Published: June 02, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
Crossfire War - Pentagon Preparing Limited Attack on Iran-Not on Nuclear Bases
By Willard Payne
Crossfire War - Rapid Fire News=Tehran - Beirut - Damascus Watch - West Asia - North - Northeast Africa Theatre: Reports of the Pentagon Close to Launching Limited Missile Bombardment of Iran Revolutionary Guard Bases - Nuclear Sites Will Not Be Attacked - Iran Preparing to Respond - Washington Assumes Iran Response Will Be Limited
Night Watch: PENTAGON - Reports are circulating again that the Pentagon is close to launching what is now being called a limited missile and air bombardment of the bases of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps al-Quds Brigades, the branch which arms and trains Islamic fighters in Iraq, Hezbollah, Palestinian militants and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The latest report is from Debka but the difference this time it seems Washington will not be attacking Iran's nuclear facilities only bases directly connected to the supplying of Islamic fighters on those fronts. It seems the intelligence officials in Washington are operating under the false assumption (hope) that since Washington's attack will be limited then Tehran's military response will also be limited and (f)allout war will be avoided. But I personally suspect Iran will take advantage of the attack and unleash its planned offensive against not only US/UK bases in Iraq but also the bases and ships the Pentagon has in the Persian Gulf. Tehran will also have Hamas-Hezbollah-Syria begin attacks against Israel to limit the chances of any joint operations between Israel and the U. S. [
DEBKA]
Iran's government has known for years this was inevitable as it had always planned a major war with the West in order to reduce if not destroy the West's presence in the entire region. Tehran also knew Washington had publicly been stating for at least a year one of their main targets will be the bases of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) due to their direct support of Islamic fighters in Iraq, so now it is being reported Iran has evacuated some of the main Guard bases and shifted the soldiers and equipment from there to regular army bases and to remote villages in Iran's east and north, a shift they had completed by mid-May. Also the main headquarters and central training center of the Imam Ali University in north Tehran has been deserted as well as indoctrination centers in the religious city of Qom. It is at institutions like these which have been training not only Iran's leadership but the elite of countries where Iran has a lot of influence and intends to rule those countries through them. The Manzariyah training center east of the capital has also been abandoned.
Washington - PressTV is quoting U. S. Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice as denying any attack is about to take place, "I don't know where these reports come from. We hear of these reports all the time that have no relationship to reality." She was speaking to the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter which I assume also has well place sources in Washington and perhaps in the Pentagon through Sweden's military and diplomatic-intelligence circles. And that's where these reports come from. Dr. Rice is simply responding as programmed, deny everything. Knowing the confrontation is close, on Saturday Iran Defense Minister Major-General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar stated, "Iran's Armed Forces are fully prepared to counter any military attack with any intensity and to make the enemy regret initiating any such incursions." Mohammad-Najjar would be the officer controlling the redeployment. I am not convinced; however, Tehran's posture is that defensive. When U. S. President George W. Bush first began discussing attacking Iran as an "option on the table", someone from Iran's Defense Ministry said they will not let the U. S. attack first. Tehran is by no means acting for the benefit of Washington's timetable. [PRESSTV]
Damascus - One major factor in Iran's regional preparations seems to have been completed before the recent signing of its upgraded security cooperation agreement with Damascus. Debka reports, before the meeting in Tehran between Syria Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Hassan Turkmani and Iran Defense Minister General Mohammad-Najjar, Iran had completed integrating Syria's ballistic missiles into Iran's Missile Command. The head of the IRGC, Major-General Mohammad Ali Jafari announced the new joint command by indicating, "An independent command might be created in Sepah (IRGC) in order to fortify the structure and activities of the missile section." Iranian officers are now in Syria as part of Syrian units and Syrian officers are in Iran in liaison positions. The missiles of Hezbollah-Hamas are also incorporated into the overall command of Tehran a chain of missiles on four fronts, Iran-Syria-Lebanon-Gaza. I suspect Turkey is a fifth front since an Iranian missile expert disappeared into Turkey in February 2007, (cfw: Feb. 28-07) General Alireza Asqhari who was Deputy Defense Minister from 1997-2005. This is why, even if Tehran waits for Washington to attack first I don't think Iran's response will be limited. [DEBKA]
Night Watch Information Service
http://www.crossfirewar.com
6/2/2008
* The views of Opinion writers do not necessarily reflect the views of NewsBlaze
Search News
