What Is the Plan If There's Another 9/11?

According to Philip Giraldi, writing in the new issue (not online) of the American Conservative, it's to nuke Iran:

The Pentagon, acting under instructions from Vice President Dick Cheney's office, has tasked the United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM) with drawing up a contingency plan to be employed in response to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States.  The plan includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons.  Within Iran there are more than 450 major strategic targets, including numerous suspected nuclear-weapons-program development sites.  Many of the targets are hardened or are deep underground and could not be taken out by conventional weapons, hence the nuclear option.  As in the case of Iraq, the response is not conditional on Iran actually being involved in the act of terrorism directed against the United States.  Several senior Air Force officers involved in the planning are reportedly appalled at the implications of what they are doing--that Iran is being set up for an unprovoked nuclear attack--but no one is prepared to damage his career by posing any objections.

Umm, could the Emm Ess Emm pick this up?  Especially considering that several of the hardened suspected nuclear-weapons-program development sites are in the middle of Tehran?  So does this mean we are going to nuke the capital of Iran?  And in this case would we parachute in exiles to run the place afterward, or attempt a colonial administration?  What effect would the radioactive fallout have on our decision?

I mean, surely the NYT and WaPo can find a lede here: "US has plan to nuke Tehran if another 9/11."  Can we get at least a bloody story out of this?  Sorry to sound breathless, but the prospect of nuking Tehran is over my breathlessness threshold.  As if we needed another reason to hope there's not a terrorist attack on the U.S...

The current issue of TAC also includes a sharp article by Christopher Layne, arguing that, while failure is pretty much a fait accompli in Iraq, there's failure and then there's failure.  Getting out sooner, as Layne argues, would make failure less detrimental to America.

Say what you will about Pat Buchanan, TAC's a pretty interesting mag, particularly when compared to its intra-right-wing competition.  I mean, honestly, how much do we really need another Sufi partisan article by Stephen Schwartz or another "Aha!  NOW I've found The Connection!" article by Stephen Hayes?

Comments

[daryan]

Ali,

I am also an Iranian and I totally disagree with your scenario.

If Iran was attacked it would mean a declaration of war and the mullahs would whip up the country into a war frenzy and start firing off missiles in all directions plus start attacking American forces in Iraq.

But neither the Americans nor the Israeli's will attack Iran because they know if they do it will mean world wide economic collapse as Iran will definitely attempt to close the Persian Gulf to all shipping. And this is the real deterrent that Iran has, not military retaliation. Stopping the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf is a stronger deterrent than having a couple of nukes.

[daryan]

Ali,

I am also an Iranian and I totally disagree with your scenario.

If Iran was attacked it would mean a declaration of war and the mullahs would whip up the country into a war frenzy and start firing off missiles in all directions plus start attacking American forces in Iraq.

But neither the Americans nor the Israeli's will attack Iran because they know if they do it will mean world wide economic collapse as Iran will definitely attempt to close the Persian Gulf to all shipping. And this is the real deterrent that Iran has, not military retaliation. Stopping the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf is a stronger deterrent than having a couple of nukes.

[Pavel Chichikov]

Reading Dostoevski, Justin?

What worries me, sometimes, is the consequence of a terrorist nuclear detonation in Moscow. The designer of the original Soviet nuclear submarines once remarked to me that if Russia were ever to experience a nuclear attack, the Soviet rocket forces might react in a spasm of blind retributive rage. I have no idea if Russian rocket forces possess any more self-control that the Soviet ones. The Possessed?

[Ali]

Iran's "mullahs" are far more clever than Bush and his gang.

First of all Iran will not risk full-scale confrontation with the US. Iran knows that it does not have the military capability to close the Persian Gulf AND keep it closed. In any conflict with the US our air force will be 50-70% destroyed, our navy 100%, all within a week or less. Throwing a few missiles on Israel is also useless and will just drag them into the conflict.

What will Iran do?

First, as I said Iran will leave the NPT and initiate a full scale atom bomb program.

Second, Iran will throw in a few hundred thousand RPG-7 grenade launchers and a few hundred thousand sniper rifles across the border into Iraq to the hands of the Iraqi resistance - both are items that we produce in the tens of thousands and are very very cheap.

