Joint Chiefs Chairman Says U.S. Preparing Military Options Against Iran

[Flash]

What about Tet?

What about it? You can argue just as convincingly that it was the US military that created false expectations that the Vietcong and the NVA were on their last legs and being defeated at their daily '5 o'clock follies' press briefings. The sudden, widespread, violent, and initially successful, offensive throughout South Vietnam shocked everyone, including the US military. How was a soon to be defeated enemy able to launch such an attack?

Blaming the media is a bit of a cop-out, there was much more at play than the monolithic media.

Joe Galloway on the 5 o'clock follies:

http://www.newseum.org/warstories/i...sp?id=2&anecdotenum=4&filename=bio_galloway_4

Time article on their end:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,903831,00.html

 

[usmarinemike]

Wow, I guess you put about 40%+ of AMERICANS in their place.
Next time you have such a thought, just say it to yourself in your HEAD first...OH SMART ONE!

I never really paid much attention to where this thread was going until just now. About my comments though, I am unashamed. I do not mean to assassinate the character of any particular person, only to point out how intrinsically at odds the mission of the Democratic Party (gaining power) is with the mission set out for us in OIF and OEF.

The Democratic Party is so earnest to fulfill their mission that prominent party members have publicly declared that the war in Iraq is a failure, or basically proclaimed that we as "the troops" have failed. Even though this is not so, they want it to be so true so that they can say "I told you so" and then ride in on a donkey and save the day for the world.

Thus, they have staked their success on our failure. They can give lip service, and even convince themselves that they "support our troops" but when it is all laid out on the table, and you look at the cards closely, the Democratic Party's strategy for gaining control of the government is not reconcilable with the goals of our operations abroad. There are many other ways the party could have taken to gain power, but this is the tack they took, and that scares the hell out of me. The Democratic Party's maneuver plan has the failure of the Iraq campaign BUILT IN as a phaseline. Recognize that.

...And secure the attitude.

 

[usmarinemike]

Do you really think that? Since when did one political party have exclusive rights on patriotism? I guess we should just dismiss a 'pathetic human being' like this and what he thinks:

And I put James Webb in a different boat than the others. I want to believe that his Democratic Party is not the one that is running amuck in Congress right now. They are not American statesmen as he is.

 

[Flash]

The Democratic Party is so earnest to fulfill their mission that prominent party members have publicly declared that the war in Iraq is a failure, or basically proclaimed that we as "the troops" have failed. Even though this is not so, they want it to be so true so that they can say "I told you so" and then ride in on a donkey and save the day for the world.

Thus, they have staked their success on our failure......

There is your basic problem, you are making assumptions. I could just as easily make the leaps of logic that you do with the Republican party by claiming that they went to war in Iraq only to secure the supply of oil and help out their old oil business buddies, but that would be as absurd as your argument.

...And secure the attitude.

Who are you talking to? If not yourself, maybe you ought to check out some people's bios, they ain't a PFC to your SSGT.

 

[Flash]

And I put James Webb in a different boat than the others. I want to believe that his Democratic Party is not the one that is running amuck in Congress right now. They are not American statesmen as he is.

What about the rest of this nation's citizens who call themselves Democrats and have served just as honorably as Senator Jim Webb?

I have no issue if you want to rage against Democrats, but when you call them 'pathetic human beings' and suggest they are less patriotic because of the party they belong to, then you are reaching a bit too far.

 

[usmarinemike]

There is your basic problem, you are making assumptions. I could just as easily make the leaps of logic that you do with the Republican party by claiming that they went to war in Iraq only to secure the supply of oil and help out their old oil business buddies, but that would be as absurd as your argument.

Perhaps I am overstating. I don't want to come across as a Coulter/Hannity fanatic as I usually change the station when they come on. It is just frustrating sometimes to hear the sound bytes that the Democrats in the legislature have come out with in the past 2 years.

Who are you talking to? If not yourself, maybe you ought to check out some people's bios, they ain't a PFC to your SSGT.

I am typically very, very mindful of this on AW. I know the company I am in. I even gave it strong consideration when I wrote that line, but when somebody ends an internet post aimed at me with sarcasm to show me up, I don't find it fair and equitable to have to take it up the tailpipe. No professional would say what was said to a subordinate in person.

 

[T37Driver]

"Perhaps I am overstating."
"No professional would say what was said to a subordinate in person."

OVERSTATING is to say the least.
Also, NO I would NOT talk to a subordinate like that. However, I would hope my Subordinate will think twice before making a falsely generalized and absurdly demeaning statement such as "Pathetic Human Being" about a large group of Americans.

Nuff said.
Good Luck on the road ahead. Be careful, there are still some Pathetic Human Beings (Democrats: in your words) in the services that might not share your views and you might have them as your subordinates or as your leadership.
Best thing anyone can do is to leave the politics and your views AT HOME or at online forums. You're going to be here to serve the Nation, whether it's being run by a Republican or Democrat.

All The Best!

 

[Scoob]

You're going to be here to serve the Nation, whether it's being run by a Republican or Democrat.

You just might be doing it by trying to figure out how to maintain currency of a whole squadron of aircrew with a single up aircraft due to cannibalizing the rest of the hangar to make up for a complete absence of a maintenance budget.

I, for one, am nervous.

 

[voodooqueen]

Aren't there all kinds of hypothetical plans for possible case scenarios? I mean, recognizing all possibilities is a part of not underestimating your enemy(s). So, preparing doesn't necessitate attack, right?

 

[Flash]

Aren't there all kinds of hypothetical plans for possible case scenarios? I mean, recognizing all possibilities is a part of not underestimating your enemy(s). So, preparing doesn't necessitate attack, right?

Yes.

We are always planning for war, with a lot of countries, it doesn't mean we are going to do it.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Iran Returns 4 More F-14A'a to Service

IRIAF returned 4 more F-14A's to fully operational service in Feb/Mar 2008.

This makes for 44 total F-14A's in active operational service with the Islamic Republic of Iran AF

Conversion of MIM-23B Hawk SAM's to Tomcat launched AIM config contues!

4 Squadrons - at least 1 squadron deployed to Bushehr.

This is getting interesting folks!

 

[Flash]

IRIAF returned 4 more F-14A's to fully operational service in Feb/Mar 2008.

This makes for 44 total F-14A's in active operational service with the Islamic Republic of Iran AF

Conversion of MIM-23B Hawk SAM's to Tomcat launched AIM config contues!

4 Squadrons - at least 1 squadron deployed to Bushehr.

This is getting interesting folks!

Ummmmm, and how do you know all of this for sure?

 

[ChuckMK23]

Well not for sure - but I am reading corresponding articles in both Aviation Week and Combat Aircraft magazines... both publications are consistently reliable ...

I was genuinely surprised at the numbers.... but it's in keeping with previous reports on Iran developing a mature depot level repair capability on the Turkey...

Look up the info for yourselves ...

 

[phrogdriver]

They're converting HAWKS to AIMs?

That's got to require complete rework of the seeker head. Plus, the HAWK is a crazy big missle.

 

[ChuckMK23]

They're converting HAWKS to AIMs?

That's got to require complete rework of the seeker head. Plus, the HAWK is a crazy big missle.

I know it sounds wild but the Defense and aerospace media have reported pretty widely on IRIAF's effort to convert their MIM-23B HAWK SAM's into a viable air to air weapon for integration on the F-14A
The programs's beenin development for 5 years or so I believe..
IRIAF's designation is the AIM-23C Sejil MRAAM (Google it!)

Iran's F-14's are being converted to carry 3 of these missles....