Is the US preparing to bomb Iran?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tim Finin <finin () cs umbc edu>
Date: April 8, 2006 3:40:18 PM EDT
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: Is the US preparing to bomb Iran?

Seymour Hersh has a 6000 work article in next week's New
Yorker on possible plans for a pre-emptive bombing strike
against Iran including the use of nuclear weapons.  While
Hersh has not always been right in his predications, he has a
pretty good track record on the whole.  It's a good article
and also a worrisome one.  No matter what you believe of the
wisdom of attacking Iran, if we do there are bound to be many
more difficulties ahead before things get better.

--

THE IRAN PLANS
Would President Bush go to war to stop Tehran from getting the bomb?
Seymour M. Hersh, New yorker issue of 2006-04-17, posted 2006-04-10
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060417fa_fact

The Bush Administration, while publicly advocating diplomacy
in order to stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon, has
increased clandestine activities inside Iran and intensified
planning for a possible major air attack. Current and former
American military and intelligence officials said that Air
Force planning groups are drawing up lists of targets, and
teams of American combat troops have been ordered into Iran,
under cover, to collect targeting data and to establish
contact with anti-government ethnic-minority groups. The
officials say that President Bush is determined to deny the
Iranian regime the opportunity to begin a pilot program,
planned for this spring, to enrich uranium.
...
A government consultant with close ties to the civilian
leadership in the Pentagon said that Bush was "absolutely
convinced that Iran is going to get the bomb" if it is not
stopped. He said that the President believes that he must do
"what no Democrat or Republican, if elected in the future,
would have the courage to do," and "that saving Iran is going
to be his legacy."

One former defense official, who still deals with sensitive
issues for the Bush Administration, told me that the military
planning was premised on a belief that "a sustained bombing
campaign in Iran will humiliate the religious leadership and
lead the public to rise up and overthrow the government." He
added, "I was shocked when I heard it, and asked myself, 'What
are they smoking?'"
...
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060417fa_fact


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