Third, Iran will launch a few hundred short
range missiles against the "Green Zone" in Baghdad, flatenning it, and making it quite "red".

What will happen after all of this? We will have the bomb in 12-18 months, US casualties in Iraq will sky rocket, US military position there will be weakened, and overall, we will come out ahead, while keeping our air force, navy, and strategic installations and infrastructure.

[Martin Fashbaugh]

But why would we bomb Iran? I don't understand. What in the hell is going on? Why Iran? Why? That's why it's so hard to believe you. But Bush is corrupt, that's for sure.

[Trinity]

For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
There Will Be A Missle Strike
On Tehran

The CIA/MOSSAD Will ALL Be There
MI5 &MI6
What a scene!

http://www.team8plus.org/forum_viewtopic.php?9.473.0

http://www.team8plus.org/forum_viewtopic.php?9.473.10

Police shot Brazilian eight times

http://www.team8plus.org/forum_viewtopic.php?9.565.0

SAS Elite Team, Not Police!

http://www.team8plus.org/forum_viewtopic.php?9.565.10

THE HIGH CABAL'S AGENDA'S

[bill]

http://www.prosefights.org/baltimoresun/shanebowman.htm

[Bilderberger]

An attack on Iran by the US and/or Israel would trigger an ugly domino effect.

Moscow and Beijing would intervene, considering how much they have invested in the Iranian oil/natural gas markets, and the certainty that a US invasion or bombing would aim for regime change and, thus, control over Iranian energy resources (which would, naturally, deflect Russian, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, Venezuelan and EU energy interests).

Too, US involvement in a battle with Iran, however long it would take, would possibly give Beijing the window it wants to finally absorb Taiwan once and for all. Japan isn't armed, the US would be caught up on three fronts, and thus China would act on Taiwan, with a firm threat to attack the US mainland should the US forcibly intervene on Taiwan's behalf.

Also, such a mess with Iran could result in losing Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to fundamentalists who are chomping at the bits to overthrow their respective perceived US puppet regimes.

All of the above, or any part of it, would also result on a run on the US dollar by frantic foreign central banks, driving interest rates to the moon and gravely hurting the US economy (nevermind the pangs it would cause in the global energy markets).

Despite the conspicuous stakes, people must realize something: Neoconservatives don't care. Despite the stakes, they'll still "go for broke", just as Hitler did in invading Poland, despite his own army generals warning him against such a move. Neocons draw inspiration from the same ideologies anyway -- Carl Schmitt, Martin Heidegger, et al. They won't hesitate to "go for broke".

The future of global stability revolves around the pivot point that is Iran.

[Nostra Damn Us]

It's happening in the next few weeks. Possibly the 9th of August (the "next 9/11").

Consider, if congress is on vacation, Cheney's got the run of the town. He'll do it, too. He don't care. He's old, stubborn, and narrow minded enough to call in an airstrike on himself. He knows his world is going to soon come crashing down around him, what with all the indictments and damning evidence of broken laws and deception of congress and the american people. He knows the curtain is being pulled aside to expose the machinations of the neocon cabal, of which he is in the center of. Why wouldn't he?

See you on the other side!

[Morpheus]

Has anyone considered the possibility that the Iranians and/or their associates may already have countless WMDs planted on U.S. soil and are ready and able to retaliate on a grand scale if/when America makes the first move? Or am I just being silly?

[Greg Krsak]

Ali,

First of all, American values support your right to maintain very strong anti-American views.

Second, are you familiar with the sensitive material and electrical requirements for either Pu production or U enrichment? There's a reason why I'm asking this:

Assume, as you and I do, that the Americans destroy the Iranian Air Force and Navy within a short time period during a hypothetical American attack or retalliation on Iran. What force base, then, exists to prevent Americans from continuing to destroy the nuclear weapons-supporting industry?

My primary thinking point in this post is to suggest that the Iranians would only be able to support a research-to-prototype nuclear weapons program with their industry operating unopposed, militarily. Additionally, in such a situation, strategic deployment would be impossible and tactical positioning would be difficult.

You appear to oppose America's presence in Iraq, and I don't really care about that. Please consider that, at a minimum, the truth may lie somewhere between your view and the views of your traditional political adversaries.

