I wonder what Iran would actually DO if Bushie started anything with them

[Valerie5555]

eom.

[yinkaafrica]

1. O I think they are ready

They are going to fuck us up beyond belief.
I should think that Russia has them all gussied up.
Remember, Putin has a score to settle.
Many US deaths will ensue.
(And expect your gas to cost five bucks a gallon.)

[Solon]

2. As I said in another thread...

Our troops in Iraq, half dead, or more. Most carriers sunk, Israel will be devastated, and Baghdad will probably be up in smoke. By the end of it, Bush will be responsible for the death of a million or more people.

[Valerie5555]

4. I can't help but wonder if we would all have a reason to envy people like

"nonsurviving former hostages" William Keough, Elizabeth Anne Swift Corin, and Richard Queen who are at least no longer alive to witness the :scared:y implications of what may transpire.

[moodforaday]

3. A scenario

Here's a scenario that seems plausible enough if the journalist did his homework as well as he seems to have:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7147.htm

[da_chimperor]

35. Wow, great article. Thanks for the link

And welcome to DU! :hi:

[zmdem]

5. It would have to be a total take down

If we were to attack Iran. Hence it probably won't happen. If it does however, we'd better do a 100% job, unlike in Iraq.

[Solon]

14. There is no way that we can do that...

For one, a first strike nuclear capability we do not have. It will take 20 minutes for any missle launch to hit targets in Iran. Second, the terrain is mountainous, reducing the effectiveness of our Nuclear Weapons. Now, after we launch, they will have time to retaliate with devastating consequences to our Naval Fleet and forces in Iraq before our missles hit them. Somewhere around a 100,000 of our troops or more will be dead in minutes if they have nuclear weapons, if not, we lose most of the fleet in the Gulf and Bush then officially becomes worst than Hitler and Stalin combined in the amount of people he kills.

[zmdem]

18. Agreed

It will not and should not be done - for both the practical and moral reasons. For the practical reasons, if we were to do it, it would have to be a massive, 100% effort which would be morally repugnant.

[Solon]

22. From a purely practical standpoint...

it would signal our self destruction. All nations we owe debt to will destroy the economy utterly, sanctions, plus any U.S. national caught outside our borders would probably be hanged by their own intestines. All our embassies will be burning, and all ambassadors from other nations will be recalled to their nations. We will run out of oil in a month and a half (Strategic Reserves), and probably be plunged into civil war. Worst case scenario here. Plus our troops in Iraq will either be dead or dying when the insurgency there gain about 10 million recuits from all nations and crush our forces because they would have no support.

[Oversea Visitor]

23. Hello

launching nuke means all country with nuke will launch too. They wont know where the nuke is hitting. They will just know where its coming from.

One nuke wont destroy Iran you need a lot. There is not such thing as a 100% job on Iran unless you launch a lot. Tell me which country will not counter launch with the amount of incoming nuke.

There will be lots of confusion and panic. Lots of people will hit the red button. The more red button press the more will be press.

US cant survive a nuke war with the world.

[Valerie5555]

25. Holy shmoly it may be like that Internet "End Of The World" cartoon

eom.

[NuttyFluffers]

36. launch z missiles!

but i am le tired...

ok, ok. then go take a nap.

THEN FIRE Z MISSILES!

:silly:

[zmdem]

29. HI

The math and science of calculating trajectories is well established, otherwise we wouldn't be able to land missiles where we target them. Sort of like our ability to land a spacecraft on Mars. Russia and China can do the math too.

The countries that would not launch a counter strike against the USA are all of them: Iran because it can't, the rest because Iran just isn't that important to them to risk annihilation. In any case why would Russia, et. al., risk it to defend what used to be Iran ?

A phone call to the leaders twenty minutes in advance would be prudent, esp. if redevelopment and oil contracts were put on the table. I assume you don't suppose that China and Russia really care about Iran ?

[Oversea Visitor]

30. Hahaha

Well I can imagine this all right

"Hello Bush the Chimp here Putin, see I am going to launch 20 nukes at Iran and I am just letting you know that 20 minutes in advance"

Putin pssst tell PA ok buzz all countires US launching 20 nuke claim to only target Iran.

