Fallon: U.S. strike on Iran ‘not being prepared.’
By on Nov 11th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Fallon: U.S. strike on Iran ‘not being prepared.’
Admiral William Fallon, the head of U.S. Central Command, said a strike against Iran is “not in the offing.” Fallon added that the rhetoric of right-wing war hawks is unhelpful:
“None of this is helped by the continuing stories that just keep going around and around and around that any day now there will be another war which is just not where we want to go,” he said.
“Getting Iranian behaviour to change and finding ways to get them to come to their senses and do that is the real objective. Attacking them as a means to get to that spot strikes me as being not the first choice in my book.”
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Bye Fallon. It's time for you to spend more time with your family.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:36 pmYes, I remember the same protestations about Iraq five years ago, before we had hard evidence that "the facts were fixed around the policy".
Sorry, Willy, but I just don't trust you.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:37 pmThe western imperial bullying of Iran has gone on for over fifty years now. In 1953, the British and the American CIA overthrew the democratic government of Iran and installed the torturing murderous Shah. This was done at the behest of British Petroleum (BP), which was very unhappy that the Iranian government took steps to reclaim the oil that lay under their soil.
We are still trying to act as imperial bullies, now by trying to prevent Iran from being able to defend itself against western imperial aggression in the 21st century.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:39 pmAdm. Fallon will be to the Iran War what Gen. Shinseki was to the Iraq War.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:41 pmUh, Will, we have heard so many lies out of this admistration and it's fascist lockstep propaganda machine that, really, we can not believe anything that they say anymore, nothing, if they say the sky is blue then I have to go outside and low and behold it is green.
Lie to me once shame on you, lie to twice, I can't get lied to again.
Or some sort of Bushism or other.
Buck fush
November 11th, 2007 at 8:42 pmwell, this is somewhat heartening...
November 11th, 2007 at 8:47 pmbut, if it is as bilbobaggins #1 suggested, then we know
we are in very deep shite!
wow... talk about spin...
November 11th, 2007 at 8:51 pmand projection...
and transference...
and denial...
what else?
It’s funny how Think Progress can quote this without introspectively admitting that they are exactly the type to spread these rumors about an attack on Iran. False rumors about an attack on Iran have been bubbling up since at least 2004, usually from liberal sources, such as the infamous Seymour Hersh.
Democrats have used these rumors to gets votes in elections, telling voters that they had better vote Democrat or else face another war in Iran. Of course, Think Pravda, I mean Progress, will never admit to any of this since they are part of the propaganda machine.
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 11, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
Uh....I think you need a high colonic irrigation, you are so full of crap. First, Hersh blew the whistle on Me Lai. Then he was one of the first to alert us of Iran Contra. then he said there were no WMDs in Iraq. Pretty good record, I would say, though not good for the New Nazis. Also, who has said "Commies, Hippes, Liberals, WMDs, Iraq, Mushroom Clouds, 911, 911, 911, 911, 911, Iraq, Nukes, Russia, Muslims, Death, Destruction, Pot smokers, etc? Democrats and Indies? I don't think so.
Rumors? Right!! Now go back to sleep, watch Fox News and listen to Ripe Limburger, or go back to your proxy server or spoofed IP.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:53 pmDreamcrusher sezL
Bullsh!t, DC. Here's the actual text of the relevant paragraph of the Downing Street memo:
Given the context, the meaning of the phrase should be clear even to a mouthbreathing neocon apologist like yourself.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:55 pmFaiz was on CNN tonight -- check it out, Malkin's blog is going after him:
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/11/11/video-mary-katharine-ham-on-giuliani-and-pat-robertson/
November 11th, 2007 at 8:57 pmComment by DreamCrusher — November 11, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
if you say so... mmm, you have heard of norman poderhertz, haven't you?
well let's just say we're all relieved at the admiral's statement that there is no plan to attack iran. i'm sure you're very happy about that.
eh?
November 11th, 2007 at 8:59 pmDemocrats have used these rumors to gets votes in elections, telling voters that they had better vote Democrat or else face another war in Iran. Of course, Think Pravda, I mean Progress, will never admit to any of this since they are part of the propaganda machine.
Comment by DreamCrusher
I guess that Chaney saying that it may be time to attack Iran was just a "rumor". And Bush talking about starting WWIII if Iran even has the knowledge of how to build a bomb was also a rumor.