Yes, maybe there was some shady justification going into Iraq. No, we aren't making things worse than they were; history books will echo this in the next decade, I believe.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you are.

[Just an assessment maker]

IMHO, oil tankers queued up at the Straights of Hormuz (waiting for minesweepers to do their job) can be turned into the world's largest Molotov cocktails. Silkworm missiles, anybody?

[madame karnak]

You know, this whole crew is sort of like the gang that could not shoot straight. They have these grandious visions (that obviously only they can see) and not even a scintilla of the ability required to fulfill them. Even more to the point, they refuse to hire people who can. Those who said that Bush hires competence? Guess again! Now we know why the Rangers were successful, he did not hire any of the staff.

If they try to nuke some country, not only would I abhor it for the wanton destruction of precious human life, but also because in some secret corner of my mind, I'd be worried that the boys who can't figure out what they actually know how to do, would have drawn the nav charts and the bombs intended for somewhere would fall here or on one of our few remaining allies.

MK

[barrett]

why not just let the children of the world vote on it

[barrett]

why not just let the children of the world vote on it

[Frank]

Bloody? Did you actually use the British term "Bloody"?
You are obviously just another hedge-hog loving wuss boy who only knows how to wave the white flag of surrender.

[Frank]

Bloody? Did you actually use the British term "Bloody"?
You are obviously just another hedge-hog loving wuss boy who only knows how to wave the white flag of surrender.

[Ames Tiedeman]

The Iranian nuclear facilities should be nuked...

[Fuck Iran]

Those pieces of shit deserve anything they get. Those morons ELECTED a belligerent, war mongering anti-semite. This is because they want to exterminate Jews and any non-muslims. You would hardly be able to use the term 'innocent victim' in any conflict with this wortless 'nation'.

[concerned citizen]

Use hundreds of warheads. Fuck 'em. Give the rest of the world something to think about. Russia or China bitch about the fallout? Fuck them too.

[slapshot]

The assholes have been behind world terrorism since Jimmy Carter became their prison bitch. The only thing these schmucks understand is overwhelming force. They hit us, we wipe them out. No hesitation No regrets This will get you liberal pussies going: The only good raghead is a nuked raghead.

These lowlifes are like rabid dogs put em down hard.

The only thing I hope is we coat all our nukes with lard

[Exil Iranian]

We the people of Iran are praying everyday to kick those brutal bastards Arab of Mullahs out of the country.
You pacifist fools know nothing about those brutal Mullahs in Iran.
Those people are raping the country since 27 years.
There is no other way to free the country except a massive military strike with the allies of the NATO.
Important is to negotiate with China and Russia for not supporting (Military support) the regime in a case of war.

So we would even kiss the feets of Mr.Cheney if there will be a US-Strike on Iran to free the country.
There is no other way except a military strike.
Inside the country there is no opposition.
They have everything under control.
They have constructed a system like in the Nazi-era.

They have the Revolutionary Guard.
The Basijis, Ansare Hizbollah & the Savama.
They have so many intelligent services.
They have learned from Stasi of the DDR.
They are like the SS.
They are killerkommandos.
They people can´t go out and demonstrate like in other democratic country. They would be killed under machine Gun.
This is Black-Dictatorship(religion dictatorship) worst than a military dictatorship.
I know what I am talking about.
The only way to talk with those bastards is
to shoot them dead!
The peolpe of Iran want a free democratic secular country!
Help us!
Make the Strike possible as soon as possible before iran gets the Bomb.
We only have 5-6 years.
Time is running.
Help the people of iran!

The people of iran know that the USA is only interested on the oil but for us the freedom
is much important.

Bring us our democracy and our King Reza Pahlawi back!

[Franky]

The Iranians are now encircled, anybody with basic millitary knowledge knows what we are doing in Iraq. Now when the destruction of the mullahs start, the innocent Iranians who do not wish to fight will be able to leave east or west to safer grounds...same for our downed pilots. This will be a war waged by Subs and planes, and lots of low flying helicopter rescue operations (i'm sure iran can shoot down more planes iraq did). Romanian secret service has been saying they know OBL is in Iran for quite a while now, near Rasht I think. And those orange suit starving faggots in camp x-ray have all one thing in common...at some point they got their passport stamped in Iran or admited passing trough on their way to Afghanistan.

