a Theme Park?

[Spookcatcher]

A direct overt aggressive manuevor or conflict against Iran by the U.S. would rip this country apart. Not Iran. The resulting fallout would of course force the hand of Our Government as to whether they could "align" enough of the populous through the fear of unknown consequences. Hitler lost his credibility with the real tactical and strategical experts and his generals when he prematurely attacked Russia, before subdueing England and making an appeasement agreement with the U.S., which is what his backers and Bankers believed was to happen. Both of Bush's Grandfathers were sympathetic and financed the Fascist regimes, even Joe Kennedy Sr. was for appeasement, also being an Irish version of a white supreme-ist/elitist. Why should we as Americans today, with the record of our Government's activities laid bare the last 7 years, trust any further the next aggressive action of this Administration to be for "legitimate" domestic security?

[peterg76]

"[A]pply financial pressure on" an OPEC member? What a joke. Iran just needs to price oil in euros - a sensible move in its own right - and they will hurt the US more than Little George could ever dream of hurting them.

Obviously the US is "anticipating" war with Iran, but there's no evidence they are *preparing* for war with Iran any better than they "prepared" for war in Iraq. And no matter what the pretext, no-one will give them the benefit of the doubt a second time.

[JFHill]

Flimsy evidence on which to base so fearsome a conclusion. It isn't a hydrogen bomb, only someone smoking on the roof.

Try this:

The Revolutionary Guard condemnation justifies tieing a few shoelaces together of stray Iranians in Iraq.

It gives our neocons something to suck on. They're having a bad time, god love them.

It lets Bushwah & Co. save its improbable but true face while the clock runs out.

It gives Republican candidates a nice dose of Viagra.

But listen to me. Listen to me. The sky is not falling. It's really grandma in bed, not that cunning wolf. That pixel sized glint in the picture of that verdammt grassy knoll is the glint of a shiny new dime, dropped no doubt by one of Karl the Mook's stooges. Just to rattle people into turning two and two into, say, twenty-two.

Worry if Likud wins an election. I will. But I will not lose sleep over fear of some chimeric evil which as yet exists only in spaces between words.

And you shouldn't either. Nobody here is going to attack Iran. Not nobody, not no way.

[loslobo]

Educate yourself, please Google TIRANNT and CONPLAN 8022

[JFHill]

There is, surely, a military plan for a preemptive strike should the little green critters lurking under the Martian desert shows their true evil nature and prepare to launch a massive hot air strike against our Lunar satellite.

Our military is prepared for anything. That's why they get the big bucks.

Anything, that is, except Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld. Where was the contingency plan for that?

Give me a break!

[beachykeen02]

Attack Iran? We haven't even stabilized Iraq and Afghanistan! Has Bush lost his mind...oh crap...Rove is leaving, what am I thinking? Of course he's lost "his mind".

[MfromS]

"what am I thinking?"

I hate Bush, I am a lemming
I hate Bush, I am a lemming
I hate Bush, I am a lemming

That help?

[loslobo]

Although this subject has been discussed here immensely, the plans have been in place at least since 2004. What has been stopping Cheney? Was it those 5 or so generals that were apposed to any pre-emptive move against Iran? It has been said here that they were replaced. I still feel that he needs the false flag to make it happen so he can get his draft and an excuse to let the nukes fly. Because we are now the rouge nation that can"t allow Iran to develop nuclear energy. We have the God given right to let our nukes fly (or Israel"s) before they have the capability to develop nuclear power where they might 10 years or so make a bomb. Anyway if the neo-con"s give us a nuclear winter it will solve that whole global warming thing.

[Zhonni]

Thanks, you are the best!!!

[Zhonni]

I hope the U.S. is not preparing to attack Iran. We haven't stabilized Iraq attacking Iran could be catastrophic. I did see three A10s(anti-tank plane) fly over where I work, and I couldn't help but think whether it is related to Iran in any way.

[timm0]

Never fear - I'm sure Senator Reid will pen a stern memo to the president, convincing him to skip this macho chest-beating silliness.

[nypoet22]

Seriously. I don't know if there will be contempt of congress charges, but they certainly have quite a bit of contempt FOR congress. For that matter, at the moment so do I.

[SmackwaterJack]

Typical.

[Sundialsvc4]

Yes, by now it should be transparently obvious to all that Bush will invade not only Iran but Syria. In other words, by bits and pieces, the entire Middle East. And with it, ALL OF The Oil.

