I have to say that all I thought when I first heard these reports was "so what?" I was surprised that people would think that the US wouldn't have military plans for action against Iran, including the use of Nuclear weapons. But then Hersh wasn't exactly talking about planning.
I especially like the thought that this is just psychological warfare. Iran even views it that way.
Then there are the tin-foilers going to ground on the issue:
Writing in the New Yorker magazine, investigative journalist Seymor Hersh said according to a single, unnamed source, the White House wants to keep not only a 'military' option on the table, but a nuclear one as well.Note that un-named source. Got to love those. Messianic? Would it be out of line to call Hersh 'melodramatic?""There are many people in the administration who think the President and the vice-president and others in the so-called neo-conservative White House want this and that they think it's almost messianic," says Seymor Hersh.
I especially like the thought that this is just psychological warfare. Iran even views it that way.
"We consider military strike planning (against Iran) as psychological warfare stemming from America's anger and failures," observes Hamid Reza Asefi, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman.But then they have to, since they fell all over themselves when Regan came to office to return the embassy hostages. Can't be looking weak like that again. I like the 'anger and failures' thing. Makes them sound potent.
Then there are the tin-foilers going to ground on the issue:
"That is another example of the move-from-the-hip, shoot-from-the-hip cowboy diplomacy of this administration," blasts Senator John Kerry, a 2004 Presidential candidate.Good John, Good. Posture for the 2008 election. You have a snowballs chance in hell. But keep the gums flapping.
2 comments:
Both sides of this kerfluffle have made me crazy. But the worst came from Bush when he said, "No, we don't have any plans for invading Iran." WHAT? You better have them. I said to the wife, and then heard Krauthammer say the same thing on Brit Hume, we better have plans for invading Canada, let alone Iran.
This one is pretty maddening. Listening to NPR this morning they had a long segment on it. Right in the middle of the segment they get a military person on (prior & after were pundits at various think tanks) who says, why would we use nuclear when the most effective way would be to launch multiple air strikes so that we bomb the facility them keep bombing the recovery crews, thereby eleminating their educated operators as they try to retain and/or recover the assets that we buried with convential explosives. NPR editors had the sense to include these statments, but couldn't seem to get them completely into their forebrains as we kept hearing about the EVIL nuclear weapons.
I think Kerry would look great in the Slim Pickins part, riding it down onto the Mullahs. At least he'd finally get his Hollywood star-wish, and he'd go away.
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