Putin tell Bush, hey can you read me MY PET GOAT while I set my nuke to defcon 5. You know 20 nukes inc in Russia direction not very nice and FRIENDLY and I got like 5000 troops in there so you better back off.

US launch nuke Putin thinking Generals all saying we have now just 10 more seconds to launch, we cant be sure if they targeting US, Putin meanwhile reading my PET GOAT oh 10 secs ......

[don954]

6. ok heres the 1st counter action:

First Iranian counter action: They will light up the gulf with their mobile radar platforms (a gift from Putin) that the US HARM missiles couldn’t find (cause they were off at the time) & fire Russian Sunburn Super-Sonic Cruse Missiles at the US fleet, with a 90% kill rate, as the C&C computers on AGIS cruisers need more time to find a firing solution than super sonic missiles flying 50’ above the water allow.

[Valerie5555]

8. Maybe they can simply defeat the US by praying w./ their prayer rugs to

Allah for successive HABOOBS or desert sandstorms, for look what those weather occurrences did to Carter's hostage rescue raid....................................................

[hector459]

7. I don't think you really want to know.

You can only be a bully for so long before some scrawny kid stands up and smacks you down.

[Valerie5555]

9. Not to mention KICKS your sorry BUTT so HARD you can't sit down.

eom. :D

[shadowknows69]

37. and in this case

scrawny kid=rest of the world

particularly Russia and China who have been working on contingency plans against us (like the sunburn) since the day after the USSR fell.

Oh yeah Europe has probably figured out how to beat us too.

[bobweaver]

10. My Iranian friend says Iran has been quietly preparing for this for years.

[okieinpain]

11. well they damn sure would be crazy if they hadn't prepared since

9/11. to me that is one of the problems with americans right now. many of the bushies think that we can do all of the middle east like we've done iraq.

they all fail to realize that iraq was cut off and isolated. even in the gulf war, they were unable to get supplies and additional help from anyone, that will not be the case with iran. we would probably stand a better chance with nut case in north korea, then going into iran.

[Valerie5555]

12. Here's hoping the Iranian students stay one step ahead of * by

overthrowing the mullahs before * ever got a chance to do so.

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. That sounds about right. They'd be utter fools not to.

Of course, the blivet** admin is proof that governments can indeed be led by utter fools.

The "intelligence" that has been secretly stovepiped to Donny Boy is going to tell him exactly what he wants to hear instead of the truth. I'm sure he's thinking it will be a cakewalk. The Iranians, in his top-secret reports, are doubtless preparing the flowers to welcome us with.

[Nothing Without Hope]

13. Fight back. And not just them, but their allies.

China and others. The blivet**'s cronies aren't the only ones that are interested in the oil, and they won't let him just walk in unopposed. It would be a huge, deadly, colossal disaster and a step towards World War III. Among other things, our deterrent force is much reduced now thanks to the near-destruction of the military by the murderous civilians in DC. But then, some of these people WANT Armageddon.

Besides, they all know that our military and budget are stretched too thin already. As it's put in this cartoon from the Monday issue of AllHatNoCattle.net:

[Valerie5555]

15. LOL I wonder if he'll have to attack Iran with the 101st Octogenarian

World War 2 veteran division. <sarcasm off>

[Nothing Without Hope]

17. I've got some suggestions for DOD civilians that should go

They're so enthusiastic about wars, they should enjoy it. Everyone else can go home while they play with their guns, prance around in fancy uniforms and pause every once in a while to declaim on their manliness. (True, there are indeed reasons to doubt it in their lifetime patterns of cowardly behavior.) The Iranians can put a fence around them and charge for viewing. Maybe they'd consider giving us a cut of the profits.

OK, now I'll try to turn my sarcasm off now too. But it's sure hard, when the alternative is such anger, fear and grief.

[Valerie5555]

21. Maybe if there IS a DRAFT maybe they should DRAFT the Bush twins first

eom.

[Starlight]

24. I think we're rapidly approaching the point where it's a coalition of the

entire world against the US. That would be a *real* coalition of the willing...

