Wm Cohen on Wolfie:" The WH Has Not Denied Hersh's Story"

[leftchick]

I just watched ex-sec. for defense William Cohen on Wolfie's show. He says the WH has not come out and categorically denied Sy Hersh's article in today's New Yorker about the coming Iran War! He also said Sy is to be believed, he is very credible and has excellent sources.

[CottonBear]

1. That is bad news for us and the Iranians.

I suspect that most Bush voters know nothing about this. Faux and RW radio will not report (honestly) about this story if it is reported at all. My cousin's family lives in Iran. They survived the Iran-Iraq war. I hope that they don't come to harm because of *.

edit: sp.

[Dr.Phool]

2. I feel sorry for your family

Shock and Awe worked so well for these bastards, you know they'll do it again.

They're a bunch of mass murdering fascists.

[CottonBear]

20. My Iranian cousin (by marriage) moved here to go to school.

She was living with an Aunt and Uncle. The war started and she couldn't go back. She didn't see her family (Mom, Dad and brother) for over a decade. Her brother almost got drafted inot the war. She got married to my cousin without having seen the family for years. She could only speak by phone. Finally, they were able to meet up in Canada for a visit. All of the Iranians I've met have been quite nice. There used to be lots of them attending university in the US. I feel really sorry for them.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

3. Um

If this happens, we are meat. If you think Iraq is an ugly mess, remember Iran is far bigger, more populous, richer and with harsher terrain. It will be like Napoleon in Russia. And if you think that Russia and China won't secretly help them, guess again. If it weren't for the ungodly devastation and suffering that will ensue, I would say "Let them do it." If this country would have such a gargantuan moral collapse, then maybe the world is better off with us weak, isolated and irrelevant.

[leftchick]

4. and unlike Iraq...

Iran has a functional and well equipped Military! We are in deep shit!

:scared:

[RC]

5. Doesn't Iran have a real military and Air force?

No paper tiger here.

[Wilber_Stool]

6. Iran is no push over.

They have a real Army. A good Army. We will have to defend against Chinese and Russian air ground to air missiles. Get by very sophisticated radar. Saddam used obsolete American weapons and radar. We knew how to defend against them. This could be real trouble.

[KharmaTrain]

18. Saddam Had Mostly Soviet Weapons

Needless to say by 2002 the radar system was all but obsolete and the military still hadn't rebuilt fully from '91 (most of the arms were bought on the black market) but the Iraqi Army that faced the U.S. in 2002 was still primarily armed with Soviet weapons.

In the 80's, the U.S. provided "technical assistance"...this was mostly logistical...slipping satellite photos and money to the Iraqis, oh, and chemicals, too...but not hard weaponry.

Iran still uses a lot of obsolete U.S. weapons. To my knowledge they still fly modified U.S. planes bought during the Shah era of the 70's (with parts bought from Israel) and only in has added North Korean and Chinese missiles in recent years...most of those anti-aircraft and defensive in nature.

We really have no gauge on how the Iranian army is as they barely were able to hold their own against the Iraqis in the 80's. Invading is one thing...occupying is another (if we're not learning that lesson, AGAIN). I think this regime has payback on its mind...to destabilize Iran in hopes it doesn't create mischief in Iraq while this regime attempts to set up its own fiefdom. Pipedreaming, but these assholes have both the power and money right now and don't care what anyone thinks or says about it.

Here's hoping the military starts to refuse more adventurism...right now that's about our only safety valve.

[Ezlivin]

7. The WH hasn't denied the rumor of a nuclear detonation in Houston

as claimed by an ex-German intelligence officer, either.

That doesn't mean that it's not all part of the propaganda.

This could simply be another way to get us to look one place while they fuck with something else.

Magicians do this stuff all the time; it's called misdirection.

Not that these guys are magicians or anything....

[deminflorida]

25. Iran is a Huge Country.....a direct attack on them would be

disastrous. Plus, unless we take out their developing nuclear capability, (i.e. they may already have a crude bomb that they could and would use on the battlefield) this would be a non-starter.

Militarily we do not have enough troops to pull off an invasion right now. That's the straight reality.

Also a strike against them may cause thousands of Iranian regulars to come storming across the Iran/Iraq border, inciting Shea's within Iraq to rise up internally as well. This could lead to something worse than the 1968 Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War.

