US prepares for air strikes against Iran
As reports circulate of a sharp debate within the White House over possible US military action against Iran and its nuclear enrichment facilities, The Nation has learned that the Bush Administration and the Pentagon have moved up the deployment of a major "strike group" of ships, including the nuclear aircraft carrier Eisenhower as well as a cruiser, destroyer, frigate, submarine escort and supply ship, to head for the Persian Gulf, just off Iran's western coast. This information follows a report in the current issue of Time magazine, both online and in print, that a group of ships capable of mining harbors has received orders to be ready to sail for the Persian Gulf by October 1.
That is a sudden and very large gathering of force. Looks like the administration either wants to use some big stick threats to get Iran to negotiate, or intends to go ahead with air strikes. I give 50/50 odds they are going with air strikes.
I would give even higher odds on the air strikes, excepct they have to know that doing so will cause a war. If they launch air strikes, Iran will begin supplying insurgents in Iraq with weapons and advisors on an increasing scale, and one way or another war becomes almost inevitable.
Jay