There's a new video up over at http://www.stopiranwar.com/
It is aimed at helping people to think about the consequences of an attack on Iran. Obviously, in addition to killing and injuring many Iranians, it will destroy much of the conventional Iranian military capability, and it is likely to destroy much of their nuclear capability as well. That ought to be enough reason for many people to try to stop it from happening. However, many other people may think those outcomes to be positive. So, this video is focussed more heavily on what effect such an attack would have on our troops in Iraq. That's something that seems to matter to most Americans these days. Here's a partial transcript:
GENERAL WESLEY CLARK:
With every passing day that the administration won't talk to Iran, we come closer to an Iranian nuclear weapon, and the time at which the decision must be made whether or not the administration will use its military option.... what's it going to be like for the troops on the ground in Iraq? Let's ask Jon Soltz.
JON SOLTZ:
Well Sir...what's going to happen is, Iran's just going to...turn the heat up, and...you're going to see more...force penetrators, explosively formed penetrators that...break right through the up-armored Humvie....I think the other thing you'll see is Mr. Sadr, who controls, you know, we're not quite sure how many, but we think maybe 40-60 thousand militiamen. You'll see them rise up on the ground inside of Iraq, and you know, that's precisely the reason that we had to escalate 20 thousand troops in April of 2004 when, when my unit, First Armored Division, was, was extended. So, you know, what you're going do is you're going to further tie American involvement into Iraq, rather than working for a plan to extricate Iraq. So, you really can't support striking Iran and support the troops in the field....
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Clark: It'll be about survival.
Soltz: It'll be about survival.
Clark: When you're on the ground in Iraq after this breaks out-
Soltz: Survival.
Clark: -you're going to have to do what we call force protection.
Soltz: Force protection.
Clark: ...force protection's job number one, and that's going to distract us from the mission in Iraq.
Soltz:
...if you strike Iran...what's going to happen to the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police corps which we...know has been heavily penetrated by insurgents....You know...they put extra ghost troops inside their units so the Commander gets an extra pay ...and then they're laundering maybe some of that money to the militias.
Clark: Or extra armored vests
Soltz: That's right. And-
Clark: -weapons.
Soltz: ...there's a large question...as to how much we give equipment to the Iraqi force, because will that end up in the militia's hands?
Clark: That's right.
Soltz:
-If you strike Iran and the militia rises up, what percent of the Iraqi Army and Iraqi police, frankly, disappears to, to turn around and fight America.
Clark: Hard to know.
Soltz: Hard to know.
Clark: And we don't want to find out.
Soltz: That's right.
Clark:
So this is...a really bad option for the troops on the ground in Iraq. But it's also got enormous consequences in the region, because people throughout the region will be on heightened alert. You can expect a hike in the price of oil, problems with insurance rates for international carriers....You may see some hostility toward American embassies abroad. You may see some terrorist attacks in North Africa or in Europe or South America or anyplace where Hizbullah has active cells. We just don't know, but what we do know is it will be unpleasant. It's an option we don't have to take. All we have to do, at least right now, is talk to the Iranians. What you have to do to help us do this is come to our website.
Soltz: Sign the petition today. Pass it along to your friends. We've had great support last week. Thousands of people have signed up. Let's keep this momentum going. Send a message to the President that war with Iran is not the answer.
Clark: http://www.stopiranwar.com/
Soltz: Please, act now.
Clark: Thank you.
http://www.stopiranwar.com/...
Don't be silent any longer. Support our troops, and join the movement to stop war with Iran, before it's too late.
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