Lots of folks think Americans are stupid or trigger happy...but I think they have a great plan. Just as the defeated Japan and Germany they will defeat Iran.

Saying this is to steal oil is what you'd expect a child or ignorant fool to say. The U.S. pays for oil, then expect the money to be used to help the sellers country. Coutries like China will give you a shitload of old missiles for it...but that doesn't help the little guy in that country feed his family or build hospitals and clean water installations. Some countries don't fucking care about people, they'll sign contracts for cheap oil with guys like Saddam knowing fully that their paying it cheaper. Do people know Saddam offered alot, ALOT of oil to the Americans after they invaded Kuwait...thinking they would close an eye on the situation. I will forever respect the U.S. for what it did back then, telling Saddam "no deal gringo...now get the fuck out of Kuwait".

[ted]

NO YOU IDIOTS, REMEMBER VIETNAM AND IRAQ, YOU AMERICANS ARE A DISASTER. IRAN WILL F*** THE AMERICANS THAT THEY WILL NEVER WILL SAY "IRAN" AGAIN. PLUS WHAT IS IT TO YOU GUYS THAT WE OVERTHREW THE SHAH? ALLL IRAN WANTED WAS TO GET THE SHAH BACK, BUT DUMMY CARTER WOULD NOT DO IT. AMERICA OVERTHREW IRAN'S DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRIME MINISTER IN 1953, AND AMERICA OVERTHREW AND PLACED THE BRUTAL SHAH IN POWER TO GET OIL.WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND, AND THAT IS WHAT OCCURED IN 1979. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE ANY LEADER WE WANT, IRAN DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A PUPPET FOR CRIMINAL AMERICA. AND IF FILTHY ZIONIST ISRAEL DOES ANYTHING STUPID, IRAN WILL BOMB THEM BACK TO THE HALOCAUST, OR OUT OF EXISTENCE AS I SHOULD SAY. AFTER ALL THIS AMERICA SEEMS TO THINK THAT IT HAS THE RIGHT TO OVERTHROW DEMOCRATIC LEADERS IN IRAN, BUT WHENEVER IRAN TRYS TO BREAK AWAY FROM AMERICA'S INFLUENCE AND STAND UP FOR ITSELF, THEY ARE CALLED TERRORISTS! STILL I WANT AMERICA TO BOMB IRAN, FOR IRANIANS WILL THEREFORE HATE AMERICA EVEN MORE. THEREFORE IRAN WILL NEVER BECOME A U.S PUPPET AGAIN. REGARDLESS OF MULLAH-CRACY OR DEMOCRACY. AND BEFORE I GO, THE WORMS IN KHOMEINI'S RECTUM ARE MORE HUMAN THAN YOU, YOU RACIST AND IGNORANT LOSER!

[LETS PLAY A GAME, SHALL WE?IT'S CALLED AMERICA OR IRAN?]

1. WHAT COUNTRY BOMBED JAPAN IN 1945?-AMERICA.
2. WHAT COUNTRY OVERHTREW THE OTHER COUNTRY'S DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRIME MINISTER IN 1953 IN A COVERT CIA ACTION?-AMERICA.
3. WHAT COUNTRY SUPPLIED SADDAM HUSSEIN WITH CHEMICAL WEAPONS TO USE AGAINST IRANIANS DURING THE 1980-1988 IRAQ IRAN WAR?-AMERICA.
4. WHICH COUNTRY LAST INVADED ANIOTHER COUNTRY IN 2001 AND 2003?-AMERICA.
5. WHICH COUNTRY INVADED ANOTHER COUNTRY IN 860 BC?-IRAN.
6. WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE LARGEST NUCLEAR ARSENAL IN THE WORLD?-AMERICA.
7. WHICH COUNTRY IS BEING ACCUSED WITHOUT EVIDENCE OF TRYING GET NUCLEAR WEAPONS?-IRAN.
8. WHICH COUNTRY SHOULD BE AFRAID OF THE OTHER ONE?-IRAN SHOULD FEAR CRIMINAL AMERICA.
MY POINT? WELL TO SHOW WHAT A HYPOCRITE AMERICA REALLY IS. IF AMERICA ATTACKS IRAN, I AM A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR IRAN. BURN IN HELL AMERICA!