The neoCONS have been ratcheting up the rhetoric on Iran for months now and it is not "rumors" that we have beefed up our presence in the sea near Iran.
And then there are the five nuclear warheads that were "accidentally" shipped to the air force base that is the staging area for the middle east. Was that a "rumor" too?
November 11th, 2007 at 9:01 pmGiven the context, the meaning of the phrase should be clear even to a mouthbreathing neocon apologist like yourself.
Comment by TripMaster Monkey — November 11, 2007 @ 8:55 pm
that kind of statement really gets dc good and pissed.
wait till you see his next comment. it's going to be a real zinger!
November 11th, 2007 at 9:02 pmOops, I think my comment went to "moderation." Heh.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:03 pmAnd then there are the five nuclear warheads that were “accidentally†shipped to the air force base that is the staging area for the middle east. Was that a “rumor†too?
Comment by bilbobaggins — November 11, 2007 @ 9:01 pm
oh boy now you're gonna get it, dc's going to respond with both barrels!
let 'er rip dc...
November 11th, 2007 at 9:04 pmjoe cantwell sez:
I can hardly wait...
November 11th, 2007 at 9:04 pmI can hardly wait…
Comment by TripMaster Monkey — November 11, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
you might have to... he's probably hacking up a fur ball right now.
but just you wait!
November 11th, 2007 at 9:06 pm"Move over Shinseki, here I come!"
Admiral William Fallon, Ret.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:10 pmyoo hoo, dc?!
the libs here are calling you stupid and cowardly...
if you don't respond soon the republicans will lose big time in the next elections cycle.
respond soon with scathing rebuttal. admiral fallon is depending on you.
dc?
November 11th, 2007 at 9:10 pmAnd then there are the five nuclear warheads that were “accidentally†shipped to the air force base that is the staging area for the middle east. Was that a “rumor†too?
bilbobaggins, I'm as progressive as it gets, but being a tinfoil hat wearer on the left doesn't make your hat any smaller.
It doesn't help our side if we toss out silly anecdotes like the accidental shipment of armed Advanced Cruise Missiles to Barksdale AFB. Why silly? Because Minot AFB is where the ACM was based for its entire deployment phase and it is where the B-52s that drop them are based they didn't have to be sent anywhere for use. Read the facts, it is beyond obvious why they were sent. Already half the ACMs have been decommissioned with the rest slated for the scrap heap by mid-08. Barksdale is where the Air Force has been sending the ACM (without warheads) for decommissioning in Texas since early this year.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:17 pmActually it was SIX, but ONE is still missing…….
Oh geeze, not another one. No, not one nuke is still missing. There were six and six were still attached to their missiles when discovered. That is a deranged fantasy dreamed up by Wayne Madsen or someone. Next you are going to post that crew members have been mysteriously dying since then, right?
November 11th, 2007 at 9:19 pmDC is emailing either DOD Dept of Misinformation or the RNC Troll Talking Points site.
Suggestions:
1. Just pull a rebutal out of your a$$
2. Just make up any old lie.
3. Make no sense what so ever.
4. Go off topic.
5. Clinton did it.
Take your pick DC
Buck Fush
November 11th, 2007 at 9:20 pmcatch this?
Condi Rice: U.S. Is OK With Iran Having Nuclear Power: Updated!
By: Logan Murphy @ 1:01 PM - PST
The Bush administration has taken a staunch “no nukes†approach to Iran, rarely differentiating between nuclear power and weapons, but when asked about Iran’s nuclear program this morning on This Week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice claims that the U.S. has absolutely no problem with Iran having nuclear power, they just need to give up their goal of producing nuclear weapons.
Uh oh, I think somebody is going to be getting a nasty phone call from Dick Cheney very soon…
November 11th, 2007 at 9:20 pm[...]
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/11/11/condi-rice-us-is-ok-with-iran-having-nuclear-power/
...
If we can look to the leadup to Iraq when they said the same thing... the suggestion they "aren't planning to invade" Iran actually means they haven't yet thought about what to do AFTER they've invaded, conquered the entire country and left it without a functioning government.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:24 pmWell, I guess "DreamCrusher" isn't coming back to defend his ridiculous assertion that everyone except him has somehow misinterpreted the wording of the Downing Street Memo.
I'm getting bored with our latest crop of hit-n-run trolls.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:29 pmFallon: U.S. strike on Iran ‘not being prepared.’
Yeah right and George Bush and Dick Cheney ride the public bus everyday.
