Escalation Against Iran The Pieces Are Being Put in Place

The pieces are moving. They’ll be in place by the end of February. The United States will be able to escalate military operations against Iran.

The second carrier strike group leaves the U.S. west coast on January 16. It will be joined by naval mine clearing assets from both the United States and the UK. Patriot missile defense systems have also been ordered to deploy to the Gulf.

Maybe as a guard against North Korea seeing operations focused on Iran as a chance to be aggressive, a squadron of F-117 stealth fighters has just been deployed to Korea.

This has to be called escalation. We have to remind ourselves, just as Iran is supporting groups inside Iraq, the United States is supporting groups inside Iran. Just as Iran has special operations troops operating inside Iraq, we’ve read the United States has special operations troops operating inside Iran.

I know some of this is past tense but what interests me is the media aspect of this article. To quote:

First, we know there is a National Security Council staff-led group whose mission is to create outrage in the world against Iran. Just like before Gulf II, this media group will begin to release stories to sell a strike against Iran. Watch for the outrage stuff.

This is coming from a retired US air force colonel. A strategist for several War colleges he would have the insight as to what type of campaign we should expect. I'm not military but seeing the Gulf War unfold on tv sure opened things up for the average public. Just now I saw another thread about CNN coverage of direct Iranian involvement with the Iraq War. Is the media blitz gearing up for whats to come ?

src: www.counterpunch.org...

brill

I just wanted to bump this thread as there are now many articles appearing that seem to back the claims made by retired Colonel Sam Gardiner. Just to reiterate his point...

this media group will begin to release stories to sell a strike against Iran. Watch for the outrage stuff.

Just today it appears as though another kidnapping has occurred, here are some details.

The abduction of an Iranian diplomat in Baghdad on Sunday evening has further heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, amid a continuing US military buildup against Iran in the Persian Gulf.

US officials have denied any role in the kidnapping, but the incident certainly serves the Bush administration’s purposes by undermining Iranian diplomatic activity and souring relations between Iraq and Iran. Moreover, while it is not clear who carried out the kidnapping, several aspects of the operation point to American involvement.

src www.globalresearch.ca...

There can be no question now that the propaganda machine is in full swing and more gems are sure to be exposed or generated within the upcoming days/weeks. It cannot be argued that this is simply saber rattling, there is a genuine escalation underway and the results don't look good.

brill

I stumbled upon an interesting pdf document, published in Nov 2006 by the Israeli 'Institute for National Security Studies' think-tank detailing Iran's long-range ballistic missile and space launch vehicle program

Among the main conclusions of this study:
• Iran’s missile and space programs are progressing with singular urgency: no other country in the world, including established industrialized powers, comes close to Iran in the number and variety of ballistic missiles in development or already deployed.
• The Iranians are covering almost all technological bases: ordinary liquid propulsion, storable liquid propulsion, and solid propulsion. Along with ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles, Iran seems poised to add a cruise missile component to its strategic forces.
• Iran's development of a space launch vehicle may well be a harbinger of an ICBM.
• The range of Iran's missiles has grown steadily decade by decade, from a purely local range to an extended range that is likely to dominate the entire European continent by the end of the decade.
• Heralding the missile program with a great deal of transparency, Iran has exploited it as a psychological tool, adding it to its force of “deterrence enhancers.”
• There is some doubt as to the quality and precision of the more advanced missiles, with Iran's claims likely exceeding the missiles' actual capabilities.
• Nonetheless, Iran's aspirations should be taken seriously, and given the various components of its missile program, it should be assumed that the missiles are approaching a global range...
source

Makes for compelling reading, and yet more 'evidence' for the war-hawks to launch a pre-emptive strike

Given that its an israeli think tank it certainly would be agenda driven. In fairness I'm sure the Iranians have a similar outlet. However your point is clear and taken in that it provides more fodder for whats to come.

brill