An Act of War

Two years ago I blogged:[1]

Does anyone think that we, or Israel can drop bombs on Iran, dust off our hands and come home declaring “Mission Accomplished,” and think that will be the end of it? If we, or more likely Israel, attack Iran, it’s a whole new war. We can’t get out of the ones we are already in. Even after five years, 4000 of our troops dead, 30,000 wounded, many of them injured for life, a half trillion dollars down the tube… and that’s against a nation whose military had been broken by U.S. victories in 1991 followed by ten years of bombings and sanctions.


It is easier said than done. To bomb Iran, Israel would have to fly over a thousand miles of hostile air space, refuel in the air and hit numerous targets at the same time. The worse part is that Israel does not have the bunker buster bombs which would be required to knock out the estimated 12 to 20 facilities built into the side of a mountain and heavily fortified. Israel would have to get them from the US. Automatically such an attack would be an act of war and we would be right in the midst of it for God only knows for how long.

It’s easy for political hopefuls to talk about a “line in the sand,” and all options being on the table. But has anyone asked the next question. I keep waiting for the news media to ask, “After we have bombed their plants and killed no telling how many people, what happens next?” Iran has 70 million people, missiles capable of sinking ships, an army of over 850,000 troops, 1600 tanks, 21,000 armored vehicles, 70 warships and 3 submarines.[2] I hope somebody is counting the cost this time.

Another question is, “What will Iran do with a nuclear bomb even if it has one.” To use it would invite a retaliation that would pulverize its nation. Eric Margolis writes,

The US Congress pulsates with war fever, fuelled by oncoming elections and huge cash donations. North America’s media pounds the war drums.” Why would Iran risk nuclear vaporization by Israel or the US just to launch a small number of its inaccurate missiles at Israel? US and Israeli early warning satellites would spot any Iranian missiles at launch and bring down a nuclear holocaust on the Islamic Republic.

It’s hard for me to think that Israel actually fears a nuclear attack. What Israel does fear is Iran’s support of Hezbollah and Hamas, which are the two organizations interfering with Israeli’s ambitions to destroy the Palestinians and take their land.

The best way for Israel to gain security would be to bring a just end to the Palestinian crisis. Do we risk a long time war, with missiles, terror retaliations and unprecedented oil prices to protect Israel’s expansion into Palestine?

Thomas Are
March 9, 20112
[1] September 7, 2008
[2] Eric Margolis, Politicians Want War With Iran, LewRockwell.com, February 8, 2012.