NEGOTIATIONS OR ATTACK?

October 2007, ABC News reported that the Pentagon had asked Congress for $88 million in the emergency Iraq/Afghanistan war funding request to develop a gargantuan bunker-busting bomb called the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). It's a 30,000-pound bomb designed to hit targets buried 200 feet below ground. Back then, the Pentagon cited an "urgent operational need" for the new weapon.

Now the Pentagon is shifting spending from other programs to fast forward the development and procurement of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. The Pentagon comptroller sent a request to shift the funds to the House and Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees over the summer. 'Urgent Operational Need' The notification was tucked inside a 93-page "reprogramming" request that included a couple hundred other more mundane items. The notification says simply, "The Department has an Urgent Operational Need (UON) for the capability to strike hard and deeply buried targets in high threat environments. The MOP is the weapon of choice to meet the requirements of the UON." It further states that the request is endorsed by Pacific Command (which has responsibility over North Korea) and Central Command (which has responsibility over Iran).
(See http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-preparing-bomb-iran/story?id=8765343)

Couple this with latest poll from PEW which says 61% of Americans say we would favor an attack to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Each life that has been lost in Iraq and Afghanistan has been a life loss in tribute to neocons to say nothing of the 100's of thousands that we have taken. It seems we have lost our way on how not to march to war if we ever knew. Once again the Neocon mentality marches us to the precipice. John Kenneth Galbraith before his death said be careful of waking 1.5 billion Muslims or 20% of the total world population. Well they are awake and we had better find a way to live peaceably with them. To say different shows a lack of understanding of history. We continue on our current path at our peril.

I am Agnostic but events as they are currently forming sure do seem like the end of times. Iran if attacked can strike back and inflict tremendous damage. No oil to feed our hungry mouths that we so depend on. Do not forget for a second the Muslim world thinks in terms of generations unlike our fleeting moments. Our economy will be in a shambles. Indeed the Chinese may well come to the aid of Iran and then what. Where will we find our oil and will we be forced to war over it with China or perhaps justifying an attack on a South American country that has oil. Funny the winner if there be one in all of this is Asia and possibly Russia. The very ideologies we detest.

I sure do hope Obama plays chess and not checkers for this board is so very complicated and the consequences of wrong decisions so very great.

Dan

Proud father of your friendly neighborhood commie, fascist, socialist, community organizer believing in the american way.