Asia Times - Petraeus and Cheney agree on attacking Iran

[OregonBlue]

Pentagon blocked Cheney's attack on Iran
By Gareth Porter

WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials firmly opposed a proposal by Vice President Dick Cheney last summer for airstrikes against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) bases by insisting that the administration would have to make clear decisions about how far the United States would go in escalating the conflict with Iran, according to a former George W Bush administration official.

After he become head of the Central Command (Centcom) in March 2007, Admiral William Fallon also made his opposition to such a massive attack on Iran known to the White House, according Middle East specialist Hillary Mann, who had developed close working relationships with Pentagon officials when she worked on the National Security Council staff.

Petraeus was also a supporter of Cheney's proposal for striking IRGC targets in Iran, going so far as to hint in an interview with Fox News last September that he had passed on to the White House his desire to do something about alleged Iranian assistance to Shi'ites that would require US forces beyond his control.

At that point, Fallon was in a position to deter any effort to go around DoD and military opposition to such a strike because he controlled all military access to the region as a whole. But Fallon's forced resignation in March and the subsequent promotion of Petraeus to become Centcom chief later this year gives Cheney a possible option to ignore the position of his opponents in Washington once more in the final months of the administration.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JF10Ak01.html

[mdmc]

1. bomb bomb bomb

obliterate!

[lovuian]

2. Asia Times is making US Media look like Bozos

Cheney is definitely a mad man
Petraeus isn't thinking of Americans when he is doing this

[Blackhatjack]

3. Q is "How Far Will Cheney Go When Iranians Retaliate for Such An Attack?" Hmmmm....

... I'd say Cheney would escalate the conflict.

Deferment Specialist First Class Cheney would have no qualms about ordering the attack IMHO.

[Peace Patriot]

4. See my comment (#6) at

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3410938

I think we're going to see the opening of a new front in the Oil Wars, in South America, instead. (Iran is too problematic.)

[slipslidingaway]

5. This is always in the back of my mind...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3410938#3411034

"...I think the blow is going to come in South America--in the form of U.S. military "support" for secessionist movements (organized, funded, armed by the Bushites) in the oil-rich provinces of Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia..."

[OregonBlue]

6. They gotta bomb someone. How else do they propose to stay in power? These are

very dangerous men and these are very dangerous times.

[slipslidingaway]

7. Bomb or help overthrow, either way we need to protect

our interests :(

[OregonBlue]

8. I love it "PROTECT" our interests!! LOL

:mad: They are batshit crazy.