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Politics : Impeach George W. Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bentway who wrote (53020)	2/4/2006 9:48:58 AM
From: ChinuSFO	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 93284

When the world acts as a body, then there is a chance for success. Bush's Iraq disaster is the result of his unilateral actions. On Iran, US has been sidelined and all the superpowers are acting in consort. I have a greater hope of success on Iran than on Iraq. I echo Howard Dean's statement that Iraq is unwinnable since it does not have the backing of all the world superpowers. Nuclear agency votes to report Iran to U.N. Council Sat Feb 4, 2006 6:09 AM ET7 By Mark Heinrich and Francois Murphy VIENNA (Reuters) - The board of the U.N. nuclear watchdog voted on Saturday to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council because of suspicions it is trying to make atomic weapons, a diplomat who was in the session said. ...contd at today.reuters.com Another one at: msnbc.msn.com

To: bentway who wrote (53020)	2/4/2006 10:18:28 AM
From: sea_biscuit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93284

I think you are overestimating the capabilities of the Iranian forces and also overlooking the massive airpower of the US, much of which has not been used in Iraq. That airpower can be used to take out most of the Iranian armed forces, missile sites, communications and even industrial infrastructure. If it also happens to kill tens of thousands of Iranians, do you think the American people care? Well, you and I and a few others might, but by and large, Americans do not. That is the sad truth. You also think that the US government is concerned about how stressed its troops are -- they are not concerned. As long as they can keep the casualty rate to about two a day (which the American public seems to be comfortable with) they don't care a fig about our soldiers dying needlessly there. Some think that the prospects for increased instability in Iraq might deter the US, but it does not. Instability in the region is the perfect excuse for staying there and building massive military bases. As long as the Iraqi government is weak and indecisive and depends on the US forces for its very survival, the US government doesn't care if ordinary Iraqis are getting killed or maimed or tortured or if there is a civil war. I think Iran will get rolled over so fast that for many anti-war folks, it will come as a shock, a kind of Iraq II, if you will. If Iran stays in the fight for more than a couple of weeks, I will be surprised. However, just like in Iraq, the real problems will begin only after "Mission Accomplished II". It remains to be seen at what point the vast majority of the Americans will say "Enough is enough" and it also remains to be seen how far the government will go in suppressing dissent at that time.

To: bentway who wrote (53020)	2/6/2006 12:10:43 PM
From: sea_biscuit	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 93284

Btw, if you remember, Iran and Iraq battled each other for 8+ years before settling for a draw. And Iran regarded even the weakened Saddam in the late 90's all the way up to 2003, as a "formidable" regional rival. That should give you an idea of where Iran's military prowess stands... The attack on Iran will leave the anti-war folks who expect Iran to fight back mightily, with egg on their face. If you want to oppose a war on Iran, oppose it for the right reasons -- that it is an illegal, immoral and a criminal act on a country that has not attacked us and is in no position even to defend itself when attacked. Having said that, I think that after "Mission Accomplished II", the Revolutionary Guards and other insurgents will dissolve into the crowd, a la the resistance movement in Iraq, and begin a low-intensity insurgency that will slowly bleed us to death over the coming months and years.

To: bentway who wrote (53020)	2/7/2006 3:55:43 PM
From: sea_biscuit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93284

This is why I say that the antiwar folks on this forum are so wrong when they say Iran is so different from Iraq. Article excerpt - Iran's air defenses aren't very strong, so they don't constitute a serious factor. According to the expert, the American air defense systems delivered to Iran back in the 1970s are inoperable through the lack of spare parts. The Russian S-200 systems have the appropriate range but are practically helpless against highly-maneuverable tactical aircraft. The Chinese S-75s are outdated and useless against modern aircraft. Iran bought some short-range Tor systems from Russia recently, but personnel still have to learn to use them. As for the Iranian Air Force, it can't be counted on to put up a serious fight. Helpless to defend its airspace, Iran would resort to its only remaining response: a strike by the Ground Forces. In the direction of Iraq, of course. Khramchikhin says that the US Air Force would wipe out the advancing Iranian columns long before they reach the American troops. Iran has some short-range and mid-range Shihab tactical missiles, modifications of the obsolete Soviet and North Korean Scuds. The experts we approached maintain that the missiles cannot inflict any serious damage on the Americans because they are notoriously imprecise. As yet, Iran lacks the technologies to make high-precision weapons. However, it doesn't mean things will be wonderful for the US in the longer run. Over time, "Mission Accomplished II" will turn out to be as much of a hoax as the one that Dumbya proclaimed on an aircraft carrier three years ago... But the Iranian ayatollahs may deploy an asymmetric answer and incite a Shiite rebellion in Iraq. That would be disastrous for the United States. The Americans haven't even been able to crush the guerrilla resistance of the Sunnis in only three Iraqi provinces... The revolt in Iran could begin spontaneously, without sanction from tribal chieftains or clerics.