Apocalypse now: New reporting by Robert Parry on the behind-the-scenes battle between Pres. Bush and the U.S. military’s top generals picks up where the Seymour Hersh’s story in the New Yorker leaves off — painting a picture of a what amounts to a quiet military coup at the very top ranks of the Pentagon against the neocon cabal at the White House.
The nation’s top brass are convinced that attacking Iran would yield calamitous results, and yet the White House — under the sway of the neocons and Vice Pres. Cheney — is determined at any cost to escalate the sectarian war it has started in Iraq into a full-scale regional war between Sunni Arabs and Shiite Iran.
In an elaborate contest of wills, the generals, apparently including Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have leaked the broad strokes of Cheney’s secret war planning to the media. They have also let it be known that many of them would resign if Cheney and Bush take the country to war.
To counter this threat, Cheney has instructed the Pentagon to be ready to start bombing Iran within 24 hours after a signal from the White House — relying on the military’s “do or die” ethos to force the generals to stay at their posts until after the damage is done:
By creating such a tight time frame for action, Bush would negate the possibility for the Pentagon brass and Congress to mount any serious opposition to a presidential order on Iran, even if they are convinced Bush’s actions will be catastrophic.
The tradition of the U.S. military is to implement presidential orders regardless of doubts. Perhaps months later, a dissenting commander might quietly resign.
That practice and the 24-hour window may help explain why several U.S. generals are pondering now how to stop Bush from blindsiding them with a new war. One of their tactics appears to be leaking indications of their strong opposition to the press.
It was the order to set up the 24 hour trigger that prompted several top generals to signal to the Sunday Times of London this week that they would resign if the order to start the war is given. And, as unlikely as it may seem, it appears that the generals’ resistance may have been worked, at least in the short term:
[One] source told me that the resistance — from the Pentagon, Blair and even Democrats in Congress — appears to be having an effect on Bush’s decision-making. This source said he believed Bush had planned to launch an attack on Iran, possibly as early as this week, but was getting “weak knees.”
Nonetheless, based on the way Cheney and Bush drove the country to war against Iraq in 2002, the best assumption is that the new war against Iran could begin at any moment. It will come, according to Parry’s sources, with an attack by Israel on Iran, probably on its nuclear facilities. When Iran retaliates, the U.S. will come in full force to defend Israel, launching a bombardment of Iran’s infrastructure similar to the “shock and awe” bombing at the start of the war in Iraq.
What the generals want the American people to know is that this nightmare scenario is real, the planning is complete and ready to go — and that an attack could begin at any moment that would likely trigger a full-scale war in the Middle East.
Report: Iran War Is Set to Start Now, But Resistance Has Given Bush ‘Weak Knees’…
According to sources among the Pentagon’s top brass, the U.S. war against Iran was supposed to start as early as this week, but resistance from top generals, including Joint Chiefs Chair Peter Pace, has given Bush "weak knees." Generals are…
This would be the time to get a copy of the Nuremburg Trials into the hands of the Joint Chiefs. They DO have one option not mentioned.
Refusal.
Resignation means someone else will step up and on a 24hr notice, the next guy in line doesn’t have time to ponder.
Don’t quit Gen Pace, Resist.
If you are handed illegal, immoral orders, not only are you allowed to refuse them, if you don’t, you’ll hang with the rest of them for Crimes Against Humanity.
Stop them before they kill again! I’ve called Pelosi’s office, e-mailed, signed petitions. Someone who has the means must stop these insane neocons.
Shout this out to anyone who will listen. The consequences of a war with Iran would be unimaginably catastrophic. It would not solve our problems with terrorism, but increase them manyfold.
Peace is hard work. It demands the best minds at our command as well as patience, persistence and resolve.
Please join the StopIranWar effort at http://www.stopiranwar.com.
[…] There are other options. Drastic restructuring (warning: pretty far out there) of our financial institution would do it. But that would require a Congress with some foresight and resolve, which wasn’t battling itself and the Bush Administration over simple things like fighting corruption (if anyone is left to fight against these fucking corrupt criminal assholes) and the endless war the Bush Administration is trying to foster in the Middle East…thank god there are people in the Pentagon who are NOT insane! I want to drive down the the Pentagon and personally give each of those people fighting against this corrupt and insane Bush Administration a box of chocolates, a six pack of beer and a hearty thanks for the bottom of my heart. […]
ron paul can stop this madness
hillary has the defense contrators behind her.the people that have to drop bombs on people to make money?you support her ?Ron Paul does not accept money from corperations or devils just individuals and he has raised over 30 million in a few months he is a christian,and the olny true conservitive running,the troops gave Ron Paul more money than any other canidates in the republicans and wants to march them out like they mached in Ron Paul has been making predictions for sometime and has been proven right all the time economy,illeagal immoral wars,lack of fiscal irresponsibly immigration you should stop listining to main steam media he is a viable canidate and has a very good chance if we would wake up and see he is a once in a lifetime chance!join the revolution against the government selling our kids off to the war machines for the next 100 years as these neocons want!fight for this country dawm it!!
It’s not so insane to go into Iran if all you’re after is their oil and another territory for the 4th Reich.
But yes, hOOray for those generals; especially Gen. Pace. Finally we see someone in command with some sense, guts and integrity. Guts is a french word; stands for COURAGE!
Let’s get this madness over with. Let’s elect Dr. Paul!