U.S. military official: U.S.-Iran tensions could trigger accidental war

[sabra]

http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/56101.html

<snip>

A U.S. military official here likened the current U.S.-Iran standoff to the buildup in hostility in Europe before World War I, when a duke's assassination triggered a tragic war that engulfed a continent.

"A mistake could be made and you could end up in something that neither side ever really wanted, and suddenly it's August 1914 all over again," the U.S. officer said on condition of anonymity, because of the sensitivity of the issue. "I really believe neither side wants a fight."

...


Iranian coast guard vessels recently veered into territorial waters on the Arab side of the Persian Gulf, an event that could have been viewed as either a mistake or a provocation, the U.S. officer said. Both sides are on tenterhooks.

"You see little things. A boat crosses a line. Like their coast guard. But what does it mean? You've got to be very careful about overreacting," the officer said in an interview on a U.S. base in Qatar. "It's a problem. It certainly makes Gen. Abizaid's job a lot more complicated."

[Kagemusha]

1. What does this person mean, "that neither side wanted"?

Bush's not exactly being subtle here.

[Theres-a]

2. Accidental?

ACCIDENTAL?!:puke:

[dogman]

3. Nothing accidental here.

See PNAC.

[leveymg]

4. That is a real danger.

Lose-Lose and then it spreads into a regional conflageration: Lose-Lose-Lose-Lose, then it escalates again . . .

Who comes out ahead on this one? Russia, if they don't get nuked. Norway, perhaps? I know, Mexico, when oil goes to $100/barrel. Quick, retarget some of those warheads. The Mexicans are coming!

[Shipwack]

5. Actually, the Iranian Coast Guard has been doing this for a while...

When I was stationed in Bahrain last year and had to monitor situation reports you saw them approaching various boundaries a few times a week. They'd approach, get hailed, information would get exchanged, they'd go away.

Nothing unusual or unexpected, and probably on purpose, testing out our response procedures... ::shrug::

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. ROTFLMGDAO! Accidental? Good one!

:silly: :rofl: :spank: :cry:

[tk2kewl]

10. Whoopsie...

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. Indeed! Mushroom cloud=smoking gun?

Hell on Earth=GW bu$h!

[AliceWonderland]

7. Yes, this is clearly the way they are playing it -- a war will not be declared per se

(Putting aside the fact that the executive branch can't declare a war.)

We will find ourselves "inevitably drawn" into a "necessary but accidental" conflict.

It might resonate a bit more if the hack and flacks hadn't been leaking the Iran meme for so long now.

[helderheid]

8. It would be no accident. Get that homicidal maniac out of office NOW!

[yellowcanine]

9. Well my brother used to have a phrase, "accidentially on purpose"

[seemslikeadream]

11. Now where have I heard that before?

Let it happen accidentially on purpose

:hi:

[gratuitous]

12. "Neither side wants a fight"

That anonymous officer really should check into what his commander in chief is saying if he really thinks that the crooked administration he's serving doesn't want a fight with Iran. It doesn't matter if it's a misunderstanding, an overreaction or some damn thing in the Balkans, Bush and his crooked cabal need to expand hostilities to Iran. Doesn't anyone know how a Ponzi scheme works anymore? You have to have a fresh, never-ending supply of suckers for it to keep going and bringing in the money, otherwise, you get to that uncomfortable day of reckoning and the masterminds have to go to prison.

Now shut up you lot, keep waving your flags and keep marching off to die so that George W. Bush isn't embarrassed. That's what you all volunteered for, isn't it? No? Well, that's the mission now, so don't countermand your illegal orders or someone might call you a traitor. A traitor to what? Well, that's classified. Just follow orders.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Whoopsie! Just an "accident". 19 million dead in WWI.

Oh, well, everybody has "accidents".

[kestrel91316]

14. Accidental needs to be in quotes. If it happens, there won't be ANYTHING

"accidental" about it.

[Postman]

15. "Accident" my ass. Get the hell away from Iran and there won't be any "accidents"

YOU travel thousands of miles across the globe to occupy a country and then YOU complain that a neighboring country is getting involved and that there might be an "accident"?????