A war with Iran would require a draft

[bluestateguy]

We would need several hundred thousand more troops for a campaign like that, plus additional reinforcements for the other countries that border Iran (like, uh, Iraq and Afghanistan). We'd be fighting wars in three contiguous countries. Iran has a real military, and while many people there dislike the radical mullahs and their religious fascism, they will fight like hell against a foreign invader.

It also takes several months for the machinery of a draft to get up and running, such that you probably wouldn't have the first troops in the field for at least a year after all of the administrative processes and boot camp. I'm guessing that they would have to start the Iran war first to whip up the sufficient hysteria needed to support a draft.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I fear they plan to use nukes

I also fear that they would simply draft people and send them over with no training. They care NOTHING for the troops.

[H5N1]

5. I hope you are wrong about the nukes

I fear that you may be correct.

[MidwestTransplant]

24. The Freeptards are always calling for Nukes

of course they have no concept of what that would entail. But again what would Jesus do?

[wake.up.america]

21. Start thinking about leaving the country!

[kenny blankenship]

31. I have a feeling this is the plan too

They'll say "the threat is nukyulur so our response is nukyulur." Those nuclear bunker busters are being developed for specific purposes--Iran and N.Korea. The goal will be to destroy Iranian research facilities and decapitate the government. It will be limited compared to our committment to move into Iraq and reorganize things from the ground up.

[neweurope]

2. Hm. I read somewhere that they would "only" bomb the country

from air. Would you need a draft for that? I'm afraid they're going to try out those small nukes, too.

-------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[bluestateguy]

6. Perhaps

And then Iran could hit either one of our bases in Iraq of Afghanistan, and then we are off to the races.

[moodforaday]

30. Iran has a strong airforce

and hasn't been weakened by any sanctions. A conventional (not nuke) air assault would mean heavy losses.

[justinsb]

3. Yes, and a war in Iran would be much harder and more expensive than Iraq

Iraq is a cakewalk by comparison, and it will mean more wars - I think other countries - Syria, Venezuela and others will decide not to wait their turn and openly support Iran.

[H5N1]

4. and bush cannot wait to get started

I think he does not care about any of those things.
The invasion of Iran is inevitable.

[tabasco]

7. Army will miss annual recruiting goal by around 10,000 recruits.

I think you are correct.

Front line infantry squads and platoons are already hurting for personnel.

[loudsue]

8. Just another "well thought-out" war plan by republican neocons.

:sarcasm:


:kick::kick::kick:

[CAG]

23. Why won't all these 20 year old kids sign up for the neocons???

Why do some many of these youngsters hate america?? Of course, some of the little repubs have to stay here to "fight the culture war," as one said while wriggling out of a sign-up question from Chris Matthews the other night.

He also said he didn't like the term "chickenhawk", (a little political correctness??), maybe we should refer to him as chickensh**.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. Or we just nuke the heck out of them. Which is more likely at this point?

[TheFarseer]

13. wouldn't that mess up the oil?

I've heard some people say it would. I have no idea.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Radioactive oil? I dunno. But think. Iran is working on going nuclear

for weapons, yes, but also for selling for power. And I believe it. These people see Peak Oil as an issue, even if we do not.

But I am sure the #1 reason is still to even up the super power playing field.

[shaniqua6392]

28. Green Party Voter question

I have an question unrelated to the topic. I am new to DU and I have seen stuff about Andy. Would you tell me who he was if it is not too painful. It seems as if he was very loved according to some of the posts I have read, but I do not know who he was. If too painful, do not respond. Thanks.

[loudsue]

34. Hi, shaniqua. Welcome to DU!

Andy Stephenson was a long-time poster on DU, and a brave and very active supporter of our rights to have votes counted honestly in this country.

He had thrown his hat in the ring to run in the primaries for Secretary of State for Washington state, in an effort to draw attention to the easily-corrupted electronic (computerized) voting machines. He was a researcher, and went around the country doing investigations, and reports, on how our electoral system has been "privatized" and corrupted by the (republican-owned) vote counting machines.

