Iran massing troops on Iraq border

[BEER980]

Beirut, Lebanon, Jun. 15 (UPI) --
Iran reportedly is readying troops to move into Iraq if U.S. troops pull out, leaving a security vacuum.

The Saudi daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat, monitored in Beirut, reports Iran has massed four battalions at the border.

Al-Sharq al-Awsat quoted "reliable Iraqi sources" as saying, "Iran moved part of its regular military forces towards the Iraqi border in the southern sector at a time its military intelligence agents were operating inside Iraqi territory."

[coriolis]

That's all we need - more trouble. This possibility would likely delay our pull out.

[j]

easy pickings for a MOAB.

[Skywatch_NC]

Sheesh...leave it to the Iranis...to now want to get potentially involved...as the deadline looms nearer...

Eric

[streetsoldier]

If Iran's leadership was rational, they'd do as China is doing and seriously reconsider their buildup; even the People's Republic is reassessing their capability to take on the US in a conventional face-off.

But (considering past performance), who says Iran's ayatollahs are rational?

[BEER980]

Gee I sure hope Iran didn't trick us into taking out Iraq for them. Lets see how it goes after Israel takes out their nuke plant later this year.

[janswizard]

And from things I've been hearing, there's no doubt that Israel is going to do just that. Unfortunately, I fear what could happen after that happens.

[Aquawind]

No Trust..zippo notta none..

[rainstorm]

If Iran's leadership was rational, they'd do as China is doing and seriously reconsider their buildup; even the People's Republic is reassessing their capability to take on the US in a conventional face-off.

But (considering past performance), who says Iran's ayatollahs are rational?

we are acting like wimps, soldier. we should tell iran, they stop supporting terror now, or we take out their nuke plants. we look weak and vacillating, and we are making iran think we are impotent.

[nystate]

Lets see how it goes after Israel takes out their nuke plant later this year.

???

Where did you hear this?

[streetsoldier]

Read my response in the other Iran thread, rainstorm.

[BEER980]

nystate I will have to dig the story up as I didn't save it. I think they threatened to hit the reactor by the end of the summer or years end. I read another story recently about congress passing approval for it or something along those lines.

[BEER980]

Here you go nystate

House OKs Pre-emptive U.S. Attack Against Iran
by Trish Schuh 15 May 2004


Undeterred by the results of pre-emptive war in Iraq, the House of
Representatives passed a non-binding resolution May 6 authorizing
pre-emptive military strikes against Iran. The vote was 376-3.
Undeterred by the results of pre-emptive war in Iraq, the House of
Representatives passed a non-binding resolution May 6 authorizing
pre-emptive military strikes against Iran. The vote was 376-3.

³It [Iran] has engaged in a systematic campaign of deception and
manipulation to hide its true intentions and keep its large scale nuclear
efforts a secret,² said Dan Burton (R-Indiana).

The resolution urges nations that have signed the Treaty on the
Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (See P. 13) to ³use any and all
appropriate means to deter, dissuade and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear
weapons.² It also demands that the European Union, Asian nations, and Russia
cease future commercial and energy trade with the Islamic Republic. Russia
is the main contractor for Iran¹s nuclear grid.

House members said the legislation is in line with the Bush Doctrine of
preventive war, and creates a legal framework for later sanctions and
³military options² against Iranian nuclear sites. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)
and Pete Stark (D-Calif.) both condemned the bill, noting its similarity to
the law that permitted a preemptive war on Iraq.

The bills¹ adoption capped a year of anti-Iranian efforts in Congress.

A U.S. plan for military action against Iran has been complete since May
2003, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Under the plan, the U.S. would
strike the Arak, Natanz, Isfahan and Bushehr installations with precision
missiles launched from Iraq as well as Iran¹s northern neighbors, Georgia
and Azerbaijan.

British and American intelligence and special forces units have been put on
alert for an Iran conflict within 12 months, according to British news
sources. Also. the Israeli newspaper Ha¹aretz recently revealed that a
special Mossad unit has been activated to draw up ³Osirik II² (a reference
to the 1981 Israeli bombing raids that destroyed the Osirak nuclear complex
near Baghdad).

Mossad chief Meir Dagan declared Iranian nuclear capability to be the
greatest threat ever faced by Israel. In December 2003, he informed the
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that an operation to
annihilate Iran¹s facilities had been finalized.

Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz also announced that ³under no
circumstances would Israel tolerate nuclear weapons in Iranian possession,²
warning that by the end of 2004 Iran¹s atomic development would
have reached ³the point of no return.²

In response, former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said, ³If
Israel committed such an error, we would give it a slap it would never
forget- not only now but for all its history.²

[stormchazer]

Pres. Bush may be saying...."make my day". Our bombers would have a field day.