Why do so many overestimate Iran's military capability?

Question

Why do so many worry about Iran being attacked? It's not that powerful and would not take long to defeat. So why all the worry about it?

Answer 1

Unfortunately the same thing was said about Iraq.

Answer 2

Basically if the nut case running Iran gets the bomb he will

not flinch from pooping it off somewhere perhaps Israel or perhaps USA. So  that does make Iran very formidable militarily. The nuclear bomb was never used by Soviet leaders between Stalin and Gorbachev because of "the nuclear deterrent". So they effectively only had conventional weapon technology, and were therefore much less dangerous to world peace than Iran with the bomb will be. That's why!,

Answer 3

Sure Iran's army could be beaten in a few years, but Iraq taught us that the war can last three or four times as long as the opposing army lasted.  And if other middle eastern countries start to believe that Islam is being attacked rather than Iran, that war gets a whole lot bigger.  (A side point--Iran is a democracy--we can't claim that we are toppling a totalitarian dictator who commits genocide, so we lose the moral high ground and the support of the world community.)

Besides, I think you are underestimating Iran.  They aren't Iraq.  Iran has an air force, missles, and some real artillery.  Basically, they have twenty year old equipment rather than modern equipment.  That stuff can do a lot of damage--it could be very costly in lives and money to mount an invasion.  Advances in technology will give some of the more powerful armies an advantage, but any country can make it very hard on an invading army with nothing but automatic rifles and homemade bombs.  Home field counts for a lot in war--it is very easy to get people to hate the invaders.

Answer 4

Because of the fact that could be even the tiniest amount of nuclear capability there.  Once you say nuclear..everything changes.

Answer 5

Remember when the words "mushroom cloud" helped get us in Iraq? The powers that be hope they can have a repeat of the glorious profit taking in Iraq by Haliburton ( d**k Cheney's company) and big oil- ( Bush's companies) in the nation of Iran- How wonderful it would be for them to be able to double up on their 1000% profit margin by just adding another little war. They may even get to include Venezuela after Iran- they seem to have plenty of oil. To answer your question more directly, after getting bogged down in Iraq, which everyone thought would be a cake walk; the have gotten a little more cautious, but in the end , greed will win out once again, and we will attack and then invade and then stay and say we are establishing another mideastern democracy- aren't we great?

Answer 6

It's just the GOP trying to scare us into voting for McCain.