[From the diaries by susanhu.] In the event of another “9/11 type attack” according to Philip Giraldi, in the print edition of the American Conservative (courtesy Justin Logan). And when he says attack Iran, he means ATTACK IRAN!
The Pentagon, acting under instructions from Vice President Dick Cheney’s office, has tasked the United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM) with drawing up a contingency plan to be employed in response to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States. The plan includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons. Within Iran there are more than 450 major strategic targets, including numerous suspected nuclear-weapons-program development sites. Many of the targets are hardened or are deep underground and could not be taken out by conventional weapons, hence the nuclear option.
More after the break . . .
As in the case of Iraq, the response is not conditional on Iran actually being involved in the act of terrorism directed against the United States. Several senior Air Force officers involved in the planning are reportedly appalled at the implications of what they are doing–that Iran is being set up for an unprovoked nuclear attack–but no one is prepared to damage his career by posing any objections.
Some thoughts:
First, Giraldi is a former CIA officer (specifically a CIA counterterrorism specialist according to his bio at American Conservative), so he probably has contacts among the intelligence services and the military that few journalists in Washington can match. Second, the leak of this information appears to be coming from the military officers in charge of drawing up this plan, or at least with someone familiar with their views. This means the military is starrting to become very ansty at the direction the Bush administration is taking the country.
The military has seen up close and personal what the Iraq War has done to the Army and Marines with their extended and multiple tours of duty in theater. They also have to be scared shitless about the possible consequences of a nuclear attack on Iran. The blowback would be massive. Iran, if it has any nukes would surely use them against American Forces in the Gulf. I leave to your imagination what the results of that would be.
Even if Iran doesn’t have the ability to respond in kind, however, the entire region would go up in flames. The shia in Iraq would be outraged and some of them (Sadr’s militia perhaps?) would likely begin their own violent resistance to the American occupation. Meanwhile recruitment of Muslims to Al Qauda or other terrorist organizations would shoot up tremendously, and any allies we still have would likely abandon us in horror at the breach of the nuclear threshold by the US.
Longer term? We might see the more extremist elements of the Pakistani miltary depose Mussharef and begin to covertly aid Al Qaida, perhaps even providing them with the means to attack the US with nuclear or biological weapons. We would also likely face an oil boycott from OPEC, if merely to satisfy their own populations demand for Jihad against us. We can’t know all the consequences, frankly, but once you unleash nukes on the Middle East, a positive result for our national security is the least likely scenario.
It just occurred to me that I don’t have a response to this diary. I would be beyond outrage if it ever happened. I’m off to ponder this nightmarish scenario.
Steven, you have a really good handle on the “blowback” from such an utterly insane prospect.
If something that horrific happened, we will have to hit the streets.
This has to end. And soon. We won’t survive otherwise. Our children will be doomed.
What smacked me right in the face is that Cheney is saying this not the president in charge of this country. logically then I must accept the fact that bush is really a puppet and cheney is really calling the shots after all.
now hear this…….. we have to kill two birds with one stone in the plamegate…do you understand me?…
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CAIRO, Egypt – A police official in Sharm el-Sheik said at least 25 were killed, and 110 wounded in multiple explosions targeting the Ghazala Gardens and Movenpick hotels in Naama Bay and the Old Market area nearby. Other officials in Sharm said there may have been as many as seven blasts: three in Naama Bay and four in the market.
[36 persons died according to news reports – Ed]
See diary
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Hi Qui…was over at Eurotrib when you had just posted this..my comment there basically says that the Iraq invasion has unleashed Pandora’s Box of Horrors..and are we safer yet georgie? This is a nightmare.
Remember that Scott Ritter said bushco was going to attack Iran in June…well it’s past June but that doesn’t make me feel any better especially after reading this.
Is there no pretense anymore that Cheney is running things?
Well, we need a terrorist attack HERE first. Maybe London is a warm-up exercise.
OMG Susan, I hope you are wrong here on that one. Remember what Tommy Franks said about another attack on us here while bush is in contorl of this country!
I’ve been thinking these have been some deadly practice runs from the start.
CRINGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish I could say this suprised me.
Armageddon days are here … again.
anyone else right now…we have no one to fight any more of Bush’s wars. They are already drafting grandparents, giving no breaks to our limited soilder’s that are over in Iraq. We have no National Guard here to protect us at home in case…just in case we need them. Hey Dick..What if you had a war and nobody showed up from our side. Cheneys an ass who is on the brink of being indicted..fuck him. Traitor.
Wonderful post, Chamonix1. You’re so rational. Sadly, they’re not.
see that you don’t actually have to “fight” a nuclear war. You don’t need to deploy “boots on the ground”.
A small group of stealth bombers driven by indoctrinated warmongers; all they have to do is launch the weaponry and it’s all downhill from there.
And of course, Cheney & Co have already proven they have no inclination to plan for the aftermath of such things. They are so rooted in their own delusions of grandeur, of empire, that they just assume their attacks will provide them the desired result. They can’t be bothered about anyone else. Their first and last allegiance is to themselves; the best interests of the country never enter into their insane calculus.
….but, but then again,,,,they can not go in after the oil with all the radiation around to spoil the working of the area. They better think twice on this one, with nuking Iran.
your point about the oil and radiation makes perfect sense. With the Cheney gang, however, even if the oil is inaccessible to them, the fact that access is denied to their competitors as well still allows them to justify their attack.
For Cheney & Co, they’re interested in the oil as an instrument of power over others, not as a source of fuel. Their fractured rationale is that of a petulant, disturbed gang of adolescent psychopaths; “If we can’t have it, no one can have it!”
Keeping China and the EU and India and whoever else from challenging Cheney empire supremacy is far more important to these maniacs than whether they seize enough oil to keep the American consumer society going for an extra 20 years.
They are not rational human beings, and we are well served to remember that.
Iran, if it has any nukes would surely use them against American Forces in the Gulf.
It ain’t nukes that’s scaring the generals and admirals. It’s the hundreds and hundreds of anti-ship missiles that Iran bought from the Chinese, NATO designation SN22 “Sunburn”, Russian designation “3M82 Mosquito”.
I refer you to my article here, which while it is about China, Iran owns hundreds of these.
Before you tell me about Iran’s pathetic Navy (pathetic or not, it’s successfully attacked the US navy several times in the Persian Gulf in the 80’s), look at a physical map of Iran and you will see the coastline is rugged mountains, perfect for hiding Sunburn missile launchers.
You want to see global meltdown? Try having all the no oil tankers being able to sail in the Persian Gulf for a day, week, month or year. Anyone remember exactly why Kuwaiti oil tankers used to be flagged with Old Glory?
Pax
Laura Rozen and War & Piece noted this article too … she cautioned it’s just a plan, and the U.S. does prepare plans as a matter of prudent preparation.
But, can you imagine Cheney/gang actually doing something like this if there were another major terrorist attack in the U.S.?
It’s utterly inconceivable to all of us here, I’m sure. But are they actually looking for such an opportunity?
The blowback would be massive. Iran, if it has any nukes would surely use them against American Forces in the Gulf.
Forget Iran; if the United States makes a preemptive, unprovoked nuclear attack on another country, then it becomes the enemy of God and man. If there is a clear dividing line between good and evil, that’s it. The entire world would turn against us.
Of course, that may be exactly what the nutjob millenialists in the White House want.
I can’t even open your diary at Daily Kos… are there any posts there we should see?
I don’t know. There are so many I can’t keep up frankly.