Washington Post confirms Hersh on U.S. plans to nuke Iran

[kpete]

U.S. Is Studying Military Strike Options on Iran
Any Mix of Tact, Threats Alarms Critics

By Peter Baker, Dafna Linzer and Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, April 9, 2006; A01

The Bush administration is studying options for military strikes against Iran as part of a broader strategy of coercive diplomacy to pressure Tehran to abandon its alleged nuclear development program, according to U.S. officials and independent analysts.

No attack appears likely in the short term, and many specialists inside and outside the U.S. government harbor serious doubts about whether an armed response would be effective. But administration officials are preparing for it as a possible option and using the threat "to convince them this is more and more serious," as a senior official put it.

According to current and former officials, Pentagon and CIA planners have been exploring possible targets, such as the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and the uranium conversion facility at Isfahan. Although a land invasion is not contemplated, military officers are weighing alternatives ranging from a limited airstrike aimed at key nuclear sites, to a more extensive bombing campaign designed to destroy an array of military and political targets.

Preparations for confrontation with Iran underscore how the issue has vaulted to the front of President Bush's agenda even as he struggles with a relentless war in next-door Iraq. Bush views Tehran as a serious menace that must be dealt with before his presidency ends, aides said, and the White House, in its new National Security Strategy, last month labeled Iran the most serious challenge to the United States posed by any country.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/08/AR2006040801082_pf.html
via:http://thismodernworld.com/2822

[Liberty Belle]

1. Bush is insane.

[WiseButAngrySara]

3. Please, that excuses him. He is grotesquely evil. ....n/t

[AllieB]

2. Bush is like a crazed Roman emperor and inbred Hapsburg king

rolled up into one.

I really think he's certifiable.

[Olney Blue]

4. How do we know what is true anymore?

:shrug:

[oasis]

5. Gotta get those approval numbers back up ya' know. Where's congress

on this?

[lostexpectation]

6. US in Iran already

is sy hersh previous article he said the US was already in Iranian airspace surveying Iran for targets he seem to expand on that.

[Earth_First]

20. For nearly a year now... n/t

[hlthe2b]

7. Good God...

This scares the living shit out of me.....

[TomInTib]

8. "part of a broader strategy of coercive diplomacy "

I'll bet someone stayed up all night conjuring up that one.

[radwriter0555]

9. It's not going to happen. This is wag the dog. Distract from the crimes by

ratcheting up the fear, lies and rhetoric.

My prediction is that they will get *THIS* close to 'war with iran" then stage some massive diplomatic coup to make them appear all kind, wise and benevolent.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. They are NOT rational thinkers...they will do anything.

[radwriter0555]

17. That's not a logical position. You see, they can't "do anything". There

are people who are capable of stopping them.

They just have to be fed up to HERE with it, and bush has NO quarter other than rove, cheney and rumsfeld. He has no backers in the PNAC any longer, they've long since left the ship.

This is a series of percussion grenades to distract from the crimes and treason.

[Sufi Marmot]

13. I kind of agree...

I'm thinking this is disinfo designed to spook Iran. I wonder if some intel community officials called in some favors with Hersh (or told him what he wanted to hear) and got him to write the article. On the other hand, I have no doubt that the Pentagon has drawn up attack plans - that's what the Pentagon does.

[radwriter0555]

18. This isn't even designed to spook iran, it's designed to spook AMERICANS.

This is a purely rovian ploy, the sleight of hand, like when he punked everyone last week on the bogus immigration bill.

[sandnsea]

15. No, the Generals will revolt

This is as stupid as it gets.

[Jim Sagle]

10. Here's an illustration of what will happen (2nd row, lefthand side).

[TexasLawyer]

12. yes, and war is an absolute last resort

We're trying very hard to resolve things diplomatically. No one wants war, after all.

Where have we heard THAT before? We know from so many sources, including the Downing Street Memos, what absolute hogwash these promises were.

[sandnsea]

14. In their delusional bubble

This is not going to happen. Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld may be yukkin' it up over nuking Iran, but that's as far as it's going to go. No way the military will go along with this, I would bet you'd see the first high level refusal to follow an order. This is pure insanity.

[librechik]

19. they will find military to support their idiocy. They found Tommy Franks

and he lied, committed war crimes and very likely helped steal during the Iraq invasion.

The military probably won't stand up on this one. though opposed. They follow orders, ultimately.

[RagingInMiami]

16. "coercive diplomacy"

It's 1984 all over again.

[stray cat]

21. Didn't we have plans for a first strike against the USSR?

I think we have a lot of contingency plans that are simply exercises just in case. I'm not convinced this is any different. I think Bush wanted this to get out so it would look like a serious threat to Iran.