He was a really dynamic, fierce warrior for the causes of Democracy and voting rights, and was also gentle as a lamb, and had a quick smile and great sense of humor. He cared deeply, and it showed in everything he did.

Many of us at DU had been cyber friends with him for years, and fought along side of him through many battles against the dark forces. A lot of DUers had also met and worked with him in person, as activists and friends, through recounts and legal battles. We loved Andy. We still do. :cry:

Andy died of pancratic cancer a couple of months ago. But he fought for our Democracy to his very last breath.

Andy was a hero and a friend. And now, he's probably an angel O8) , supporting the cause of Democracy and truth from his perch in the sky.

[Beam Me Up]

10. Our military "superiority" relies on OUR abundant WMDs. n/t

If we do not stop these fascist sociopaths, what we've done to Iraq may soon be done to US by the rest of the world.

[Poppyseedman]

11. A war with Iran would require a draft

Very true, that's why it won't happen.

This country will never see a draft.

[lovelaureng]

17. Why are you so certain that

our country won't see a draft? Recruitment numbers are way down and will continue to fall, so there are no little boys and girls signing their live's away. Where will the troops come from? The only logical choice seems to be a draft, unless a nukes are used and then nothing else will matter anymore.

[Poppyseedman]

29. Your premise is we are going to war with Iran. We won't because

we can't fight a three front war. A draft will destroy our military.

The military brass knows that. The military also know that a draft would cause eventually riots in the streets unless we are actually invaded. A volunteer military works so well because it's made up of volunteers.

[moodforaday]

32. The real nightmare scenario

that many have put forth and isn't all that inconceivable is that nuking Iran would be a response to a staged attack on US soil, i.e. another 9-11. US does need a strong pretext to attack Iran, and the pretext would have to be manufactured.

See this article by Philip Giraldi from American Conservative, if you haven't yet:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9639.htm

The thing is, is Iran is attacked, Russia will not stand idly by - it's too close to it borders and its interests. Russia *will* respond, make no mistake. This will be WW3.

Anyone remember this?

A week ago, when President Bush met with Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III to interview him for a potential Supreme Court nomination, the conversation turned to exercise. When asked by the president of the United States how often he exercised, Wilkinson impressively responded that he runs 3 1/2 miles a day. Bush urged him to adopt more cross-training. "He warned me of impending doom," Wilkinson told the New York Times.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-chait22jul22,0,3359930.column?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

[rzemanfl]

12. The war with Iraq required a draft too, but Bushco knew they'd

waited too long. In September 2001 they'd have gotten away with it.

[lovelaureng]

14. The possibility of a draft

I agree with you on this 110%, it would be the only way a war like that could happen. Whether or not nukes are used, there will still be forces on the ground there.

[Cleita]

15. Or, he could outsource the military and hire mercenaries.

How many starvin' Marvins are out there are willing to do this for three squares a day and maybe a promise of US citizenship? This is what the Romans did when they couldn't drum up enough citizens for war. They hired the barbarians so much so that the Roman legions became mostly populated with barbarians eventually being one of the causes of its downfall.

[jim3775]

18. No it wouldn't

Think about all of the announced base closures, 10,000-50,000+ support personnel per base adds up to an invasion force.

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. I don't think so. You forgot Israel

Israel has one of the biggest, most well equiped and trained militaries in the world. They are already in the region and they are rested and ready. The battle of Iran is for Israel to fight, we will only be there to direct and assist. That is how they are going to get their Armageddon on. Sharon doesn't realize the trap the fundies have set for him.

[Gyre]

27. Israel is just another welfare state

for the US to support. They might launch the first wave of attacks but shrub won't even mention them before or after, because he doesn't want the Saudi government to get overthrown by it's own people. Sharon is a hundre

Gyre

[laststeamtrain]

20. I think this is a great piece. It ties together many threads.

http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2005/08/the_real_aipac_.html

[eallen]

22. A war with Iran would send gasoline to $5/g. Or more.

We have a few months supply in the strategic oil reserve, that Bush could use to dampen the spike. Then what?

