Lindsey Graham and Iran

"A Republican Senator has sparked outrage at an international security conference after saying the U.S. should be prepared to launch a military attack on Iran to 'neuter' its hard-line regime.

Lindsey Graham, who represents South Carolina, told surprised attendees at the Halifax International Security Forum that an attack could cripple Iran's nuclear programme and armed forces.

He said that although international sanctions were beginning to work, President Barack Obama should make it 'abundantly clear' that 'all options are on the table'." Daily Mail

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Bibi Natanyahu told Biden yesterday that the US must "man up" on its threat to wipe out Iran's nuclear program.  This sounds like the same message delivered by Graham who is one of Israel's closest friends.  I suppose that McCain and Lieberman cannot be far behind.  

As I said in my Miller Center talk Israel now has effective control of US actions with regard to Iran.  We can't prevent them attacking Iran.  Public opinion and the howling of the "rented" Congress will insure that such a war quickly becomes America's war against Iran.  pl

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1327727/Republican-Senator-Lindsey-Graham-calls-pre-emptive-strike-neuter-Iran.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz14hXIpgxL

 

Comments

[NYAl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI

[Nancy K]

This sickens me. The Republicans scream about overspending, what do they think a new war is going to cost? Do they really believe Iran will roll over and play dead for them. When are we going to stop being the tail of the dog for Israel.
What about our soldiers who are already pushed to the breaking point. My feeling is bring back the draft and let the children and grandchildren of those who support this go first.

[J]

Colonel,

I'd love to see a Nuremberg II take place, and in its docket Lindsey Graham, McCain, Graham, Cantor,and the 'other' 'rented Congress' persona a.k.a. the Israeli agent occupied U.S. Congress. At that most needed future Nuremberg, Graham, and his minion need to be held accountable for the murders of innocent Iranian old women, old men, and children that the Israeli crowd is so a glee to murder in cold blood.

[Fred]

So, 6 days after the election Republican Senators call for war and tax cuts! That's a hell of a way to 'reform' their image.

Senator Graham: 'So my view of military force would be not to just neutralise their nuclear programme, which are probably dispersed and hardened, but to sink their navy, destroy their air force and deliver a decisive blow to the Revolutionary Guard.' Maybe you can get one of your House colleagues to call for a declaration of war? At least to be accurate they could call it 'Operation Abortion', though that would probably be the only way to get the Conservatives to say no.

Gates says there are other options:
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2010/1108/Gates-Military-force-is-not-the-only-way-to-deter-Iran

Further, Israeli's apparently won't defend Israel, so why should we:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/06/AR2010110604283.html

[eakens]

If you were expecting change, I have a president to sell you.

[Redhand]

I wonder how Graham thinks conventional bombing will bring about a "decisive blow to the Revolutionary Guard?"

To me this is pure madness: an open invitation to endless asymertic warfare.

It is also the height of irresponsible war-mongering.

I shudder to think where we would be now had McCain won in 08.

[Clifford Kiracofe]

Three quarters of the House and Senate voted for the Iraq War...

I explain in some detail the influence of Christian Fundamentalists on this and on Iran policy in my book Dark Crusade: Christian Zionism and US Foreign Policy (London: Tauris, 2009).

My last chapter in the book is about the coming war (with Iran) and Rev. Hagee, one of leaders of the Fundamentalist subculture supporting Graham etal...

[Norbert M. Salamon]

It appears that Secretary Gates is believer of Peak Oil, and knows that another war in ME land is fatal to USA interest.
Senator Graham has his heart nd patronism tied to Israel, and is in a dream land regarding USA's ability to survive another oil shock.

Admiral{?] Lawrence Rice, is aware of the problem USA armed forces and nation face regarding OIL, as is Dr. James Schelisnger: please listen to their talk at the recent ASPO conference in Washington, DC a few days ago:

http://aspo.tv/

Beside the two speaker mentioned, there are others posted with more to come as the videos are posted.

Enjoy - the views expressed on the site indicate that the USA can not afford a war with Iran due to the almost certain blowback of burning oilfields and oil installations.

[Jose]

Col., I think you are on target concerning Iran.

FoolBama has no courage to stand up to anything or anyone, just protect his funding sources.

If anybody has a chance, check out this month issue of "Popular Mechanics" concerning China, nice preview of Iranian tactics in any conformation.

I'm sure Graham is going to ask his Ziocon friends to send twice the number of troops, "our greatest strategic partner in the GWOT", sent to Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and now Iran and/or Syria and/or Lebanon and/or etc.

[par4]

Sounds like one more in a long line of war crimes. We might start seeing the rest of the world turn away from us if we do.(meaning those nations/peoples that haven't already)

[jamzo]

david broder is also member of this choir

his solo was on on october 31

his voice did not get the attention that graham's voice did

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/29/AR2010102907404.html

The war recovery?
David S. Broder
Sunday, October 31, 2010

"...... What else might affect the economy? The answer is obvious, but its implications are frightening. War and peace influence the economy.

"Look back at FDR and the Great Depression. What finally resolved that economic crisis? World War II.

Here is where Obama is likely to prevail. With strong Republican support in Congress for challenging Iran's ambition to become a nuclear power, he can spend much of 2011 and 2012 orchestrating a showdown with the mullahs. This will help him politically because the opposition party will be urging him on. And as tensions rise and we accelerate preparations for war, the economy will improve.

I am not suggesting, of course, that the president incite a war to get reelected. But the nation will rally around Obama because Iran is the greatest threat to the world in the young century. If he can confront this threat and contain Iran's nuclear ambitions, he will have made the world safer and may be regarded as one of the most successful presidents in history. "

[Sidney O. Smith III]

Prof. Kiracofe is exactly right, imo. Graham is playing to the Hagee evangelical crowd, which has a strong following in South Carolina. Arguably, Graham, like so many others in the South, is betraying an anti-imperial tradition that has deep roots in the region but now long forgotten. This evangelical current has a different etiology, as documented in Prof. Kiracofe’s book.

