War Inches Closer to Iran; U.S. Soldiers Create Military Base on Iraq-Iran Border

[Purveyor]

Source: ABC NEWS

Iran's role with the violence in Iraq remains a major preoccupation of the Bush administration, with the U.S. military now building a base, practically within shouting distance of Iran — an extraordinary step to curb what it says is the smuggling of advanced weapons into Iraq.

It will be called Combat Outpost Shocker, and it will hardly come as a pleasant surprise to Iran that the United States will have a new base just 5 miles from their border. Col. Mark Mueller, of the 3rd Infantry Division, said it is the first time the U.S. military will be that close to Iran.

"Obviously, they probably won't be very happy about it," Mueller told ABC's Terry McCarthy.

--
The Shocker base will be home to about 200 soldiers, as well as to agents from the U.S. Border Patrol
--

Read more: http://www.abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3649942

[bemildred]

1. Cannon fodder. nt

[GliderGuider]

23. that was my first thought

Hint: War Resisters Support Campaign

*nudge, nudge* *wink, wink*

[MADem]

2. To be clear, the "war" in the headline is the war in Iraq--not a proposed war in Iran.

And the base looks like it's functioning as a major border-crossing checkpoint.

The U.S. accuses Iran of fighting a proxy war in Iraq, as it smuggles sophisticated roadside bombs and long range rockets into the region that kill Iraqis and American troops.

"While claiming to support Iraq in its transition, Iran has actively undermined it by providing lethal capabilities to the enemies of the Iraqi state," Ambassador Ryan Crocker said during his testimony on the state of the war to Congress Sept. 10.


Struggle for Influence in Iraq

The Shocker base will be home to about 200 soldiers, as well as to agents from the U.S. Border Patrol, at a location where about 300 trucks now cross the border each day.


At the moment, the United States can only fully search three or four of them each day, but with more manpower and technology, they will know better where to look for weapons transactions.


"As we get more coalition capability down here, we'll be able to develop some of that capability," explained Mueller. "We can get some of the cell phone conversations between the buyer and the seller, times, types of trucks. We're getting better at that all the time."

[hang a left]

17. "We can get some of the cell phone conversations..."

Remember all the brouhaha regarding the crony contract that was awarded for all the cell phone service in Iraq about 3 years back???

[MADem]

19. Hell, they can get ALL of them. The problem is, they won't hire gay guys to translate them!!!

And they have to cull through them quickly and hope they don't miss too much.

Silly Army.

[movonne]

3. Do you believe these names...camp shocker...I guess that is right

after the awe...

[lakeguy]

9. hmmm....

i wonder the next camp will be the shocker "deluxe"?

[gateley]

4. Check out this Olbermann piece

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x57441

The first part of the video is about Iran's president's visit (to hell with trying to spell his name), the second part is regarding Iran. The guest is a guy from TIME who I've seen before introduced as MSNBC's 'political analyst'.

He says that from what he hears through sources, he thinks this is just sabre rattling on Bush's part -- although he agrees it's a pretty stupid tactic which doesn't accomplish anything productive.

See what you think.

[gratuitous]

10. Probably just saber rattling, and indeed very stupid

We don't have the troops available to sustain the "surge," let alone mount any kind of offensive into Iran. The only thing I can think of in terms of U.S. retaliation for any incident is nuclear weapons detonated to try to make it look like Iran had nukes. And you can bet that Ahmadinejad won't hesitate to taunt Bush as long as the American troops are on the border and not doing anything. And Bush don't 'low no taunting.

[rodeodance]

5. our leaders are dangerous people.

[bdamomma]

33. rodeodance, please don't call them leaders!! none of us want

to follow their lead.

[catnhatnh]

6. Call it "Camp Tripwire"...

or "Camp IED"....the Bushie's just want the Iranians to set 1 foot there, and then "BOOM".

[kenny blankenship]

11. Camp "Two-In-The-Pink...

One in the Stink".

[Homer12]

7. I hope these soldiers KNOW that they will be the first americans

To DIE from either a "Gulf of Tokken" incedent or an Iranian counter-attack.

[MetaTrope]

8. Well, I guess we know now where that missing nuke is going to be detonated

:nuke:

[f the letter]

13. seriously

good Lord

[monktonman]

14. no shit huh

or maybe Manhattan just after the Iranians go home.
wouldnt that be convienient.
so that will be next week and the draft will start about a week or two after that.

[struggle4progress]

12. They're there to look for the Gulf of Tonkin

[eagler]

15. you are probably the most right.

[liberal renegade]

16. nothing surpises me anymore.

after all, he is the war president.

:crazy:

[hang a left]

18. I am trying to look at the bright side.

With respect to the US Border Patrol agents that will be assigned perhaps they can send the minutemen.

"Hey Earl, what's that brown spot on the back of your pants?"

[Javaman]

20. One day we will all wake to find a war has begun regardless of

what the people think. At that point, the world will be a very different place and will be changed forever beyond repair in any of our lifetimes.

moron* continues his march toward the cliff. no matter how far back we stand from him*, when he* gets over the cliff, the cliff goes with him and us with the cliff.

there is no safe ground other than stopping this megalomaniac moron*.

[Tempest]

21. I hope they bring a deck of cards

There won't be much for them to do there.

[AllexxisF1]

22. Great...

That's just super putting a base right within their artillery range...nice.

Can you say U.S.S. Maine.

[Marrah_G]

24. Just when you think they can't get any worse ....

Idiots

[ohio2007]

25. But Iran already built military bases on the border

It was breaking news about two months ago on DU

SO,
We have Check Point Charlie 2.0 in the making.

[Roland99]

26. Didn't Iran just shutter several border crossings?

[coalition_unwilling]

27. OMFG - The slightest military provocation by the U.S. against Iran and those 200

U.S. soldiers are instantly POWs or dead.

Am I being needlessly alarmist?

[nashville_brook]

28. "Combat Outpost SHOCKER?" -- that doesn't sound like a defensive outpost

sounds like an appropriate name for the base where the air war will be fought from.

[Guitarman]

32. Who names these places?

From the sound of it, whoever is in charge of making thses names up must think it is some sort of video game or comic book story. How about "Camp Needless Death?"

[Zandor]

29. No problem with this

If the intent is to stop the smuggling of advanced weapons into Iraq, it's understandable.

[Imagevision]

30. No problem with this either, Iran should get its own country to occupy damn it!!!

[CanonRay]

31. The Border Patrol? wtf? Don't we kinda, sorta, need them here?