Pentagon confirms Iranian directorate as officials raise concerns abt. war

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Pentagon_confirms_Iranian_directorate_as_intelligence_0615.html

Pentagon confirms Iranian directorate as officials raise new concerns about war

Larisa Alexandrovna
Published: Thursday June 15, 2006

Current military and former intelligence officials remain concerned about a US-led strike on Iran, despite the recent appearance of diplomacy on the part of the US State Department and the offer of an incentives package to Iran.

Officials point to new developments, such as a recent meeting in Rome between an Iranian arms dealer and controversial neoconservative Michael Ledeen and the March creation of the Iranian directorate inside the Pentagon, as examples of recent events similar to the lead up with war in Iraq.

These officials also add that an as-yet uncompleted ‘Phase II’ investigation into pre-war Iraq intelligence suggests the same problems may recur when addressing Iran. They note that the Pentagon’s Iranian directorate mirrors the so-called Office of Special Plans, which played a major role in feeding intelligence to the President that bolstered a case for war.

<SNIP>

Probably funding for these special, super-secret Rumsfeld intel agencies.

Anyone that thinks this will end diplomatically with Iran is smoking something.

That only thing that would prevent military force against Iran would be if B/C both dropped dead of heart attacks along with Rumsfeld and Rice and whatever neocons are left in the admin.

Even then....

I'll bet on it if anyone likes.
Our military is stretched too thin, public opinion is against it, and now it has been revealed that al Queda wanted the US to go to war with Iran ( which most people knew already)
I think Bush has spent that political capital he so proudly boasted about.

doesn't necessarily mean invasion with ground troops.

The most likely possibility is airstrikes or fire from ships at sea.

in retaliation? Attack Israel or even Iraq? It would be pretty risky for BushCO, but on the other hand they aren't as smart as you and me.
:-)

to escalate which is what they want.


We've got troops all over the world that can be redeployed, not to mention more stop-loss backdoor drafting.

Iran has vowed to retaliate if the US attacks. Our servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan are in harm's way. Escalation would be inevitable.

You "do not release new products in August", and they do need some divisive election material, so just wait until the fall sweeps starting to plug the "new reality series" which could kick off early next year.

Rally 'round the troops by voting for Bush? Distinctly possible.

On edit - I guess I should say "Republicans" instead of Bush, as they are off year elections.

All the players are in place.
Are they crude enough to try forged documents again?
Perhaps an Israeli strike on the nuke plant is more likely to get the ball rolling.
Maybe we'll find that Iran has been supplying Palestinian fighters.
Or perhaps the assasination of an Iranian cleric will stir the pot enough.

Everything that I have seen indicates that Iran is almost begging to negotiate something. And the US response is transparently condescending and dismissive, even while pretending to accept.

::sigh::