Just replace the Q with an N, and away we go

[sabra]

IRAQN

It's full throttle now, I mean every channel, newswire, web-report, etc...

It's almost like Iraq didn't happen? It's like Deja Vu all over again. Here are my questions, where are you going to get the money? Where are you going to get the troops? Who's going to be our coalition of the willing this time?

[annabanana]

1. 2,260 families know that Iraq "happened". . . n/t

[waiting for hope]

2. I really don't think the

Chimp is going to pursue a "war" theme with this one...Iraq was a cake walk, pick on the guy with the tape on his glasses and you're assured of a victory...Iran is bigger and meaner, Old Chimpy boy is shitting his pants right now.

[sabra]

4. every where I look it's Iran...

Newsweek, Reuters alertnet, Cheney, Bolton, and on and on...

[waiting for hope]

8. That's because there are no

missing Blond Teenage Females yet....you know the drill - Hey, looky over here! Diverting attention away from all the scandals. The Senate Hearings on the use of Domestic Surveillance has been going on and even a few republicans are not happy with the outcome...can't help it, a bit of a cynic when it comes to the MSM..

[Selatius]

3. I could possibly answer your questions

Money: We'll most likely do what we're doing now. Borrow it. China and Japan now collectively finance roughly 40 percent of our national debt. They give us the rope. We hang ourselves with debt.

Troops: I don't think it will involve the use of massive numbers of troops. What will likely happen is a massive air campaign to strip Iran of its air defenses and offensive capabilities. Once that is complete, communications/infrastructure will be targeted and destroyed, and the nuclear facilities will be targeted as well.

Coalition of the willing: Most likely Israeli Air Force. They've got the best pilots in the Middle East outside the US Airforce currently operating in Iraqi skies. If you go to war, you WANT them to be on your side.

[hwmnbn]

5. And then who's next?....

North Korea? nope, they got no oil.

Venezuela? They got oil and it's closer! Yep that's it. Venezuela it is.

[sabra]

6. thank you for the answers

any ideas of the ramifications of this campaign?

[Lerkfish]

7. ever see Dr. Strangelove?

there's your ramifications.

[Selatius]

9. Iran will try to strike at the US fleet in the Persian Gulf

We know they will try and use the Hormuz Strait as a killing field for US ships. We will probably put satellites, warplanes, and drones all over the Strait to blow up any opponent that may come out of hiding to fire missiles at US ships.That's not the big issue. Given US capabilities, Iranian air defenses as well as their meager airforce will be crushed if we followed the same principles behind the air campaign over Iraq in 1991.

The big issue is Southern Iraq, which is dominated by Shi'ites. Attacking Iran could have the unintended consequence of alienating the Shi'ites and powerful figures such as Al-Sistani, who has contacts with Tehran. Shi'ites are the vast majority of Iran. Whether an attack on Iran will provoke the Shi'ites in Southern Iraq to rebel is an unknown variable, and it's not a question that should be tested if at all possible.

[Lerkfish]

10. I think you're vastly underestimating Iran's military capabilities.

read up on the sunburn missile.
Any ship we have in the gulf will be toast.

otherwise, I agree with your political assessment of the consequences.

[Selatius]

12. Sunburns are useless if you bomb the missile launchers

As I said earlier, they will put warplanes and drones and everything else above the Hormuz Strait where those missiles will likely be located. The US Navy as well as the Airforce would try to target any missile battery before it is able to launch a Sunburn. You need a launcher and a radar system to point a Sunburn and communicate targeting data to the missile. The second you turn on your radar to get a fix on a US ship, you will be giving away your position to whatever US assets are in the area, and they will try and rain fire down on your position before you can fire your missile.

Will we get all the missile launchers? Probably not. Will we get a hell of a lot of them in the end? Most likely. Will some Sunburns get into the air before we're able to knock out the missile batteries? Seems probable, but I doubt it would be enough to cripple the entire fleet's capability unless they scored a hit on a US carrier. The US fleet is not entirely defenseless.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. They'll rely on "smart" bombs. Unfortunately, in the hands of idiots.

Then they'll advertise it as a "bloodless" (for Americans) victory. The populace will fall for the usual flag waving and exciting videos of things blowing up. The generals will put on their stern faces and play dress-up in camouflage and happily explain it all to us.

Then the real war will start all over the ME and we'll be told how we must "stay the course" and dissenters will be accused of not supporting the troops who will be killing and dying to "defend" us from the new bogeyman.

The script is written, the actors are waiting in the wings, and the band is tuning up. Alas, the Iranians haven't read the script.