Top Ten Reasons Why Sy Hersh’s New Article Should Scare the Stuffing Out of You
10. Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is a whackjob who is determine to enrich uranium.
9. Our President, George W. Bush, has a messiah complex and is convinced that “saving Iran is going to be his legacy.”
8. The Pentagon is already engaging in clandestine activities, called “force protection,” that can be classified as military, not intelligence, operations; e.g., preparing a battlefield. Such activities are not subject to congressional oversight.
7. U.S. military planners believe that bombing Iran will cause Iranians to rise up and overthrow the mullahs who rule them. Most Middle East experts think this notion is right up there with Cheney’s “Iraqis will greet us with flowers” delusion.
6. A senior Pentagon adviser on the war on terror said: “This White House believes that the only way to solve the problem is to change the power structure in Iran, and that means war.”
5. The White House has been talking to members of Congress about Iran. However, the only ones they’re talking to are the same bunch who led the charge against Iraq.
4. “The lack of reliable intelligence leaves military planners, given the goal of totally destroying the sites, little choice but to consider the use of tactical nuclear weapons. ‘Every other option, in the view of the nuclear weaponeers, would leave a gap,’ the former senior intelligence official said. ‘”Decisive” is the key word of the Air Force’s planning. It’s a tough decision. But we made it in Japan.’
3. “He went on, ‘Nuclear planners go through extensive training and learn the technical details of damage and fallout—we’re talking about mushroom clouds, radiation, mass casualties, and contamination over years. This is not an underground nuclear test, where all you see is the earth raised a little bit. These politicians don’t have a clue, and whenever anybody tries to get it out’—remove the nuclear option—’they’re shouted down.’”
2. Bombing Iran could “provoke ‘a chain reaction’ of attacks on American facilities and citizens throughout the world.”
1. See reasons #9.
# 7. I hope Bush remembers that the Iranians pioneered suicide warfare during the Iran- Iraq war. The Iranians used children to clear mine fields and act as shock troops. If suicde bombers presents a problem to American troops in Iraq now, just wait until Iran unleashes millions of marytrs wanting to gain intstant access into paradise.
Bush is insane to even consider attacking Iran. He should realize that he spent his wad in Iraq and the only thing he will accomplish in Iran is a greater defeat than he has achieved in Iraq. What a loser Bush is!
Comment by Swami — April 8, 2006 @ 7:46 pm
The American people need to enact a law that any Congress person who votes to go to war with Iran must send their children, grandchildren, and other eligible relatives to fight the first two years of that war. NO EXCEPTIONS. This law would also include Bush, Cheney, and all other members of the administration and including all Cabinet Secretaries. NO EXCEPTIONS.
These people are insane. Who do they think would help America? Why do they think that the American people would not suffer the after effects of WMDs even if they are an Ocean away. The fallout and radiation would wipe out all neighboring countries and cross the Atlantic Ocean. It does look like the lunatics are running the asylum.
Comment by Bonnie — April 8, 2006 @ 8:18 pm
Oh, and every person who voted for George Bush can foot the bill.
Comment by Bonnie — April 8, 2006 @ 8:26 pm
Hersh: Bush Plans On War With Iran UsingTactic Nukes
A new, troubling story in the New Yorker from investigative reporter Seymour Hersch — who has had a pretty good track record in recent years — says President George …
Trackback by The Moderate Voice — April 8, 2006 @ 11:33 pm
Randy Newman has a song about this. Slim Pickens get out yer cowboy hat.
Comment by emel — April 9, 2006 @ 1:38 am
Deja-vu all over again. Prior to Ahmadinejad being elected, all diplomatic overtures made by the Iranians were snubbed by this administration. It makes sense now - they wanted this. This is Bush’s backup legacy in case the first one doesn’t work. And they figure this is a no lose situation - if they’re right, he’s a hero and if he’s wrong, they’ll be nobody left alive to judge him. And they think Ahmadinejad and Hussein are lunatics!
Comment by Zeus — April 9, 2006 @ 1:44 am
Seymour Hersh: “Bush Is Planning Nuclear Strikes On Iran’s Secret Sites
Senior Pentagon Advisor: WH Wants To “Change The Power Structure In Iran, And That Means War”…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/04/08/senior-pentagon-advisor-_n_18726.html
The following is a tiny URL of the above one:
http://tinyurl.com/gpnrh
http://www.libertyforum.org/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=news_news&Number=294541006&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=21&part=
The following is a tiny URL for the above one:
http://tinyurl.com/fuu2v
Comment by NOMOREWARFORISRAEL — April 9, 2006 @ 4:55 am
[…] […]
Pingback by Right Wing Nut House » THE MEDIA AND THE LEFT GO NUCLEAR — April 9, 2006 @ 7:59 am
I hate to consider the consequences of a pre-emptive attack on Iran. An immediate outcome would be numerous suicide attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq. And maybe $10 a gallon gasoline. It freaks me out that this option is even under consideration. Do the NeoCons really have that kind of control over our foreign policy?
Comment by Ed Deevy — April 9, 2006 @ 9:05 am
If this is all true, I’m scared.
Comment by Lynne — April 9, 2006 @ 10:39 am
Americans have been brainwashed to believe that God is an american and that all white americans ( males for sure ) are therefore God’s next of kin. Therefore the simplistic logic, of we are the good guys and they are the bad guys. You can almost smell the horse crap as we ride off into the sunset, deluding ourselves that we have save the blond female from the ravages of savage men of color and kept the white male atop the food chain. So we nuke, yet another nation of colored people, under the premiss making America safe from harm. If you examine the history of this country, you’ll discover a similar behavior not to long along. Its generally referred to as lynching! When any negro man, woman or child that had the misfortune of becoming the target of a righteous white christain mob, met with an equally fatal fate. Just as any negro would do then, any arab will do today. They all look alike!