At least for those who want to counter the clash of civilizations narrative, it is critical to make these kind of historical distinctions. Jacobins, who control all mainstream political groups, simply are better adept, at this point, in manipulating American history to their advantage. The art of (Ledeen’s and Robert Kagan’s) creative destruction far surpasses any counterargument arising out those who oppose a clash of civilizations, including those of the “progressive” movement.

Besides Prof. Kircofe, I don’t see many people making these needed historical distinctions that ideally would give rise to new organzing principles, although I did try to do so in an sst essay a few years ago titled Jackson Circle.

The Republican takeover appears to increase the odds that Israel now will launch a pre-emptive strike aganst Iran, placing US solders and assets at tremendous risk. Societal disintegration is sure to follow. Perhaps from there, a new type of American ethos will arise that will show a greater tendency towards self reflection and less of a likelihood of lecturing the rest of the world through war and under the ruse of “ideological conquest” to borrow from R. Kagan.

[Pirouz]

Sir,
Is a "rented Congress" sort of the same thing as ZOG?

[Norbert M. Salamon]

Jose:

There is no way that any president can stand up to Iran without endangering USA to total collapse!

If Senator Graham and his budies could show a way that attacking Iran could be done without endangering the Saudi and other oil installations and the lives of USA Navy personel on war ships, even then the idea of attacking Iran would be foolish. The USA Military is well aware that they can not ensure the survival of either the Saudi oil terminals, nor can they ensure the survival of the USA Navy ships without resource to Nuclear weapons -- the use thereof is almost certain top start WWIII.

[Jake]

All I have to say is the man is suffering from an acute case of "cranial rectal inversion"...

What the hell is wrong with him? This crap just continues to give UBL and his minions the ammo they need to continue AQ's war on us.

Someone with balls tell Israel to shut the hell up or lose funding! Do we have anyone in power with any balls any longer?

[Jake]

PS: I suppose that this is also the kiss of death to the ratification of the Start Treaty....

We are losing the Republic at warp speed....

[Cloned Poster]

This issue is the Chinese plan, fire some http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-300_%28missile%29
and the fleet are fucked.

[Cloned Poster]

Jose

Link that article.

[R Whitman]

The record of both the US and Israel winning wars recently is not good. Any speculation as to what the damage to Israel and the US will be in the event of an attack?

[peg]

could some influential person please move to South Carolina now and run against Graham in 2012? (looking at you Col Lang)

i can't think of anyone here who has enough cred to do the job.

[Adam L Silverman]

Pirouz: I can't speak for COL Lang, but the answer is no. ZOG is a specific reference term used by members of the Christian Identity, Posse Comitatus, militia, neo-Nazis, and white supremacist movements to describe a US goverment, aligned to other governments, all under the secret control of a group or cabal of elderly, wealthy, scheming Jews. Essentially it's an update of material in the 19th century Russian forgery Protocols of the Elders of Zion and the Nazi propoganda of the early 20th century. What is occurring is a largely overt lobbying effort by AIPAC, the Israeli government, a number of think tanks, as well as some Jewish and Chritian organizations, and other groups to influence American policy in the Middle East. The people who believe the US government is really ZOG also believe in racial and radicalized religious superiority and supremacy and would like to see racial holy war (rahowa). They've made common cause with Islamic extremists who have spread a similar anti-Jewish conspiracy theory message. If the websites are still up, check out both Radioislam.net and be wise as serpents (an Aryan Nations feeder site, using a phrase important to that community, that was used by a tea party/republican candidate in his advertising this year... Wonder who he was trying to signal?).

Interestingly enough, some really extreme Jews and Hindus have their own variant of ZOG - the SAOG/Saudi Arabian Occupation Government. Same concept and imagery, just change Jewish to Islam or Zionist to Saudi and put the caricatures in desert robes instead of frock coats and you're good to go.

[Laurie]

Sen. Graham is either remarkably stupid or cynical. I've been to both Iraq and Iran and even I, military ignoramus that I am, realize that the two countries are vastly different in geography, population, infrastructure, etc. As difficult as the conquest of Iraq has been, it will be a hundred times more so if we decide to conquer Iran. The arrogance of some people who think that a mere bombing campaign will bring the Iranian regime to its knees is unbelievable. In my humble opinion, such a campaign will strengthen the mullahs and put our troops and allies at severe risk of retaliation. The Israelis simply have to reconcile themselves to the Middle East as it is. They (and we) can't remake it to suit them. I thought we learned that...

I was glad to read that others at the conference had opposite views to Sen. Graham, including representatives of the administration and the British government. May saner heads prevail.

[Jose]

Cloned Poster - It's in the current issue, not on the web site yet.

Go to a library or WalMart and read it, very interesting and it's based on a Rand report.

NSM - I think we already in collapse and a wounded, a trapped Eagle is more dangerous than one that can not fly away. Remember, a Persian cat is no match for an Eagle...

[euclidcreek]

ZOG is simply shorthand for what many consider the undue influence of the Israeli lobby on local and federal government in the United States. To say that people who object to such influence are nazis, KKK, etc, is to smear many good, thinking people who have nothing in common with these pathetic fringe groups. Truth is evergreen.

[Norbert M. Salamon]

Jose:

The other ex-superpower managed to decline without trying to take the world downm with it. If the USA [or Isral, with USA consent] attacks IRan the USA will ensure its total collapse in a few months time, with no possibility of revival, a revival which Russia seems to have achieved.