U.S. curtailed on reforming Iran

[Eugene]

(NY Newsday)

U.S. curtailed on reforming Iran

BY TIMOTHY M. PHELPS AND CRAIG GORDON
WASHINGTON BUREAU

January 14, 2006, 9:08 PM EST

WASHINGTON -- One year ago, the United States was actively identifying targets inside Iran for a
possible bombing campaign, according to intelligence sources.

The official rhetoric of the United States toward Iran had for some time been nearly as bellicose
as it had been toward Iraq two years before, with the most hard-line U.S. officials making it clear
they were interested in fomenting regime change in Tehran as well as in Baghdad.

But now, despite all the tough talk in Washington and Europe last week about Iran's nuclear program,
the reality is that the diplomatic options are limited and, in part because of Iraq, the military
option is almost nonexistent.

<snip>

The military option, always difficult because of Iran's vast size and the difficulty in destroying
all of its many nuclear sites, is now all but impossible because of the problems in Iraq, Middle East
specialists agree. Not only is the U.S. military tied down in and depleted by Iraq, but Iran has
penetrated Iraqi police, paramilitary forces and Shia militias so thoroughly that it could easily
make the situation in Iraq untenable for U.S. forces.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woiran0115,0,3057451.story?coll=ny-leadworldnews-headlines