What Would Merlin Say?

From an earlier post:
Gale: and who will it be blamed on?
Melvin: Iran? 
Gale: yes
Melvin: nah
Gale: or Syria
Melvin: though that would be interesting
Melvin: not that they need a direct connection
Melvin: of course

Melvin: i hope you're wrong
Gale: so another terrorist attack or two
Melvin: but i dont see it going any further
Gale: and bam - bombs start flying

Gale: we are one terrorist attack away from Bush and Co doing whatever they want
Gale: one attack in our country
Gale: and it will happen
Gale: just like 9/11 did
Gale: with our govt. ushering it in

And now we have:

From the latest print issue of The American Conservative:

The Pentagon, acting under instructions from Vice President Dick Cheney's office, has tasked the United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM) with drawing up a contingency plan to be employed in response to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States. The plan includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons. Within Iran there are more than 450 major strategic targets, including numerous suspected nuclear-weapons-program development sites. Many of the targets are hardened or are deep underground and could not be taken out by conventional weapons, hence the nuclear option. As in the case of Iraq, the response is not conditional on Iran actually being involved in the act of terrorism directed against the United States. Several senior Air Force officers involved in the planning are reportedly appalled at the implications of what they are doing--that Iran is being set up for an unprovoked nuclear attack--but no one is prepared to damage his career by posing any objections.

Way to go, Dick.

Comments

[Jeff]

So how IS life off the deep end?

[Gale]

I'll let you know when I get there!

[Gudy]

This is all a bit tinfoil-hattish for my taste. I have no doubt that these contingency plans exist, it is, after all, quite clear that they did for Iraq, but whether the NeoCons actually go forward with this is another matter, I'd say. Even the US military resources, vast as they are, are limited, and when you're using Nukes there's always the double whammy of everyone else joining the fun AND things (including all those nice oil and gas fields) being a radioactive mess afterwards...

[nakedjen]

I completely appreciate that conversation you had with Melvin. My husband and I have conversations like that on fairly regularly basis and even in SANTA CRUZ we are met with gasps of disbelief and shaking heads. People think we're nuts to believe that our government would be capable of such crimes.

Well, I do believe. Those crimes and much worse.

Lovely piece on your time in Crawford, as well.

[Gale Winds]

Hi Jen - I LOVE Santa Cruz! I don't have these conversations with many here in Texas - they might revoke my residency! Which wouldn't be so bad actually.

Nice to know that I'm not the only one "off the deep end".