I agree. Time for Fallon to spend time with his family.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:46 pmremovebush - gotta wonder:
where did THAT one come from???
the contortions are getting to be ridiculous...
...
tripmaster - did you, by any change, get a mention
November 11th, 2007 at 9:49 pmon sam seder show today? an I M message answered?
...
I’m getting bored with our latest crop of hit-n-run trolls.
Comment by TripMaster Monkey — November 11, 2007 @ 9:29 pm
it is disappointing... it's like they're not even trying anymore, it's as if dc were saying "hey, even i don't like the smell of my own farts!"
dc, you've gone from being a useful idiot to being just plain useless.
shameful.
November 11th, 2007 at 10:08 pmwhere did THAT one come from???
the contortions are getting to be ridiculous…
Comment by katy — November 11, 2007 @ 9:49 pmâ€
Where did what come from?????
Comment by RemoveBush — November 11, 2007 @ 9:50 pm
that trooll... the UNtransparentgrid troll...
November 11th, 2007 at 10:13 pm...
Fallon is calling Bush/Cheney right wing war hawks. Now to put Bush/Cheney in as hawks is a joke as both were scared to protect their country when called. I loved the way Daddy Bush was a war hero while his son was a scared weak girly baby and Darth Cheney was hiding behind his wife he was so scared. At lease Bolton admitted he was scared to serve in the Military but has no problem sending others to die just don't ask him to go. As for the Iran attack the US was told they will go it alone the lies wont work this time. Yes Israel will have to find another way of getting Middle Eastern land. Good news is Israel will never send a Israel soldier to Iraq/Afghanistan. Now Israel has been given NUKES and Billions of American money but they want the US to illegally bomb Iran. Yes Israel leaders put their people in the right places of the US Government to make sure Israel gets what they want. Even Lieberman is ready to be the Republican VP to make sure this happens. Look for Lieberman is he does get the VP position to knock of the President. We did it before it can happen again. Blackwater is now the new paid US killers and the US used paid killer to make sure Kennedy was finished. This is serious business and alot of money to be stolen. The White House wants to rule and control all the Middle East Oil and Israel wants to take the land. Two friends with two golds. The only person standing in their way is God. History has already shown what happens when Dictators try to take over the World and it will happen again. Watch the US Stock Market fall lower as the foreign investors know the Government and Leadership are proven liars and our Media spread the propaganda.
November 11th, 2007 at 10:28 pmjust watch this documentary
War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death (2007)
"....
"War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq...."
prepare yourself!
November 11th, 2007 at 10:58 pmFalse rumors about an attack on Iran have been bubbling up since at least 2004, usually from liberal sources, such as the infamous Seymour Hersh.
----------------------
How do you know that they're "false rumors" Please, explain.
November 11th, 2007 at 11:00 pmI don’t know but they did not have a follow up on my post about the weapons….. Guess that they can’t refute facts???
Comment by RemoveBush — November 11, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
the troll is reading the handwriting on the wall... they've given up and are moving to a more fascist friendly country. ausralia?
November 11th, 2007 at 11:01 pmsorry,
australia?
November 11th, 2007 at 11:02 pm.†Fallon added that the rhetoric of right-wing war hawks is unhelpful:
----------------------
Can you control Israel? If so, you'd be the first!
November 11th, 2007 at 11:05 pmDreamCrusher:
Bush advisor Norman Podhoretz, says he thinks Bush is going to bomb Iran. Fox News and William Kristol, a friend of Bush, continue to pound the war drums on Iran. It's understandable that people would assume Bush is planning to bomb iran. But I agree Bush won't be bombing Iran because he's been neutered in Iraq.
November 11th, 2007 at 11:07 pmThere sure have been alot of “coincidences†with this administration….
Comment by RemoveBush — November 11, 2007 @ 10:55 pm
I forgot to bookmark it but, i read an article that coined the phrase:
"Tillmaned".
Fragging is the practice of common soldiers eliminating an inept, or dangerous, superior.
"Tillmanning" is the practice of inept, dangerous, superiors eliminating common soldiers who know too much. Followed by claims of "executive privilege".
November 11th, 2007 at 11:16 pmComment by corsair — November 11, 2007 @ 11:07 pm
dc has moved to sydney. he's an australian now.
November 11th, 2007 at 11:17 pmAdm. Fallon will be to the Iran War what Gen. Shinseki was to the Iraq War.
