Iran Nuclear Watch,  Politics

Iran Nuclear Watch: White House Dampens Talk of Iran Military Strike

Seymour Hersh appeared on CNN with Wolf Blitzer today.

ASSociated Press: U.S. Seeks to Dampen Talk of Iran Strike

The White House on Sunday sought to dampen the idea of a U.S. military strike on
Iran, saying the United States is conducting “normal defense and intelligence planning” as President Bush seeks a diplomatic solution to Tehran’s suspected nuclear weapons program.

Administration officials — from President Bush on down — have left open the possibility of a military response if Iran does not end its nuclear ambitions. Several reports published Sunday said the administration was studying options for military strikes; one account raised the possibility of using nuclear bombs against Iran’s underground nuclear sites.

Britain’s foreign secretary called the idea of a nuclear strike “completely nuts.”

Dan Bartlett, counselor to Bush, cautioned against reading too much into administration planning.

“The president’s priority is to find a diplomatic solution to a problem the entire world recognizes,” Bartlett told The Associated Press on Sunday. “And those who are drawing broad, definitive conclusions based on normal defense and intelligence planning, are ill-informed and are not knowledgeable of the administration’s thinking on Iran.”

So, is Seymour Hersh’s piece in the New Yorker well sourced and accurate?

Michelle Malkin has SY HERSH: BLOWING U.S. COVER

Seymour Hersh appeared on CNN with Wolf Blitzer today to share such pearls of wisdom as this: “Instead of talking about bombing, let’s talk about talking.” Hat tip to Allah Pundit, who writes: “Here’s the man of the hour, defending his willingness to publicize info about clandestine ops and then preaching the virtues of empty diplomacy.”

Download and watch the video (.wmv file).

Blogosphere:

Regime Change Iran

Joe Gandelman

Americablog

Blogs for Bush’s Mark Noonan

Balloon Juice

James Joyner

Truth Be Told

Taylor Marsh

Riehl World View

Disarmament Activist

The Real Ugly American

The Mahablog

Bring It On

Atlas Shrugs

Digby

Bluegrass Report

Andrew Sullivan

Newshog

Liberal Avenger

Mia Culpa

Kevin Drum

Ron Beasley

Wizbang’s Jay Tea

Polimom

Scrutator

A Blog For All

The Glittering Eye

Rick Moran

Stop The ACLU

Dr. Strangelove

The Heretik

Flap agrees that Hersch’s sources are anonymous and greasy. But, if the United States wanted to send a message to Iran, it has been delivered.

The Armed Liberal puts it all in perspective:A Man, A Plan, Iran

Just as a side note, it’s interesting that the people who are having strokes over the claim that the Administration is developing a plan or series of plans for military action in Iran are the same people who had strokes over the lack of planning in the war in Iraq.

I tend not to get very exercised about this, since I’m sure that there are plans being updated every day for – among other things – the invasion of Canada. All those midlevel officers in the Pentagon have to do something every day, and having detailed contingency plans for just about everything is probably a pretty good thing for them to be doing.

The disclosure of these plans is a part of the dance in which the Administration tries to manage perceptions within Iran while the press tries to manage perceptions of the Administration within the United States.

Well stated…….
Stay tuned……

Previous:

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran – “United States Engaged in Psychological War”

Iran Nuclear Watch: United States Nuclear Attack on Iran – “Not on the Agenda”

Iran Nuclear Watch: United States Considers Use of Nuclear Weapons Against Iran – Redux

Iran Nuclear Watch: United States Considers Use of Nuclear Weapons Against Iran

Iran Nuclear Watch: IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei Will Meet With Iran Leaders

Iran Nuclear Watch: John Bolton – “Bush Administration is Considering Other Diplomatic and Economic Options to Deter Iran”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Successfully Test-Fires a “Top Secret” Missile

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran – “Defenses Can Withstand Any Invasion”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Blix – “Iran is at Least Five Years Away from Developing a Nuclear Bomb”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Tests More Weapons in “War Games”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran – “Successfully Fires a High-Speed Underwater Missile”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Brits in Secret Talks About Iran Military Strikes

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Tests New Stealth Missle

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Plans “War Games”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran – “Enrichment Matter NOT Reversible”

Iran Nuclear Watch: United Nations Security Council Permanent Members Agree on a Statement

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran – Military Strikes Would NOT Stop Uranium enrichment

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Gearing Up for Uranium Enrichment

Iran Nuclear Watch: United Nations Security Council Stalled But Diplomats Express Urgency

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – The West Should Apologize to Iran

Iran Nuclear Watch: Big 6 Meeting Yields Nothing

Iran Nuclear Watch: National Security Adviser Steven J. Hadley – “Iran’s New Willingness to Discuss Iraq a PLOY”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Ambassador John Bolton – “U.N. Security Council to Send a ‘Strong and Clear Signal’ to Tehran”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Wants IAEA Supervision and Inspections

Iran Nuclear Watch: United Nations Ambassador John Bolton – “Iran’s Nuclear Threat – Just Like 9/11″

Condoleezza Rice Watch: Iran is the “Central Bank of Terrorism”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – “Iran’s Nuclear Fuel Program IRREVERSIBLE”

Iran Nuclear Watch: United Nations Security Council Divided Over Response to Iran Nuclear FLAP

Iran Nuclear Watch: Russia – “Iran Still Considering Uranium Enrichment DEAL”

Iran Nuclear Watch: Russia Rebukes Iran Over Withdrawl from Uranium Enrichment Negotiations

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Builds a Secret Underground Command Center

Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Threatens “OIL” Weapon

Iran Nuclear Watch: Israel – “America Needs to Get Its Act Together.”

The Natanz uranium enrichment complex in Natanz is pictured in this January 2, 2006 satellite image.


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