[Jo March]

8. Look for the MSM to start showing Iran hostage pictures

and bringing that story back up again, even though it was 1979-80.

We are in deep, deep shit.

We need to take to the streets by the millions.

[Voltaire]

9. Damned right we'd better take to the streets

And we better stop them this time.

[Jo March]

10. I've already told Mr. Arnheim

"If that crazy man makes a move towards Iran, we are in the streets. That is it."

He agreed. His son, my wonderful stepson, is 23. We are terrified of the draft.

[Stirk]

11. They routinely use intimidation as a tool of "diplomacy".

I wouldn't be surprised if the US government floated fears of an Iran invasion simply to have more bargaining power with the Iranian government. Our government has been fostering the "insane and violent" image for use in foreign relations for a very long time.

On the other hand, I think these guys are stupid enough to actually invade. If they do, it's going to make Iraq look like Grenada. Iran would be much tougher than Iraq in every way. Better military, tougher topography, you name it.

[annabanana]

12. right

An acquaintance (repug) used to insist that we "wouldn't actually INVADE Iraq... B*sh was just talking tough to get Saddam to cough up the weapons that we 'all knew' he had"

been there, done that

[Stirk]

13. And they don't invade every country they threaten to.

That's my point. Sometimes they're just puffing out their chests and playing schoolyard bully in order to take something diplomatically. Just after the Iraq invasion, for instance- they were making all kinds of threats against Syria. I can't remember what the negotiations were that were going on at that time... but it after the negotiations were over, the saber rattling stopped.

Now it's starting up again. As I said, I wouldn't be surprised if this bunch actually does invade. It would be monumentally stupid, but that didn't stop them from invading Iraq.

[leftchick]

14. I just saw an extended interview with Sy on CNNI!

Whoa! What a difference from CNN! The interviewer actually asked Sy about him being used as propaganda by the Pentagon to make Iran co-operate. Now that line was used by wolfie earlier to Wm Cohen and he said it was plausible. Sy said basically, No Fucking Way! He said his insiders were SCARED the neo-cons will get their war in Iran and Syria. The sources are trying desperately to stop it!

Okay Sen. Levin and Sen. Rockefeller? The time is now to stop these insane bastards!!!

[saltpoint]

15. Oh Jesus, here we go again.

Cohen is by no means a red state GOP robot. He's from Maine, isnt he? And a pretty smart guy, fairly independent.

Also he writes poetry, pretty good poetry, too.

If Cohen believes Hersh, I think I ought to also.

[leftchick]

16. I would believe Seymour Hersh anyday without Cohen's approval

Sy Hersh has been consistently accurate with every one of his reports since the My Lia massacre! I would take his word over the RW media machine and mouthpieces any day!

[MnFats]

17. Hersh has more credibility than any working journalist today.

and his sources are impeccable.
Can anyone name a correctable error in any of his stuff in the past couple of years.

He's accurate and the Bush crime family knows it. They fear his ass.

[saltpoint]

21. I agree. I was just kind of uplifted to hear a real live --

-- Republican endorsing Hersh instead of condemning him.

[leftchick]

24. me too!

I believe there are a LOT of republicans horrified at what the neo-cons are up to!

:)

[apple_ridge]

19. Cohen was an extremely moderate Repuglican from Maine

who resigned due to the rightward and downward trend in the Senate. His letter of resignation is one of the more well written statements of discontent that I have ever read.

He was also one of the first people to work on bringing out the truth about Watergate.

[saltpoint]

23. Didn't know about his wwork during Watergate --

-- and appreciate very much your letting me know.

The Republicans have had some moderates in the Senate -- Cohen and the Chafees, etc. -- but those folks have been shoved aside for the Santorums and the Coburns and others like them.

I'd love to see the moderate Republicans claw their way back into power within their own party. I would just love it.

[seasidelib]

22. CNN wants to know what you think

Wolf ran the story right behind the lead (which was the kidnapping of the arch bishop in Mosul).. his poll question today:

QUESTION OF THE DAY
Would you support the U.S. conducting secret reconnaissance missions in Iran?


Right now it's, 56% yes 44% no

[leftchick]

26. how sad is that?

I guess it is to be expected from the RW Corporate media..

:puke: