US GENERALS WILL QUIT IF BUSH ATTACKS IRAN

[stefan segal]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1434540.ece


US generals ‘will quit’ if Bush orders Iran attackMichael Smith and Sarah Baxter, Washington
SOME of America’s most senior military commanders are prepared to resign if the White House orders a military strike against Iran, according to highly placed defence and intelligence sources.

Tension in the Gulf region has raised fears that an attack on Iran is becoming increasingly likely before President George Bush leaves office. The Sunday Times has learnt that up to five generals and admirals are willing to resign rather than approve what they consider would be a reckless attack.

“There are four or five generals and admirals we know of who would resign if Bush ordered an attack on Iran,” a source with close ties to British intelligence said. “There is simply no stomach for it in the Pentagon, and a lot of people question whether such an attack would be effective or even possible.”

A British defence source confirmed that there were deep misgivings inside the Pentagon about a military strike. “All the generals are perfectly clear that they don’t have the military capacity to take Iran on in any meaningful fashion. Nobody wants to do it and it would be a matter of conscience for them.

Background
A giant and scary leap
Nuclear power poker
Proving Iran’s WMD
The Iranian paradox: to gain victory the West must first concede defeat
“There are enough people who feel this would be an error of judgment too far for there to be resignations.”

A generals’ revolt on such a scale would be unprecedented. “American generals usually stay and fight until they get fired,” said a Pentagon source. Robert Gates, the defence secretary, has repeatedly warned against striking Iran and is believed to represent the view of his senior commanders.

The threat of a wave of resignations coincided with a warning by Vice-President Dick Cheney that all options, including military action, remained on the table. He was responding to a comment by Tony Blair that it would not “be right to take military action against Iran”.

[exarmyranger]

Yo Stefan,"What difference does it make to the dead" Fuck P.M.Tony Blair,what the U.K.needs is another Churchill!I'm not going to get started on my opinion of our V.P. Deadeye Dick Cheney.Have any of these Generals/Admirals came forward in name? If not,then I must view thier alledged statements as second hand,and therefore inadmissible...t/c ex

[stefan segal]

Ex...to telegraph this particular punch is a bad career move so it would be stupid to do more at this point than a shot accross the bow.

But in the link, was firther indication of who and and how much weight they carry...posted below:

Stefan
================================================== ========
link and author same as above.


But General Peter Pace, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said recently there was “zero chance” of a war with Iran. He played down claims by US intelligence that the Iranian government was responsible for supplying insurgents in Iraq, forcing Bush on the defensive.

Pace’s view was backed up by British intelligence officials who said the extent of the Iranian government’s involvement in activities inside Iraq by a small number of Revolutionary Guards was “far from clear”.

Hillary Mann, the National Security Council’s main Iran expert until 2004, said Pace’s repudiation of the administration’s claims was a sign of grave discontent at the top.

“He is a very serious and a very loyal soldier,” she said. “It is extraordinary for him to have made these comments publicly, and it suggests there are serious problems between the White House, the National Security Council and the Pentagon.”

[Linkster]

I tend to think that all of that talk was just sword rattling - the US is going to be in joint talks with Iran, Syria and others in March about the situation in Iraq - they wouldnt do that if they truly intended to attack
More important is that Bush needs a way out of Iraq before the end of his presidency - he has that "legacy" he worries so much about to preserve - link to the article about the talks: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/27/washington/27cnd-diplo.html?hp

[stefan segal]

You mean he needs more than a destroyed USA to be remembered? I'd like to remember him as the first US president to be legally exicuted.

Stefan

[exarmyranger]

Ex...to telegraph this particular punch is a bad career move so it would be stupid to do more at this point than a shot accross the bow.:cool: I agree it is "never" a good move to telegraph any punch...And exceptionally stupid when the intended recipient is expecting,waiting,and ready for it.

But in the link, was firther indication of who and and how much weight they carry...posted below:

Stefan
================================================== ========
link and author same as above.


But General Peter Pace, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said recently there was “zero chance” of a war with Iran. He played down claims by US intelligence that the Iranian government was responsible for supplying insurgents in Iraq, forcing Bush on the defensive.

Pace’s view was backed up by British intelligence officials who said the extent of the Iranian government’s involvement in activities inside Iraq by a small number of Revolutionary Guards was “far from clear”.

Hillary Mann, the National Security Council’s main Iran expert until 2004, said Pace’s repudiation of the administration’s claims was a sign of grave discontent at the top.

“He is a very serious and a very loyal soldier,” she said. “It is extraordinary for him to have made these comments publicly, and it suggests there are serious problems between the White House, the National Security Council and the Pentagon.”:banghead: I did not say it is'nt true Stefan,I was only pointing out "The Fact" that it was/is secondhand...Did you not ever play that game in grade school,where the teacher writes down a simple discriptive sentence,then has one kid up in the front row,read it then whisper whatever it said to the kid behind:gossip:then the 2nd kid whispers it to the 3rd kid....till all but the last kid have passed along the info,and when told to write down what had been whispered to him.The original,desciptive sentence,was berift of it's content,within the final sentence...Just curious.t/c ex