U.S. Lacks Policy to Curb Iran’s Nuclear Drive

[VaporTrail]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/world/mi...ast/18iran.html

 

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has warned in a secret three-page memorandum to top White House officials that the United States does not have an effective long-range policy for dealing with Iran’s steady progress toward nuclear capability, according to government officials familiar with the document.

 

...

 

Nearly two weeks ago, Mr. Obama, in an interview with The New York Times, was asked about whether he saw a difference between a nuclear-capable Iran and one that had a fully developed weapon. “I’m not going to parse that right now,” he said. But he noted that North Korea was considered a nuclear-capable state until it threw out inspectors and, as he said, “became a self-professed nuclear state.”

 

Mr. Gates has alluded to his concern that intelligence agencies might miss signals that Iran was taking the final steps toward producing a weapon. Last Sunday on the NBC News program “Meet the Press,” he said: “If their policy is to go to the threshold but not assemble a nuclear weapon, how do you tell that they have not assembled? I don’t actually know how you would verify that.” But he cautioned that Iran had run into production difficulties, and he said, “It’s going slow — slower than they anticipated, but they are moving in that direction.”

 

Mr. Gates has taken a crucial role in formulating the administration’s strategy, and he has been known over his career to issue stark warnings against the possibility of strategic surprise.

 

...

 

Mr. Gates’s memo appears to reflect concerns in the Pentagon and the military that the White House did not have a well prepared series of alternatives in place in case all the diplomatic steps finally failed. Separately, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote a “chairman’s guidance” to his staff in December conveying a sense of urgency about contingency planning. He cautioned that a military attack would have “limited results,” but he did not convey any warnings about policy shortcomings.

 

See, I'm not the only one that thinks we don't have what it takes to beat Iran if shit hits the fan. I believe our military is too spread out as is, and we would not be able to maintain a third theater of operations. Also, if I may quote Stan Lee, "WITH GREAT POWER THERE MUST ALSO COME - - GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!" Ahmadinejad, crazy as he is, must realize that if a nuclear weapon goes off in Israel or the US, everyone in his country will be vaporized. I feel that that much is sure whether or not Iran would be responsible for it.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/world/mi...ast/18iran.html

 

 

 

See, I'm not the only one that thinks we don't have what it takes to beat Iran if shit hits the fan. I believe our military is too spread out as is, and we would not be able to maintain a third theater of operations. Also, if I may quote Stan Lee, "WITH GREAT POWER THERE MUST ALSO COME - - GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!" Ahmadinejad, crazy as he is, must realize that if a nuclear weapon goes off in Israel or the US, everyone in his country will be vaporized. I feel that that much is sure whether or not Iran would be responsible for it.

 

After reading what Gates said your statement is not accurate. He said we don't have a plan in place to deal with Iran. Not that we couldn't deal with Iran. He said we have to make a plan of diplomacy, sanctions and Military response if the other two fail. I think you misread the statement.

[VaporTrail]

I think we're interpreting it differently. What I got from it is, we don't have a plan for Iran should diplomacy fail.

 

from the article...

...He cautioned that a military attack would have “limited results,” but he did not convey any warnings about policy shortcomings.

 

“Should the president call for military options, we must have them ready,” the admiral wrote.

 

Administration officials testifying before a Senate committee last week made it clear that those preparations were under way. So did General Jones. “The president has made it clear from the beginning of this administration that we need to be prepared for every possible contingency,” he said in the interview. “That is what we have done from day one, while successfully building a coalition of nations to isolate Iran and pressure it to live up to its obligations.”

 

Sounds like we're not ready, knowing how "fast" the government works, it's going to be awhile before those preparations are complete.

[Mr. T]

Obama doesn't have the big onions that JFK had.

 

He is to busy running around trying to appease every liberal wacko who helped him get elected, while spending all of his time turning this country upside down by socializing every aspect of our economy.

[VaporTrail]

T, this doesn't have anything to do with socialism, which isn't an inherent evil, btw. This isn't the same world that JFK had control over.

[Mr. T]

are sympathetic towards arab nations vapor? These guys are making a bomb to be used and to bully other nations with. No it is not the gays of JFK, we live in more dangerous times.

 

 

Contrary to what you have been taught, Socialism is not good for a so called "Free Nation". I thought you were smarter than that.

[smalls1129]

T, this doesn't have anything to do with socialism, which isn't an inherent evil, btw. This isn't the same world that JFK had control over.

 

 

I disagree with that statement. Socialism, when ran through a central government, puts severe limits on reaching individual potentials and disregards human instinct (if the results are the same no matter my effort, than why am I going to give maximum effort). When a citizenry as a mass take this POV the greatness and potential of a country are greatly diminished.

[VaporTrail]

I'll agree that socialism, when pushed to the extreme does that. I believe, however, that implementing some programs that are to a degree, socialized, it's better than leaving it to pure capitalism or communism.

[Mr. T]

.... and Cuba is a thriving country? or is it the people are supressed. Progressives love them some Cuba.

 

This video below is a spoof, but you have seen people who worship the king in this way. and it is sickening watching some of these Hollywood weirdos and Progressive news anchors worship Obama likewise.