Post by Tryp on Aug 16, 2007 19:18:35 GMT -5
Taken from today's Times Colonist
www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=3a0fd17f-6042-4a22-8ae4-ae1cdd985fb1
The United States has classified the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. Analysts believe this may be laying the groundwork for U.S. strikes against Iran before George Bush leaves office.
The Revolutionary Guard operates separately from the regular armed forces, and has domestic operations that include oil production and infrastructure projects.
The stated reason for the designation is to allow the U.S. to freeze any assets the Guards have with U.S. companies, but also to pressure international companies to cut any ties they have with the group.
However, analysts such as Sam Gardiner from the National War College believe that this move could be preempting air strikes against training camps in Iran.
Personally I would hope that the Bush administration wouldn't make such a move. Any strike inside Iran will provoke them to declare war. This could put nearby U.S. allies such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. at risk of attack, as well as U.S. forces in Iraq. Iran won't take air strikes just sitting down, they will strike back any way they can.
While the U.S. has far superior technology than Iran, U.S. ground forces are a bit stretched at this point, with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. To fight a ground war with Iran, the U.S. would have to call up many reservists to fight, as there's no way they could win with just air sorties and missile strikes.
Also, an official war would cause Iran to stop all oil exports, resulting in large economic problems, considering how much oil Iran has.
Hopefully this is all just scare tactics to get Iran to cooperate, war should be the very last resort.
www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=3a0fd17f-6042-4a22-8ae4-ae1cdd985fb1
The United States has classified the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. Analysts believe this may be laying the groundwork for U.S. strikes against Iran before George Bush leaves office.
The Revolutionary Guard operates separately from the regular armed forces, and has domestic operations that include oil production and infrastructure projects.
The stated reason for the designation is to allow the U.S. to freeze any assets the Guards have with U.S. companies, but also to pressure international companies to cut any ties they have with the group.
However, analysts such as Sam Gardiner from the National War College believe that this move could be preempting air strikes against training camps in Iran.
Personally I would hope that the Bush administration wouldn't make such a move. Any strike inside Iran will provoke them to declare war. This could put nearby U.S. allies such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. at risk of attack, as well as U.S. forces in Iraq. Iran won't take air strikes just sitting down, they will strike back any way they can.
While the U.S. has far superior technology than Iran, U.S. ground forces are a bit stretched at this point, with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. To fight a ground war with Iran, the U.S. would have to call up many reservists to fight, as there's no way they could win with just air sorties and missile strikes.
Also, an official war would cause Iran to stop all oil exports, resulting in large economic problems, considering how much oil Iran has.
Hopefully this is all just scare tactics to get Iran to cooperate, war should be the very last resort.