Comment by grevona — April 9, 2006 @ 10:45 am
Number 8 (Force Protection) doesn’t bother me, per se, as Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB/Force Protection) is an ongoing process.
Plans Orange/Red/Blue, etc. in the Thirties and Forties (detailing US responses in the event of war with Britain, Canada, etc.) were examples of this.
We are doing it on Korea, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Lybia, anyplace there might be a conflict.
In, and of, itself it means nothing. Even in conjunction with the rest of Hersh’s story it isn’t all that significant.
IPB does not involve the sorts of things most people think of as, “preparation”. In the main it deals with the threats which will exist, on the ground, and how to negate them. It does include (as a matter of course) all sorts of information relating to the use/feasibilty and effects of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical weapons.
IPB is an intelligence effort, but a passive one.
There are other things (like the staging of materiel, training of trooops, reworking of doctrine which would be stronger indicators of this than IPB workups. I knew (not thought, knew, stone cold in my bones) we were going to Iraq in June of 2002, because of how the training tempo for interrogators was going. All sorts of tricks were used to get another couple of hundred qualified before things kicked off.
That’s the sort of thing which points to inevitability.
TK
Comment by Terry Karney — April 9, 2006 @ 11:49 am
[…] You know you’re living in interesting times when news that the United States is seriously considering use of nuclear weapons against another country is not the top story. […]
Pingback by The Mahablog » Interesting Times — April 9, 2006 @ 11:56 am
100% Certifiably Insane
Determined to jump-start the Rapture, President Bush wants to attack Iran with tactical nuclear weapons, according to Seymour Hersh. Maha has summarized the madness with the top ten reasons why Sy Hersh’s new article should scare the stuffing out
Trackback by the defeatists! — April 9, 2006 @ 1:11 pm
Be Afraid - Be Very Afraid
We should all be afraid of what the little cowboy in the white house might do concerning Iran. Of course this is nothing actually new to those of us in the reality based community. Most of us have realised he is a madman for quite a while now. Th…
Trackback by fatcat politics — April 9, 2006 @ 1:20 pm
I laid in bed last night thinking about my own “disaster plan”. Gotta load up on food, medicine, water, clothing, etc. Because when this thing blows back, as the law of karma (as the most basic cause) says it inevitably will, this country will finally wake up to what we’ve been dishing out to others for years. 9/11 will pale by contrast.
On the road this morning, I followed a Mercedes with a license string along the lines of “SUES TOY”. We’re a nation of shallow, immature children, living off the suffering of others, who have no idea how bad the hammer is going to fall. Enjoy the goodies while you can, play time is almost over.
Comment by alyosha — April 9, 2006 @ 4:58 pm
[…] The Mahablog […]
Pingback by FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog » Iran Nuclear Watch: White House Dampens Talk of Iran Military Strike — April 9, 2006 @ 9:00 pm
You know, I’ve been trying not to give a shit about anything these guys do for a week or two — I think my dumbfoundedness meter has burned out. Then this comes out –
There is no way in hell that the US comes out ahead in an exchange of tactical nuclear weapons with the Islamic world. If our goal is to heal the breech between Sunnis and Shiites, Wahabi and Secularist Muslims, this would be a great strategy. Since this crew has a track record of not listening to anyone who disagrees with them, we may be in trouble. Hopefully, Poppy Bush will get the word and sic Barbara on her son.
If not, then we are getting to ready to end the American Century really early…
Comment by Crusader AXE of the Lost Causes — April 9, 2006 @ 10:25 pm
Awesome. Let’s get Iran to stop making nukes by nuking them! That’ll learn ‘em.
I think the scariest thing is that Bush keeps saying whenever anyone asks that he’s not in any way planning a war with Iran. I don’t think it’s too far outside of the realm of possibility for the Bushies to cook up an event that will make it look like war was inevitable. Then they can be, “We didn’t want to go to war, but look what happened!”
Comment by Erin — April 10, 2006 @ 2:26 pm
[…] It’s been one of those movies you mean to see but don’t get around to for a long time. The timing was distressing, since I wasn’t cognizant of the fact that Seymour Hersh is claiming that BushCo wants to nuke Iran until this morning. Maha has the best post I’ve read on it, listing the top ten reasons that this article should be scaring you and can’t be dismissed out of hand. The juxtaposition of her post and the movie fresh on my brain was what you might call clarifying. This in particular sewed it up: 9. Our President, George W. Bush, has a messiah complex and is convinced that “saving Iran is going to be his legacy.” […]
Pingback by Someone tell the Bircher President that Iran’s not fluoridating their water at Pandagon — April 10, 2006 @ 6:52 pm
Billmon has the definitive post on this
Comment by waldo — April 12, 2006 @ 8:20 am
You obviously are an ostrich with your head in the sand. Iran’s fundamentalist lunatics will fall. The Shites in Iraq are Arabs not Persians and the vast majority will not support the Iranian regime currently in power. They have just been freed from a totalitarins regime and they are not ready to go back. The youth are the key to victory in Iran, they are ready for freedom, Twenty five percent of Iran is Kurdish and they are ready also. Both need weapons and training. The fight will be long but freedon throughout thr mideast must prevail for only then will there be peace. The weapons that will win the war against terrorism is time and education. The clerics will kill and mame the innocent but there are many more wanting to be free than there are fanatics. The average Muslim wants peace but is afraid to declare it. The Muslim people are ready to become part of the world community. They cannot take our freedom, our country or our souls by empty threats. For terrorism will be defeated even if the mideast (not the U.S.) is left a smoldering ash pile,
Comment by Carl Bullock — October 18, 2006 @ 5:32 pm
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