Action On Iran......

Question

What event is the world waiting to occur before taking action on Iran?

I can fully understand how U.S. Troops and the American people are weary from Iraq and Afghanistan, but will that keep America from taking action as Iran comes closer and closer to getting the bomb? I just want other's opinions on what they would do if it was up to them, whether it be bombings on nuclear plants, sanctions, a full out invasion, doing absolutely nothing, or any other option.

Answer 1

Sorry buddy, but Iran isn't going to be a breeze to deal with.  Even if Israel goes in first we are going to go in right after them.  However, with what troops do you plan on doing that with.  As far as them having a nuclear weapon, the US is the only country to ever use one and we still have them.  Who are we to tell anyone what they can and can not have?

Answer 2

It has been so long since diplomacy has been an option for the US, that we have almost forgotten it.  The war drums are being beaten

again, and amazingly there are people who will fall for the same old rhetoric that got us into the impossible debacle in Iraq.  We are over extended fighting two wars.  We cannot fight a third.  Do you think that the draft should be reinstated or that our troops should continue to serve one tour after another?  How many thousands of lives will we sacrifice and where will the additional billions of dollars come from?  Are we willing to ruin our country fighting oil wars in the Middle East?

We need to get out of Iraq, so we can find Bin Laden and finish the Afghanistan War.  Then if there is a valid and immediate reason to worry about Iran, and we are sure we are not being lied to again, as we were about Iraq, every option should be tried, other than war.  Then it should be left to the United Nations, not us, to police the world.  I do wonder why before the Iraq War began we weren't worried about Iran, instead of Iraq, when Iraq presented no danger to us at all.  Sometime logic and reason should start playing a part in our policies again, not just war fervor and fear.  

Answer 3

Israel would have done so already except Israel knows that unlike Iraq and Syria Iran WILL retaliate against such actions.........Israel went into Iraq and Syria assured that the USA could get them to back off..but they know Iran will launch a counter-attack and in several degrees.

Not only will Iranian military strike back.....Hezbollah will ceartainly severly amp up its attacks against Israel.

And what can Israel do? Theres no way in h**l they have the manpower for a full invasion.....a careful airstrike can only setback but not cripple Irans nuclear programs.

And a US led invasion would be unwise because miltary wise Iran is much stronger than Iraq and Iran will ceartainly give US troops more h**l than Iraq ever did.......and what ends would it accomplish? Also Iran has a somewhat effective navy..no where near as powerful as the US Navy but unlike Iraq US naval ships would be vulnerable to attack and may suffer causalties as well. Iran is violating no treaties..no international law...they have a soviergn right to nuclear power and they have no intentions of building a bomb.....so says their supreme leader. Also any attack on Iran will ENSURE that Iran will seek nuclear weapons.

Do not forget even if Iran's nuclear facilities are completely active tomorrow intelligence shows that Iran is still ten years off from assembling a bomb.....and thats considering they are actually have a nuclear arms program

on a sidenote- Ahdmenijad never said "Israel will be wiped off the map" anyone who actually read his speech and or understands Farsi would know he said "the zionist regime will vanish from the pages of history and will be replaced with a democratic goverment decided by palestinans and jews alike" meaning that the Isreali regime is going to collapse on its own like the USSR...far different then Conservative propaganda would have you believe.

And don't forget no matter what you think about the regime in iran one thing they are not is sucidal they hate israel but they would never dare attack Israel in open agression..in retaliation they would but never engage hostility......they know should they use nukes in ten seconds their country will be gone.....they don't want that.

Jwthoughts-Were the h**l did you get the idea that the President thought he was supernatrally protected by god.....he never said that in one interview i seen him make.

Answer 4

In fairness, Israel does not actually need our OK to do anything.  If they feel the threat is big enough and there is no way to avoid it, they'll act--with or without us.

Telling them they have our backing will not change that one way or the other.  Even if we outright told them we would do nothing (and we wouldn't tell them that), they would still act in that manner.

Israel has been avoiding it because they also know that an attack on an Islamic country would draw nearly the entire Middle East against Israel.  They'll act if they see no other way; but as long as there is a possibility of avoiding armed conflict they'll side with peace.  Survival is good, survival without your economic infrastructure being destroyed is better.  If a peaceful way to end it can be found, Israel will go for it.  

They aren't acting yet because they believe a peaceful way to end it is still a possibility.

And the first poster is right, whether you like it or not.  We don't have the troops.  We are fighting two wars, and still have various interests around the world to protect as well.  And our main ally, England, is in similar straits.  And we don't exactly have any more allies beyond that; at least no one willing to fight a war in which we are the aggressors.  And what you are talking about would make us look like the aggressor here.

Basically, other countries would think we were stepping into another Iraq situation, be thinking we didn't learn our lesson, and they aren't going to be a part of learning our lesson when they knew better.

That's not what it would be, but that is what it would APPEAR to be.  Like it or not, Iraq has destroyed our ability to get allies because they would see us as not being able to put together when we should and when we shouldn't fight.

And the truth is we need soldiers.  The Air Force and the Navy may be free to attack still, but they cannot invade.  And Iran is strong enough to absorb attacks from the air.  They may not be able to really hit us back that hard, but they can absorb what we can throw and keep going.  We'd be fighting to a stalemate in a third war.  

