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I think it's going to be some time before we can count on our "alliance" with Turkey firing on all cylinders.

I'm saying I can see the apparent strategic goal, but the execution of the plan backfired pretty badly.

Rochey wrote:Indeed. Aside from invading Iraq in the first place, that was probably the stupidest decision of the whole war. Now you have thousands of military trained people roaming the country looking for work, and with a reason to hate the USA even more than before, and most of them have guns.
Exactly who the hell ordered that bit of idiocy?

We had to make work for the contractors, you know!! The real beneficiaries of this war.

I doubt any invasion of Iran would happen. I mean, the US government isn't that stupid.

Rochey wrote:I doubt any invasion of Iran would happen. I mean, the US government isn't that stupid.

I hope Bush doesn't read that - he might take it as a challenge.

Rochey wrote:I doubt any invasion of Iran would happen. I mean, the US government isn't that stupid.

If you look at the map of Iran, it's clear that by taking Afghanistan and Iraq, we are open for at least a three-pronged attack into Iran. I never said it was smart, I just said that's what they seemed to want strategically. Gives the whole reason for going to war a different slant, eh?

If you look at the map of Iran, it's clear that by taking Afghanistan and Iraq, we are open for at least a three-pronged attack into Iran.

True.

Gives the whole reason for going to war a different slant, eh?

If you're right then it sure will. Instead of oil, the war will be so the US can go to war with another country.

That's exactly what I'm suggesting...

EDIT: ...as one of the motives.

EDIT#2: No one else saw that?

No I've been suspicious of the Iran thing. First they made it into Bush's "Axis of evil" speech. And now they seemed bound and determined to get nukes AND to wipe Israel off the map.

I'm inclined to think those two things will proved to be linked.

My guess for the region?

Iran, despite sitting right on top of so much oil and natural gas that they could use withotu sanctions, will continue to persue nukes under the guise of a peaceful program.

At some point they'll get upitty and restrict or throw out inspecters. Maybe in regard to some scandal. Whatever.

The US probably can't be relied on to do anything about that and would just let Iran get the bomb. Especially if a Democrat was in office.

Isreal, however, has shown a dogged desire to exist, so I'm guessing it'll be inspectors out, Israeli bombers in.

And here's where the party starts. Iran won't just take an Israeli bombing in stride. They'll want to counterattack, and what happens next will have a lot to do with Americas position in the region.

I doubt either side will start lobbing nukes around. Doing that virtualy assures your own destruction, and neither side are that fanatical.
My best guess is that Iran gets crappy nukes sometime in the future, and uses them to sabre rattle even louder.

I have no worry about nukes getting tossed around. At the most a terrorist group might get one but that chancs of that are slim to none.

Well, it doesn't really matter what the Brits think in the above scenario. It just takes Israel to not want Iran getting nukes.

It just takes Israel to not want Iran getting nukes.

I dont think so.

Iran is powerful enough to put up a good fight and pretty much the whole middle east will help them.

And I highly doubt America would offer anything above token help this time.

Well, Israel has already both vehemently expressed its opinion, AND demonstrated (most recently, in 1972) that the "whole Middle East" against them is not necessarily an insurmountable challenge.

And yes, America will offer more than token assistance. We've become so wrapped up with Israel that it would exceedingly difficult NOT to. American citizens would be going to war with the IDF if it came to it - America and Israel sponsor dual citizenship, and Israel imposes mandatory service.

Israel could solve the "problem" by slipping a sub into the Gulf with some of it's (rumored) nuclear tipped cruise missiles. By by reactor.