[Nothing Without Hope]

41. the actions of the blivet** have certainly given them cause n/t

[wtmusic]

16. 500,000 standing army

another 250K in reserves. They would kick our ass on the ground.

[Valerie5555]

19. And I bet if Bush issues dares like "Bring 'em on" I bet there would also

be PLENTY of willing volunteers to take him up on those dares.

[Hardrada]

26. So I guess we might not get

Our National Guard people back to Iowa. We need them in the spring when it floods. Last year it seemed like we had to have Girl Scout troops and church choirs put sandbags by the Mississippi.

[Valerie5555]

27. I meant there would be PLENTY of willing IRANIAN volunteers.

eom.

[Hardrada]

32. I understood you. What I meant

was because of possible additional battlefronts opening up due to Iranian volunteers etc., our state guard people might be stuck in the Near East while we need them here.

[LynnTheDem]

31. Oh hell ya they would; China alone has enuf warm bodies to throw at us

they'd still be going strong when we were worn out & exhausted & out of ammo (wait...aren't we already out of ammo? And we're buying it now from Tiawan?!) oops.

[jojo54]

28. It's time to move to the mountains

[TWiley]

33. The question is, "what would India and China do?"

evidently, we would be stealing their oil as they have the most recent contracts for it.

In Iraq, we stole the oil destined for some of our allies in Europe, so it was no big deal to BFEE. It is safer to steal from your friends, they are less likely to prosecute.

[ikri]

34. just adding to the doomsday scenarios

Long time lurker, first time write here.

I've a feeling that Iran would simply roll over any US troops that entered the country. Their army is too large and too well equipped to collapse like the Iraqi army.

No matter that many Iranians would like to see an end to the mullahs in Iran, having seen the US approach to democracy over the border in Iraq I doubt they'd be that willing to help an invading force. Nor can the US risk bombing the major cities since that's where the majority of the western sympathizers live.

I'd also add another doomsday scenario to the list. After the majority of the US fleet has been sunk in the gulf & the US land forces are pinned down with no reinforcements likely, Iran simply mobilizes its remaining forces and enters Iraq.

Remember how the US troops would be welcomed into Iraq by civilians throwing flowers at them? Guess what? The only troops that will be seeing flowers thrown at them in Iraq would be the Iranian troops who'd be welcomed into the country as liberators.

[Disturbed]

39. Iran doesn't have missles targeted...

at the U.S. bases in Iraq? Iran doesn't have missles targeted at key Israeli targets? Iran is on high alert. Of course, they would be foolish to attack first but they do have more reasons to do so than the U.S. had with Iraq.

[jakpalmer]

38. Seymour Hersh wrote about that in the New Yorker

THE COMING WARS

by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
What the Pentagon can now do in secret.
Issue of 2005-01-24 and 31
Posted 2005-01-17


Excerpts:

“You can’t be sure after an attack that you’ll get away with it. The U.S. and Israel would not be certain whether all the sites had been hit, or how quickly they’d be rebuilt. Meanwhile, they’d be waiting for an Iranian counter-attack that could be military or terrorist or diplomatic. Iran has long-range missiles and ties to Hezbollah, which has drones—you can’t begin to think of what they’d do in response.”

...

The Administration has been conducting secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran at least since last summer. Much of the focus is on the accumulation of intelligence and targeting information on Iranian nuclear, chemical, and missile sites, both declared and suspected. The goal is to identify and isolate three dozen, and perhaps more, such targets that could be destroyed by precision strikes and short-term commando raids. “The civilians in the Pentagon want to go into Iran and destroy as much of the military infrastructure as possible,” the government consultant with close ties to the Pentagon told me.

...

“They believe that about three-quarters of the potential targets can be destroyed from the air, and a quarter are too close to population centers, or buried too deep, to be targeted,” the consultant said. Inevitably, he added, some suspicious sites need to be checked out by American or Israeli commando teams—in on-the-ground surveillance—before being targeted.

[rman]

40. i've heard Russia and Iran have a mutual defense agreement

-