Comment by Badmoodman — November 11, 2007 @ 8:41 pm
--------------------
It's mathematical, isn't it?
November 11th, 2007 at 11:20 pmYou idiots! No one with any brains is going to let this out one way or the other. I think you left nutters make up whatever you want!
Comment by John Kerry — November 11, 2007 @ 11:21 pm
hey, hey! welcome back dc!!!
November 11th, 2007 at 11:26 pmBush advisor Norman Podhoretz, says he thinks Bush is going to bomb Iran. Fox News and William Kristol, a friend of Bush, continue to pound the war drums on Iran. It’s understandable that people would assume Bush is planning to bomb iran. But I agree Bush won’t be bombing Iran because he’s been neutered in Iraq.
Comment by corsair — November 11, 2007 @ 11:07 pm
I agree with this viewpoint. While there is a will to act among the Admin, the way is murky if not completely blocked. Once, there was a fear oil would go to $150 bbl if there were airstrikes on Iran. Now it is $100 bbl with no action at all on our part.
So, Iran gets its nuke program intact, its rearming of Hezbollah, its ongoing arming of Hamas and whatever Byzantine game it is playing with the Shiite majority in Iraq. All with taking no pain to its military or economy. The pre-emptive hysteria has had its desired effect.
Russia and China laugh at us. We got involved in haggling with the greatest hagglers in human history while Russia armed them to the teeth and China bought their oil. What a freakin joke.
Just great. But at least we didn't do anything. Thank God for that.
November 11th, 2007 at 11:51 pmComment by Keltoi at Night — November 11, 2007 @ 11:51 pm
hey that's pretty good! dc (john kerry) your thoughts?
November 11th, 2007 at 11:53 pm“Getting Iranian behaviour to change and finding ways to get them to come to their senses and do that is the real objective. â€
So Iran has to invade a country to look in their senses, now?
November 12th, 2007 at 12:12 amI think you left nutters make up whatever you want!
Comment by John Kerry
Like WMDs.
November 12th, 2007 at 12:13 amI think you left nutters make up whatever you want!
Comment by John Kerry
You mean like the made up dictator, Musharraf, and his made up nukes? Not to mention the made up mobs that are ready to hang him? Like the made up non-involvement of our government? And the made up inability to even address the made up impending disaster? Is that the kind of stuff we make up?
November 12th, 2007 at 12:58 amOr perhaps you mean the made up allies who have left us to a made up occupation? The made up innocents killed in their made up homes in the made up pursuit of made up suspected terrorists? How about the made up torture?
Seriously, to which made up stuff are you referring?
November 12th, 2007 at 1:08 amComment by pete — November 12, 2007 @ 1:08 am
Peace be with you, Pete. Shalom. Sleep well.
-C.
November 12th, 2007 at 1:14 amMaybe you mean the made up fools who follow a made up President with the made up mental deficiency? The made up messiah of a made up God who fills made up tyrants with made up blood lust?
The world awaits your made up wisdom.
November 12th, 2007 at 1:16 amDC is definitely an operative. Not RNC, though. Probably White House.
November 12th, 2007 at 2:24 amOf course it isn't "being" prepared--the plan was finalized years ago.
November 12th, 2007 at 9:26 amThe name tells it all: General "Fall-on" - Bush's newest "fall guy" du jour!
November 12th, 2007 at 9:35 amSoon there will be no one left but Laura and Barney as Bush so prophetically predicted last year. They're all dropping like flies these days and soon the Emperor will be totally "unclothed".
November 12th, 2007 at 9:36 amIf we take a sober look at what bush has done to the US armed forces we must view this statement as suspect to credibility. It may not be a total lie in "not his first choice" but he is playing the bush fiddle.
November 12th, 2007 at 9:37 amWe need real military men to stand up to bush and his aipac leaders and say it will not happen under their watch.
Well, I'm back now from a nice evening out and see that I've been accused of being a troll for even questioning the "shipped nukes story." First I'm not a troll. I have my own blog for which I don't have lot of time to write transparentgrid.com Other than that I have no need to prove my bona fides other than to say this - the point of being part of the reality based community is to be, um, based in reality.