He will do it, furthermore, "by imperial decree." Perhaps he will issue a "signing statement," or maybe rely upon his novel imperial theory of a "unitary executive."

And the Congress will howl and whine and point their pudgy fingers at "the other party" or "that bad old President" or .. well .. ANYONE ELSE .. and they will *let* *him* *do* *it.*

Somewhere along the line (and hear me out, dear moderator, for oh no, I am NOT insane, nor am I ranting) The King will find good reason, known only to him .. his being the only choice that Really Counts .. to activate The Draft.

Now, the only question that really remains to be decided is whether it will be "males 18-25" or "all persons 18-42" who will receive the Dreaded Letter.

Welcome, my dear citizens, to World War Three. And no, I am not kidding. If you have been harboring the silly little notion that "it cannot happen here," or that your silly little Constitution is worth the vellum it is handwritten on if you choose not to enforce its provisions ... well, you'll have more than enough time to think about THAT on your way to Basic Training, eh?

[TitaniumAvatar]

Iran is a Signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and is entitled to develop nuclear energy.

[nypoet22]

Entitled or not, signatory or not, this is a dangerous game. Ahmadinejad said, "Israel is a rotten, dried tree that will be annihilated in one storm." This in the same time frame he talked about going nuclear. If he doesn't plan to nuke Israel, what else are we supposed to infer from this?

Israel has had nukes and neither used them nor voiced intention to use them for 40 years, in spite of two wars intended to end its existence. However, Iran getting nukes could change that equation and result in a gigantic nuclear holocaust throughout the middle east. I think that consideration outweighs the exercise of this "entitlement" with no UN oversight.

[hoopoe]

wow, you have really made quite a leap in your interpretation of this statement as 'we plan to nuke Israel.' (here, i'll make a leap and read it as a statement about the eroded moral core and hollow legitimacy of a nation without conscience or compassion acting at the expense of everyone around it - and many of those within it)

IF Iran is seeking nuclear weapons (there is no indication this is the case, and they are well within their legal rights at present) it is more likely as a deterrent against the incessant aggressions, real and threatened, of Israel and the US. all of this talk of preemption and regime change (not to mention our own state sponsorship of terror within their borders) are a very justifiable provocation for a sovereign nation's provision for its own defense.

the preemption Israel fears from Iran is no different than the preemption Iran fears from the Israel and the US. maybe it's time for Israel and the US to tone down the rhetoric and try to make nice in the region.

somewhere along the line, something like racism, intolerance and ethnocentrism have led SOME of us to assume the Iranians are all utterly insane and have a craving for their own annihilation. but they seem fully aware of the ability and willingness (even EAGERNESS)of both Israel and the US to annihilate them if provoked. they are also aware that both would attack even without reasonably strong provocation - after all, it has happened before...

and apparently we have learned nothing from the Iraq debacle about the bravado of nations in precariously dangerous positions. sure Saddam claimed he was stronger than he was, but he lived in a dangerous neighborhood. sometimes it's a good idea to act a little crazy and unpredictable just so no one tries anything stupid...

so, perhaps we should take emotion and wild knee-jerk assumptions out of our foreign policy and and start treating Iran as a legitimate sovereign nation we must negotiate with - not dictate to - or dispense with at will.

[TitaniumAvatar]

So are you supportive of a pre-emptive strike against Iran or are you saying you'd like to see UN oversight of their nuclear program?

[Rowland]

There is no reason to assume that Iran will "nuke" Israel. There are more Jews living in Iran than any other Middle Eastern country, where they are free to worship.

It it important to read the statments of Ahmadinejad carefully and see that he is not threatening to start something with Israel. In fact it is Israel that is threatening action against Iran. So the answer to the question raised, "...what else are we supposed to infer from this?" has many possible answers all of which indicate restraint and not some pre-emptive strike that will be sure to start something.

The very idea that Iran would with the output of a year or two and untested bombs, "...start a gigantic nuclear holocaust throughout the middle east." is most unlikely and will not happen.

The plain fact is that the United States and Israel have demanded that Iran give up what it is entitled to do under the treaty before talks...that is just provocation and nothing else.

The answer is that Israel should join the treaty and back off. At the present time Israel believes both in revenge and pre-emptive strikes.