There’s a curious nerve jolting article in the Sunday Telegraph, UK The article goes into some detail that Bush is …quite determined. Could he?
“Government in secret talks about strike against Iran”
It is followed by an immediate denial carried by the BBC,
“MoD denies Iran military meeting”
more below
What could be the true purpose of this well placed article? Pressure on the Iranians to help out in Iraq?
Or are these leaks intended to alert an already war weary world on another upcoming mis-adventure? Can’t help noticing it’s published as Rice is in a reciprocal visit with Jack Straw, a visit reportedly more personal than official.
From the Sunday Telegraph:
The Government is to hold secret talks with defence chiefs tomorrow [Monday] to discuss possible military strikes against Iran.
It is believed that an American-led attack, designed to destroy Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear bomb, is “inevitable” if Teheran’s leaders fail to comply with United Nations demands to freeze their uranium enrichment programme.
Tomorrow’s meeting will be attended by Gen Sir Michael Walker, the chief of the defence staff, Lt Gen Andrew Ridgway, the chief of defence intelligence and Maj Gen Bill Rollo, the assistant chief of the general staff, together with officials from the Foreign Office and Downing Street.[..]
The United States government is hopeful that the military operation will be a multinational mission, but defence chiefs believe that the Bush administration is prepared to launch the attack on its own or with the assistance of Israel, if there is little international support. British military chiefs believe an attack would be limited to a series of air strikes against nuclear plants – a land assault is not being considered at the moment.
But confirmation that Britain has started contingency planning will undermine the claim last month by Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, that a military attack against Iran was “inconceivable”.
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, insisted, during a visit to Blackburn yesterday, that all negotiating options – including the use of force – remained open in an attempt to resolve the crisis.[..]
[t]he thinking among the chiefs is that military action could be taken to bring an end to the crisis. The belief in some areas of Whitehall is that an attack is now all but inevitable.
There will be no invasion of Iran but the nuclear sites will be destroyed. This is not something that will happen imminently, maybe this year, maybe next year. Jack Straw is making exactly the same noises that the Government did in March 2003 when it spoke about the likelihood of a war in Iraq.
“Then the Government said the war was neither inevitable or imminent and then attacked.”[..]
(emphasis added)
Where is the truth as 2003 repeats?
From the BBC
“Reports that military officers will meet government officials on Monday to discuss possible military action against Iran have been denied.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said there was no truth whatsoever in the claims, made in the Sunday Telegraph [..]
But BBC Defence Correspondent Paul Wood said US plans for a possible strike are thought to be at an advanced stage.
Within the BBC’s article there’s this inset quote:
“There is well sourced and persistent speculation that American covert activities aimed at Iran are already underway” – Paul Wood
(.emphasis added)
What are the options for Iran? We have seen the same script taking us to war in Iraq being repeated. So here goes Iran.
Pepe Escobar writing in the Asia Times –“What they think in Tehran” finds that “Any foreign threat” such as the ones issued by Rice and Bolton “will backfire”
One can only imagine the consequences of a military strike.
