[aldo_14]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4180087.stm
US commandos are operating inside Iran selecting sites for future air strikes, says the American investigative reporter Seymour Hersh.

In the New Yorker magazine, Hersh says intelligence officials have revealed that Iran is the Bush administration's "next strategic target".

Hersh says that American special forces have conducted reconnaissance missions inside Iran for six months.

But the White House has described his article as "riddled with inaccuracies".

Potential targets include nuclear sites and missile installations, he says.

The New Yorker journalist adds that President Bush has authorised the operations, defining them as military to avoid legal restrictions on CIA covert intelligence activities overseas.

Think it's true?  False?  Thoughts?

[vyper]

Probably true, and this "leak" is probably an excuse for Bush to start publicly sabre rattling. He is however, in no position to invade Iran any time soon.

It is however a dangerous road to go down since he's classified them as military operations - and thus acts of war against Iran.

[aldo_14]

Incidentally, I remember hearing reports that US special forces were operating in Africa - Ethiopa or Sudan, I think - against terrorist camps there.  I think it was in a documentary on  the beeb.

[Swamp_Thing]

I will only say this:
The moment an american bomb lands on Iran, i´m volunteering to fight them.
And trust me, i am NOT joking.

[Rictor]

I don't know about this. Could just be Hersh looking for his next big story and being a bit overzealous. But then again, its could be true.

We'll soon see I guess.

[redmenace]

It could have been from the nuclear scare, or I should say continue nuclear scare just in case Iran decides to build a nuclear weapon.

[Rictor]

Its their right to do so, since they are a soverign nation and the US has absolutey no authority over them. And if you want to get technicaly and start talking about breaching the Nonproliferation Treaty, better look inside your own borders first.

[aldo_14]

Although the 'he did it, so can I' defense isn't exactly the soundest.........

[Tiara]

Originally posted by Rictor
Its their right to do so, since they are a soverign nation and the US has absolutey no authority over them. And if you want to get technicaly and start talking about breaching the Nonproliferation Treaty, better look inside your own borders first.

Exactly.

And if this is true, it would mean that war would have to start soon because this kind of dta ages very quickly and would be useless in the long run. Especially if the Iranians know about this article And if they do go through with this within the next 5 years, America will be reduced to a third-rate power because they just can't handle another war with someone like Iran.

Iran != Irak

The names may be similar (and maybe Bush is working in an alphabetical order starting with the 'I', which would mean Korea would be next after Iran ) but the two nations are nothing alike.

In a way I actually want them to start a war and feel the devastating consequences themselves, but since America is pretty much linked to the rest of the Western world it wouldn't be good for the rest of the world either. nevertheless, America needs some serious ass-slapping to bring them down to Earth instead of dragging us all down into a big pile of doodoo.

But seriously, I don't think that even Bush is stupid enough to start another war in his term unless he wants to pit the rest of the world against America and create a true Eurasian front.

[Rictor]

Originally posted by aldo_14
Although the 'he did it, so can I' defense isn't exactly the soundest.........

Well, not as such, but it works both ways. Iran should demand that the  US and Israel disarm as a prerequisite for stopping any plans they may or may not have to produce nukes. What do you think would be the response to that? Not even outrage, just blank disbelief.

I have no problem with forcing nations to live up to the NPT, so long as it applies to everyone.

[Corsair]

Sy Hersh does have a pretty good track record... and if it is true, I'm not surprised at all.

[Liberator]

We all know it's coming, it's just a matter of when.  I for one would like to get this Iraq thing tied up before we take the War on Terror further,  but a lot of the Terrorists that are organizing and carrying out Terrorist acts are apparently Iranian and their government is being less than helpful in controling there movements.

Iran doesn't want a free and democratic Iraq, it's a threat that they cannot abide for long because their own people will begin to see what they can have.

[vyper]

Dude, America doesn't want a free and democratic Iraq either. They may want a Westernised Iraq..

Eirther way the Iraqi people get ass ****ed.

[Genryu]

Lib, I told you beofre, I'll tell you again : eitheir stop smoking or start sharing
All joke asides, given the numerous regime around there, Iran is far from being the worse. They do have election, even if the media are often biased and propaganda abonds... Hmmm, remind me of another election no too long ago....
But at least, they're making effort. And frankly, if America start another war soon, I won't share a ter when they get their butt handed to them by a Coalition of the Willing Musulman. Cause right now, that's where they're headed, head first and without any protection.

[Gank]

Umm, Iran is a democracy, in theory anyways. And a democratically elected government in Iraq is probably going to turn out the exact same as the Iranian system, the Ayatollahs there have every bit if not more influence as their Iranian counterparts.

Hersh does have a good track record on this sort of stuff, if it is true is probably the stupidest thing bush has done so far. Unbelievably stupid.

Btw I wouldnt like to be one of the special forces in Iran at the minute.

[vyper]

The moral is, if you're gonna **** someone - use protection.

[pyro-manic]

Here we go again...

[Thrilla]

It sounds possible.  If it is true then that is a major security leak, and that ain't cool.  Special Forces are always working everywhere almost constantly.  I wouldn't doubt them being in Iran or Africa at all.

[Unknown Target]

The US will not attack Iran. I refuse to believe that congress will allow that to pass.

[Zarax]

Bush can't really do the math...
Unless he sends levies the US Army already reached his maximum extension (2 major engagements represented by Iraq and Afghanistan plus the south-east asia humanitary ops) so that unless they can bring real foreign support Iran is pretty much safe...