Joint Chiefs Head Wary Of Iran Strike

Bombing Iranian Nuclear Sites Would Place Extreme Stress On Military, Adm. Mullen Says

(CBS/ AP)  An Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would be a high-risk move that could destabilize the Middle East, the Pentagon's top military officer said Wednesday.

At a Defense Department press conference, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refused to say what Israeli leaders told him during meetings last week about any intentions to strike Iran.

But asked whether he was concerned Israel would strike before the end of the year, he said: "This is a very unstable part of the world and I don't need it to be more unstable."

The U.S. military is severely strained already by wars on two fronts - the nearly seven-year-old campaign in Afghanistan and more than five years in Iraq.

"Opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us," Mullen said.

Meanwhile, Iran's oil minister warned Wednesday that an attack on Iran would provoke a fierce response.

Tehran "is not going to be quiet," if attacked, Nozari told reporters. It's "going to react fiercely, and nobody can imagine what would be the reaction of Iran," Gholam Hossein Nozari said at the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid.

The Bush administration and other world leaders allege Iran is seeking to produce nuclear weapons and Iran says its nuclear program is aimed only at generating electricity.

"I believe they're still on a path to get nuclear weapons and I think that's something that needs to be deterred," Mullen said, adding that it should be done through diplomatic, financial and economic actions by the U.S. and other nations.

But, he added, "I think that just about every move in that part of the world is a high-risk move."

In a press conference earlier in the day, President Bush also was asked about increasing speculation that Israel will launch a military strike, saying that all options are on the table but that military action would not be his first choice.

"I have made it very clear to all parties that the first option ought to be solve this problem diplomatically," Mr. Bush said. "And the best way to solve it diplomatically is for the United States to work with other nations to send a focused message - and that is, you will be isolated, and you will have economic hardship, if you continue to enrich" uranium for a bomb.

[samsel3]

In an interview published by the French, dedefensa.org journalist Amy Goodman''s interview with General Wesley Clark.

Clark stated he viewed a defense department memo that described how the U.S. was going to take out seven countries in five years....

"starting with Iraq,then Syria and Lebanon, then Libya,then Somalia and Sudan, and back to Iran."

[samsel3]

And the extermination continues............

More than a year and half before 911 the CIA Special Activities Division was conducting operations in Afghanistan, trying to topple the Taliban regime for the Caspian Sea Oil & Gas Pipelines...........We now call such activities terror.



February 12, 1998 John J. Maresca vp of UNOCAL oil appeared before a House sub committee. The purpose of the meeting was to gain support for exploitation of oil & natural gas resources, for the rights purchased by BIG OIL in the Caspian Sea area.

In his testimony he stated, "The key question is how the energy resources of Central Asia can be made available to nearby Asian markets ". The exploitation option stated : "One obvious route south would cross Iran, but this is foreclosed by American companies because of U.S. sanctions (with Iran ) .
The only other possible route is across Afghanistan, which of course has it''s own unique challenges. " He continued saying, " the pipeline we have proposed across Afghanistan could not begin until a recognized government is in place that has the confidence of governments,lenders (world monitary fund & world bank ) ,and our company "......"

UNOCAL and other American companies are prepared to undertake the job ".

[jboxton]

There is nowhere in the world that Muslims live that can be called "stabilized". They are savages and know nothing and want nothing but war.

[whiskyrocker]

I got news for this guy. The middle east is destabalized!

[beehive21-2009]

Iran is going down, they always, talk tough,put the fear in ya.

[noloyalisti]

If the Grand Oil Party executive branch and the war-mongering Congress take violent action against Iran in any way, I am immediately raising my payroll deductions to the max to keep my tax money from the United States of Imperialism.

I hope many, many others will do the same. Please spread the word.

[slim1h2o]

We''ll lose if we do.(bomb them) And their Army is better than Iraqs was at the start of this war.