[moodforaday]

33. This isn't about short-term

Neo-cons think long-term. You may see oil going for $100 a barrel in short term, but in the long term US would be holding onto the largest remaining reserves. Iraq was also about oil, but not about a short term price reduction.

[Gyre]

25. They don't need a draft.

Isn't it clear by now that they don't give a shit whether they do anything correctly? Hence, there is no need for a draft. But they're hell on the treasury and the taxpayers don't seem to care anymore than the freepers in Texas do, and those cruise missles ain't exactly cheap. But, if it's good for United Technologies and Boeing, it's good for the country don't you know?

Gyre

[meti57b]

26. war with Iran is likely ... read this:

Published on 8 Dec 2004 by Alternet.
Archived on 8 Dec 2004.

Battlefield Earth
by Bill Moyers

snip
Remember James Watt, President Reagan's first secretary of the Interior? My favorite online environmental journal, the ever-engaging Grist, reminded us recently of how James Watt told the U.S. Congress that protecting natural resources was unimportant in light of the imminent return of Jesus Christ. In public testimony he said, "after the last tree is felled, Christ will come back."

snip
Beltway elites snickered. The press corps didn't know what he was talking about. But James Watt was serious. So were his compatriots out across the country. They are the people who believe the bible is literally true – one-third of the American electorate, if a recent Gallup poll is accurate. In this past election several million good and decent citizens went to the polls believing in the rapture index. That's right – the rapture index. Google it and you will find that the best-selling books in America today are the 12 volumes of the left-behind series written by the Christian fundamentalist and religious right warrior, Timothy LaHaye. These true believers subscribe to a fantastical theology concocted in the 19th century by a couple of immigrant preachers who took disparate passages from the Bible and wove them into a narrative that has captivated the imagination of millions of Americans.

snip
So what does this mean for public policy and the environment? Go to Grist to read a remarkable work of reporting by the journalist, Glenn Scherer – "The Road to Environmental Apocalypse." Read it and you will see how millions of Christian fundamentalists may believe that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed – even hastened – as a sign of the coming apocalypse.

snip
As Grist makes clear, we're not talking about a handful of fringe lawmakers who hold or are beholden to these beliefs. Nearly half the U.S. Congress before the recent election – 231 legislators in total – more since the election – are backed by the religious right. Forty-five senators and 186 members of the 108th congress earned 80 to 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian right advocacy groups. They include Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Assistant Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Conference Chair Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Policy Chair Jon Kyl of Arizona, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Majority Whip Roy Blunt. The only Democrat to score 100 percent with the Christian coalition was Senator Zell Miller of Georgia, who recently quoted from the biblical book of Amos on the senate floor: "the days will come, sayeth the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land." he seemed to be relishing the thought
snip

http://www.energybulletin.net/3548.html

[renate]

35. I totally adore Bill Moyers

even though he scares me to death with something like this--'cause coming from him, I know it's absolutely true and accurate.
:scared:

[PFunk]

36. Here's why I don't think a draft is comming....

The current republican party is on shakey legs as it is with many centerists leaving it in droves. Leaving on the Religous Right fraction still backing them.

Americans on the whole have said time again that they do not want a draft. Any attempt to do so will set of a backlash that'll finish off the Republicans as a dominate party-dispite rigged voting machines.

So I'll think that they will try to fight this using tac nukes and isreal military forces. Which will probally rile up the antiwar forces is that country once isreali troops start comming back home in body bags as they find out that Iran (and it's allies who will join them) is not exactly the cakewalk that they thought it was.

And it will frimly swing world opinion against the US to the point of possibly sparking a trade war to show their displeasure against it's actions.

Also has anyone realized that Iran could have made deals with either Russia and/or China to do nuke reasearch in their countries then once it's done bring them over here. Or just by the missles from them in the short run all in exchange for oil.

Remember it was afganistan that eventually helped took down the USSR. And it looks like the Iraq (and soon Iran) wars are doing the same to us.

[wli]

37. if they need more than 3 years for apocalypse, they'll declare martial law

The plans are already in place. They were ready and able to imprison 21 million Americans in 1987. They're ready for more now.