War in Iran: An October Surprise?

War in Iran: An October Surprise?

"Chris Hedges, former Middle East bureau chief for the Times (and a man of understated but firm faith) responds to the news that the aircraft carrier Eisenhower has been deployed to the Persian Gulf," Evan Derkacz wrote October 9, 2006, in AlterNet:

"The ships will be in place to strike Iran by the end of the month. It may be a bluff. It may be a feint. It may be a simple show of American power. But I doubt it.

"War with Iran—a war that would unleash an apocalyptic scenario in the Middle East—is probable by the end of the Bush administration. It could begin in as little as three weeks."

"Many informed scholars and statesmen see a potential disaster from a war with Iran. That war would unite the Islamic nations in opposition to the United States and quite possibly seriously curtail oil imports. Almost a quarter of the world's oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran might blockade. Hugo Chavez has vowed to shut off all oil exports from Venezuela to the US if Bush launches a war against Iran. Together, these contingencies would devastate the US economy, so much so as to force the US out of the Middle East. And the Iranians know this full well," Ernest Partridge wrote September 26, 2006, in OpEdNews.

Related Links: Questions and Answers

• Seymour M. Hersh, "U.S. Conducting Covert Operations in Iran For Possible Military Strike," Democracy Now!, January 18, 2005.
• Seymour M. Hersh, "The Iran Plans. Would President Bush go to war to stop Tehran from getting the bomb?" The New Yorker, April 8, 2006 (posted); April 17, 2006, edition.
• "Democratic Congressmen ask Bush about reports of US military operations in Iran," The Raw Story, April 17, 2006.
• Nico Pitney, "Is Covert Military Action in Iran 'Under the CNN Line'?" Think Progress, April 18, 2006.
• Jeremy Brecher and Brendan Smith, "Attack Iran, destroy the US constitution," The Nation, April 21, 2006; Asia Times, April 26, 2006.
• Rep. Dennis Kucinich, "Don't Start a War in Iran," Floor Speech, U.S. House of Representatives, April 26, 2006.
• Doug Gordon, "Bolton Refuses To Answer Kucinich’s Questions About US Troops In Iran. States That US Is Prepared To Act With or Without The UN," Information Clearing House, May 3, 2006.
• Rep. Dennis Kucinich, "Two Letters to President Bush," Floor Speech, U.S. House of Representatives, May 4, 2006.
• Michael Duffy, "What Would War Look Like? A flurry of military maneuvers in the Middle East increases speculation that conflict with Iran is no longer quite so unthinkable. Here's how the U.S. would fight such a war—and the huge price it would have to pay to win it," TIME Magazine, September 17, 2006. See Comments at Think Progress.
• Summary from TIME Magazine: "What war with Iran would look like," CNN, September 17, 2006.
• "Retired Colonel: 'We Are Conducting Military Operations Inside Iran Right Now. The Evidence Is Overwhelming'" (includes video link) and CNN Transcript, Think Progress, September 18, 2006.
• Dave Lindorff, "War Signals?" The Nation, September 21, 2006.
• Ernest Partridge, "A Gathering Storm," OpEdNews, September 26, 2006.
• Billmon, "Fall Classic," Whiskey Bar, October 3, 2006.
• Thomas Gale Moore, "October Surprise? A scary but plausible scenario," antiwar.com, October 5, 2006.
• Chris Hedges, "Bush’s Nuclear Apocalypse," truthdig, October 9, 2006.
• Dave Lindorff, "Iran War Looms as Eisenhower Carrier Force Deploys," OpEdNews, October 9, 2006.
• Evan Derkacz, "War in Iran 'probable'," AlterNet, October 9, 2006.
• Phyllis Bennis, "Just Say No to War in Iran," MinuteManMedia.org (ZNet), October 9, 2006.

External Links: Articles & Commentary

For the most current articles and commentary, see War in Iran: External Links 2006.