Prediction: US uses Israel/Lebanon situation to start a full mid-east war

[debbierlus]

Read these stories:

Israel Won't Rule Out Full Scale Invasion of Lebanon:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060720/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_israel_255

Then, read this story. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060720/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_hezbollah_s_patron

I am not an expert on Middle Eastern affairs. However, I am very uneasy that the US will use the situation that is occurring between Israel and Lebanon as a catalyst to start a wider war. Just a couple of months ago, Bush was stating that the PREEMPTIVE use of nuclear weapons in Iran was on the table. They have been practicing for a full scale invasion:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12754.htm

And, the war is reportedly being held off by only a few senior commanders in the Pentagon who fear the repurcussions of a Iranian war - quote from the New Yorker article (please go to the link and read the full article, it will give you a much better understanding of the current situation)

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060710fa_fact

The fact the US has allowed Israel to respond to the Hezbollah attacks and kid-nappings with such excessive force and has not called on Israel for a immediate cease fire is most troubling. Experts are warning that the longer the violence continues, the higher the risk of a all out war between the two nations that could drag in neighboring nations.

This may be very well the cover the US has been waiting for to begin its war with Iran. The administration knows the US will be skeptical of a preemptive military strike on Iran, especially one utilizing nuclear weapons. But, if they can tie the strike as a response to a Iranian attack on Israel, they can claim they are aiding allies and thus not acting preemptively. The truly frightening thing about all this is that this adminstration is capable of deceiving the public about the actual events. As we have learned from Iraq, this adminstration has no problem lying and distorting information, if its suits its own purposes. And, I do not doubt for a second that they will exaggerate or lie about Iran's connections with Hezbollah in order to justify attacking Iran.

I am absolutely outraged at the democrats response to this crisis. Instead of condemning Bush for not demanding Israel immediately call a cease fire, and talking to the American people about the possible implications of this decision, what do they do?

Sign on to a Congressional resolution backing Israel.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/07/20/congress_to_voice_support_for_israel/

It is the Iraq war resolution all over again. Not the same content of course, but the same implications. Support for a policy that is doomed for failure and utter disaster. This is the time the dems need to stand up and say NO. Loud and clear.

Beware of what is occurring. Do not be pulled into supporting another unethical, unnecessary war by the adminstration's tactics. The consequences of a wider Middle East war and a US strike on Iran are clear now.

Call your Congress person and demand that they pressure the adminstration to call for a cease fire now, and publicly condemn Israel's actions.

E-mail this post to everyone you know and urge them to do the same.

[sweetheart]

1. Rather expect a "suez" outcome

"suez" was the end of the british empire. Nodding that mistake took it down.
"lebannon06" looks like a similar recapitulation of the US empire.

[tocqueville]

2. Beyond Lebanon, Iran is the target....

The drums of war sound for Iran
By Jim Lobe

<SNIP>

While Israel-centered neo-conservatives have been the most aggressive in arguing that Hezbollah's July 12 cross-border attack could only have been carried out with Iran's approval, if not encouragement, that view has been largely accepted and echoed by the US mainstream media, as well as other key political factions, including liberal internationalists identified with the Democratic Party.

"In my reading, this is the beginning of what was a very similar process in the period, between and the Iraq war," said Gregory Gause, who teaches Middle East politics at the University of Vermont.

"While neo-cons took the lead in opinion formation then, eventually there was something approaching consensus in the American political class that war with Iraq was a necessary part of remaking the Middle East to prevent future 9/11s," he said.

"That strong majority opinion was bipartisan crossed ideological lines - neo-cons supported the war, but so did lots of prominent liberal intellectuals," he said. "I think it is very possible that a similar consensus could develop over the next few years, if not the next few months, about the necessity to confront Iran."

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HG21Ak02.html

repost from previous thread

[xchrom]

3. shrugging -- we don't have the resources for it.

we will have trouble REPAIRING the equipment being chewed up through usage now -- let alone pay for the rest of the war.

thisis one of the reasons why fighting guerillas like this{i.e. brute strength} isn't working for modern powers.

[megatherium]

4. The problem being that a war against Iran will likely be

an air war only, and I understand that our inventory of missiles, and our air power in general, is at full strength.

on edit: Iran not Iraq.

[xchrom]

6. bu tit doesn't take long to go from full strength to

75% and from there to 50%.

and remember you don't have to take a lot of casualties for our side to feel a huge impact.

those airplanes are exorbitantly expensive. -- and we are using our money up faster than we can print it.

[debbierlus]

5. But, they want to go in with nukes

And, you are right. We don't have the resources. But, this adminstration is not logical.

Read the linked stories. They are important.

[xchrom]

7. they will not go in with nukes.

whatever evil you make think about this admin -- and there is a lot of evil to think about them -- you can forget that.

unless we are attacked first.

now do i think bombing iran is strictly speaking out of the question -- no -- but it wouldn't be in the context of a war -- we don't have the resources.

[katty]

8. Nostradamus+others have predicted this for aeons-Syria will

enter this very soon.