November 12th, 2007 at 10:10 amI too heard the lost nukes in South Dakota story and followed up on it closely with Lexis searches, and poring through documents about the type of warheads and missiles that were shipped from Minot AFB to Barksdale. From that it became clear that there was not one missing nuke and that the claims that crew members were dying were false. Links to purported mysterious deaths of this or that service member based at Minot all predated the B-52 blunder. Second, it became clear that thee ACM does not need to be shipped anywhere for deployment. The B-52 has a worldwide footprint and the planes were used to fly missions to Iraq from there. In fact, the bombers at Minot are the only planes to use the ACM, so it makes no sense to ship them anywhere for deployment. Finally, why ship only 6 when the other side of the plane contained the same missiles but with 6 dummy warheads like they were supposed to. Facts are troubling things, aren't they?
I'm so glad the Republican Congress didn't get a chance to screw up the internet.
November 12th, 2007 at 10:30 amWell, this is the guy that called Petraeus an "a$$ kissing little chicken$hit."
He faught the "surge" tooth and nail. He's been arguing against a war with Iran for a long time. If it comes to war with Iran, he would most likely resign. If you see him resign in the next few months, then you can expect war.
Fallon is a pretty good guy. Sure, we all wish the generals would stand up to the president more, but that only results in them getting fired. Fallon has managed the be a sane voice in the military and hold on to high-profile positions. He's doing what he can.
November 12th, 2007 at 10:37 amFor a perspective on how inept Bush/Cheney were/will be, attached is the full text of James Fallows Feb 2004 Blind into Baghdad.
Outside of Rumsfeld and Powell, Bush is heading the same crew of blind mice now as then.
What are the odds that Bush has carefully thought through what could go wrong if he starts a war with Iran? According to his past performance, not good odds at all.
November 12th, 2007 at 12:18 pmBut the State Department is not in direct talks with Iran. Maybe Adm. Fallon needs to get on the phone with Condi Rice and light the fire.
I will say that these new Navy guys are giving some pushback to the war talk. Will they still be there 6 months from now?
November 12th, 2007 at 12:18 pmdreamcrusher,
So, after you spend all this energy claiming that liberals are falling for a fantasy that the U.S. is planning an attack on Iran, you close with "Bush will bomb Iran some day." Considering that he only has 14 months left in office, it would seem that planning would be going on. Just from a realpolitik p.o.v. it would be nonsensical if the administration was not making military plans.
btw, you are one cocky troll to even attack the left on accuracy of allegations considering how swimmingly the right did with the Iraq war. Tell me, which pre-invasion projection did you get right?
November 12th, 2007 at 12:33 pmBush from his "ranch" on Saturday with Merkel:
"The top of my agenda is Iran," Bush said as they met on his "Prairie Chapel" Texas ranch. "We will continue to work together to solve this problem diplomatically, which means they will continue to be isolated."
That's Bush's idea of diplomacy - isolate them.
November 12th, 2007 at 12:50 pmWas I talking to you "Dreamcrusher"? (nice name btw - do you like to pull the wings off of flies too?)
Did Clinton threaten to bomb Iran too? I guess I missed that.
November 12th, 2007 at 1:11 pmGod Bless Lt. Ehren Watada, an American PATRIOT who has the guts to stand up to the AWOL coward TRAITOR coxucker PUNK Bush!!
Sincerely,
NRA Gun Nutes
November 12th, 2007 at 1:38 pmAdmiral Fallon, with all due respect: BULLSHIT.
November 12th, 2007 at 1:59 pmFallon is the only one to stand up to Bush so far when Bush wanted another destroyer put in the Gulf area. So until I see he is waffling I hope he hangs on. Fallon's comment about Petraeus was interesting as well, when the Righties were singing Petraeus virtues.
Oh interestingly, Condi said today she is "open to discussion at any time any place with Iran." Empty words ? We shall see.
November 12th, 2007 at 2:00 pmIt is a surprise to me that a reader who disagrees with everything this website stands for, will use their "valuable " time trying to dispute the comments. Why not persue the websites in line with your rhetoric? Maybe this website is more interesting, has more up to date information, all around more intelligent conversation?
November 12th, 2007 at 2:03 pmI think there is a substantial sector of the military that is very Unhappy with the Bush Administration's handling of War Planning and foreign policy .
November 12th, 2007 at 4:38 pmIraq, today , is less violent because many of the common sense ideas of those actually doing the fighting have been actually implemented. Ca$h & Defacto Amnesty for Sunnis, in exchange for a defacto truce, for example.
AFTER FIVE FRIGGEN YEARS!
I think Admiral Fallon reflects this unhappiness.
I guess they're just going to wing it, as with Iraq.
November 12th, 2007 at 5:59 pm