Joint Chiefs Opposed to Iran Nuke Attack, Members of Congress Gung-Ho

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Sun, 9 Apr 2006 00:22:32 -0700 (PDT)

Congress Gung-Ho For Iran Nuke Attack

 

 

 

 

http://www.thinkprogress.org/

 

 

Hersh: Joint Chiefs Opposed to Iran Nuke Attack, Members of Congress

Gung-Ho

 

A new report by Seymour Hersh finds that senior Bush administration

officials are developing plans for a massive attack on Iran which

could include nuclear weapons. Hersh points out that the Joint Chiefs

of Staff — a panel of the highest-ranking military officials from each

branch of the U.S. armed services — are strenuously opposed to the

plan, so much so that some have threatened to resign if it goes forward:

 

[A] Pentagon adviser on the war on terror…confirmed that some

senior officers and officials were considering resigning over the

issue. " There are very strong sentiments within the military against

brandishing nuclear weapons against other countries, " the adviser told

me. " This goes to high levels. " The matter may soon reach a decisive

point, he said, because the Joint Chiefs had agreed to give President

Bush a formal recommendation stating that they are strongly opposed to

considering the nuclear option for Iran. " The internal debate on this

has hardened in recent weeks, " the adviser said. " And, if senior

Pentagon officers express their opposition to the use of offensive

nuclear weapons, then it will never happen. "

 

But such advice hasn't fazed the ultra-hawkish members of Congress,

who now refuse to accept any plan that doesn't include the use of

nuclear weapons:

 

A senior member of the House Appropriations Committee…said that no

one in the meetings " is really objecting " to the talk of war. " The

people they're briefing are the same ones who led the charge on Iraq.

At most, questions are raised: How are you going to hit all the sites

at once? How are you going to get deep enough? " (Iran is building

facilities underground.) " There's no pressure from Congress " not to

take military action, the House member added. " The only political

pressure is from the guys who want to do it. " … " These politicians

don't have a clue, and whenever anybody tries to get it out " —remove

the nuclear option— " they're shouted down. "

 

While senior military officials oppose the use of nuclear weapons,

Hersh's sources add that the idea " has gained support from the Defense

Science Board, an advisory panel whose members are selected by

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. "