Does Ritter *know* we will attack Iran in June?

[JHBowden]

Is Ritter speculating, or does have solid sources? If the latter, who gave him the information?

[Sydnie]

1. He said it was a reliable source that he would not name

Sure sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

[Maddy McCall]

2. Wha.....?

I've been away from DU all day. What have I missed?

[Nickster]

4. Scott Ritter was on AAR saying that

Dubya has signed orders to start bombing Iran in June of this year. He said that * signed those orders in October of last year.

[Nickster]

3. I was just listening to him with Sam Seder

He said he had unimpeachable sourceS, which he wouldn't name. Remember, this is the guy that was talking about how there would be a major insurgency and that we would be pretty much in the situation we are in now PRIOR to the war in Iraq. I believe Ritter and it sends chills up my spine to hear him say that he knows Dubya signed the orders already. We've all seen this gameplan before, why does anybody even question it? Hell, based on what we see in the news, we should be able to predict the date and time as well as it moves along the Iraq timeline.

[T Roosevelt]

5. And don't forget, Sy Hersh said pretty much the same thing

whether it's the same source or not, I don't know. But both have been too right on too many things...

[Nickster]

8. OMG, how could I have forgotten that??

You are totally correct, Sy Hersh did say that on John Stewart's show. I guess I tuned it out because we all pretty much know it's a foregone conclusion.

[teryang]

6. The retaliation scenario he mentioned was interesting

...and somewhat expected. He talked about Iran's capability to export terrorism, the probable immediate impact on American troops in Iraq, and missile attacks on Israel.

I only caught the last few minutes.

I would expect a more injurious response of a conventional nature. If Iran were blocked from oil markets by our control of the sea, why would they not return the favor? This is the trump card. Iran doesn't want to be cut off from its markets. Neither does the rest of the world.

This is what the current diplomacy with the EU is all about. Yet if Iran were subject to a blockade, what further need of restraint would there be? There are far more significant targets closer at hand across the gulf. In fact, compared to these targets, attacking Israel is a wasted gesture.

Who is more acclimated to economic hardship? The US and the advanced nations of the west?

[K-W]

7. More injurius?

How so?

And since when was Isreal not the #1 target of Iran?

[teryang]

10. I don't want to give anyone advice

But there are far choicer targets closer to Iran with much greater significance.

Striking Israel is mostly a gesture. It is of little military impact. The limited offensive capability that Iran has would do much more harm elsewhere.

[K-W]

12. Dont worry, you wont be.

What are you referring to?

I think it is rather obvious that they would go after Isreal.

[teryang]

13. Obvious and ineffective n/t

[K-W]

9. He claims that he knows.

Its up to you on whether you trust him...

Ritter hasnt been wrong about much.

[rzemanfl]

11. Ritter was absolutely right about Iraq, Bush was either absolutely

wrong or just lying his head off. October to June seems a long time, but big bombing campaigns take time to organize. Do any DU'ers live near bomb factories or major rail junctions where they could scope this out? I assume that for Iran they would be making big GPS or laser guided bombs that bombers would drop rather than the smaller ones fighters are dropping in Iraq. This would not be a small undertaking. I have a Master's Degree in History suitable for framing and wrote a paper on the Linebacker and Linebacker II bombings in Vietnam. They were big deals, people hot-bunking on three shifts, thousands of people involved, ships and ships full of bombs.

How the hell do they think they can stop the Iranian army from going into Iraq if a war starts? I suppose they could threaten to nuke them, Bush isn't above that.

I wouldn't plan any long trips by car in June.

[Disturbed]

14. Iran doesn't have operatives in the U.S,..

that will give Iran a heads of of an impending attack?

I can imagine Iranian and Syrian troops swarming ito Iraq after missles have hit the major U.S. bases there.

What would the Iraqi Shi'tes do?

What would the Cinese and Russians do?

The gulf being a massive flame of raining missles and sub torpedoes. A war on four fronts for the U.S. Are the Bush Junta this insane? Yes!!!