And being in three wars and being unable to win any of them is never a good idea.  Its what cost Hitler his Empire.  He kept having to send more and more to deal with situations that wouldn't go away because he couldn't contribute enough to any theatre to end the fighting there; and then move those troops on to the next fight.  Do you really want to go that same way?

Answer 5

One only has to look at recent history to see what the outcome of this situation will be.  The circumstances surrounding Iran, Israel and the US is quite similar to that of the Cold War between USSR, Europe and the US.  We survived that, we will survive this one, as well, without obliterating anyone.

Answer 6

In my opinion, if Iran gets nuclear capability with a weapon, Syria won't be to far behind.  Both will be an aggressor and threat to Israel.

However, this can get into a policital debate as well as how we went into the Iraq war changed how we did defense with the world. We did invade Canada back in colonial times and there was the Bay of Pigs fisaso which lead to the missle crisis.

Bay of Pigs should have been a perfect example of how an invasion can lead to a confrontation of an escalated nature.

We have a similar but different senario with Iraq, Iran & Syria and its coming to a slow boil.

Israel has a right to defend itself, such has always been the US policy to back that as an ally but I also think Iran has been very smart in testing the waters and playing diplomacy over the years in this matter.

Israel has stated time and time again over the past, it doesn't need our blessing when it comes what is in its own best interest of its defense, much as we have adopted the same policy when we went into Iraq.

It certainly wants and needs our support and blessing though if we were to maintain the relationship of consideration to its allies.

You have seen how the high cost of oil can effect the US as well as the world market and economy. Action taken against Iran would bear the possible likelihood of causing Iran to alter exports by curtailing or stopping exports altogether throwing the world economy into a tailspin, Iran knows it.  The entire ME knows it. OPEC knows it.

Peaceful purposes? I doubt it, given their stated intent.

Iran or Syria are the ones making the moves on this, and there are other political problems with Russia and our strained relations with countries like Venezulea that play into this as well.

Russia & Venezulea are also key oil providers.

Venezulea is also trying to form a coalition for a 'food Opec'

That could also have an effect on decisions made in the world and how it effects the economic outlook.

I personally do not put alot of stock in the 'rogue state' theory.. I view it as being another diplomatic card (hopefully a functional one given the expense) to have in play as an option. We likely have the capacity to defend ourselves beyond what the world and human interest would allow. We likely have the capacity which could melt any nation in the world off the map. Rogue missle defense is another option, but it also escalates a 'peaceful purpose' and right to defend stance.

Iran uses this against as well.

The rouge state theory was a major issue before trying to change the political climate in the ME with the war in Iraq & Afganistan. Not that I'm stating anything against our troops and their purpose of their job, but fact is, we are spread somewhat thin and we are in for a longer term engagement & commitment no matter who takes office next as long as stability is questionable.  We have lost a degree of favor with world view and that is unfortunate. It has an effect on our currency as well.

At this point, it will be a game of playing oil prices and control over world economic interests against such actions and trying to control the situation. Well, we had Saddam supressed and neutered but it was stated "its not working" so that wasn't enough, we are playing out a similar situatiuon with Iran..so we'll see.  The theat of action has been put out on the table, but its a card.

Bottom line is Israel will know what actions to take in how to best handle its defense and interest of sustaining itself against such threats in the region. It would need US support in a war against Iran. Such an attack would lead to war. Such a  war would throw all countries involved as well as the region and the world into a bad situation. Oil and economic interests again being other big cards in this.

As long as diplomacy is at play and sanctions being put upon Iran, I don't forsee a green light from the US for Israel just yet, as such probably would not be made public anyways.

You can always hope for a major earthquake tho.

Answer 7

Iran isn't able to enrich urainium yet to use it for power, so use in a bomb is still a little ways off.  The reason why no military action isn't being done is because it would be a pre-empitive strike based on the assumption that they will get nuclear weapons.  Remeber just because you can enrich urainium doesn't mean you are able to make a bomb yet.

The problem with Israel striking Iran is that you could upset the balance in the middle east and all of sudden have 7 nations vying for Israel's destruction.  The matter needs to be worked on with the USA, Russia and China involved to help Iran realize gaining nuclear energy will not be good.

However if Iran were to strike Israel with a weapon I am pretty sure you would see a green light by the major nations of the world to eliminate Iran.

Answer 8

We are going to let Israel start this action and follow if needed or asked to.

Vet-USAF

Answer 9

I am with you.  Quietly tell Israel that they have the full backing of the US military and let them run it.  Iran is dangerous.  Ahmedine-jihad believes that he is supernaturally protected and destined to destroy Israel and then the US.  He also believes that the people of Iran are supernaturally protected through him.  He will not stop and he will get the bomb, and he will use it.  

That is what it will take for liberal idiots to stand behind an attack, and still many of them wouldn't.

Even Obama has stated that he would never, "UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES" resort to the use of nuclear weapons.

Answer 10

Iran HAS atomic bomb just like Pakistan and Can Even Beat America. God WILL help Muslims with Angels just like in Battle Of Badr. America will not be able to do anything in front of God!