http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Sun, 4 May 2008 11:40:08 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/05/04/092432.php#comment-715372 The United States is unable to subdue guerrilla elements in Iraq and Afghanistan now. If the Americans provoke the Iranians with an attack, where do the Americans find troops to fight them? Iran is not the starved whipped puppy that the U.S. attacked in Iraq, and in spite of that the Iraqis continue to fight on five years after the invasion of their country. Iran has almost three times the population of Iraq, and they're well fed, well rested and well armed. Would anyone in the United States welcome another Iraq war in addition to the one they have now? How about another Iraq war times two or three? A U.S. invasion and occupation of Iran is out of the question, America does not have the military capability to do that. So any attack on Iran that does not destroy a substantial portion of the country and kill a substantial portion of the population leaves Iran free to respond. Their immediate response would probably be increased arms shipments into Iraq and Afghanistan, increased training to guerrillas in those countries, and covert operations by Iranian special forces groups against American troops in the region. The Iranians have options in addition to that of course. The Americans have conceded more than once that their infantry is tired and stretched thin. If Iran enters the fight it would put enormous additional pressure on United States ground forces. No more R&R back to the States for anybody, and it's likely the American army will be forced to expand its troop levels dramatically, in the hundreds of thousands at least. The U.S. army is barely maintining troop levels now. Where are, to be conservative, let's say one hundred thousand additional U.S. troops going to come from? How many years would a fight with Iran go on? What would be the United States' definition of victory and an excuse to end hostilities? Since the USA is incapable of invading and occupying Iran, a war with that country could last indefinitely. The Iranians are surely not going to call it quits after an unprovoked attack on their territory by the United States. 715372@blogcritics.org Sun, 4 May 2008 11:40:08 EDT