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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 11:17 01/10/2007 U.S. said mulling 'surgical' strikes on Revolutionary Guards in Iran By Bradley Burston The New Yorker magazine reported Monday that the U.S. defense chiefs have drawn up new plans for a possible attack on Iran, shifting the focus from a broad bombing assault on suspected nuclear facilities, to "surgical" strikes on Revolutionary Guard bases in Tehran and elsewhere. According to New Yorker correspondent Seymour Hersh, the shift reflects a Bush Administration redefinition of the war in Iraq, as a "strategic battle between the United States and Iran." The report, which quotes unnamed former officials and government consultants, states that over the summer, the White House, "pushed by the office of Vice-President Dick Cheney, requested that the Joint Chiefs of Staff redraw long-standing plans for a possible attack on Iran." Advertisement Israeli military and political leaders were "alarmed" by the plan, believing that it did not sufficiently target Iran's nuclear facilities, the New Yorker stated. The White House, attempting to reassure the Israeli government, counters that "the more limited target list would still serve the goal of counter-proliferation by decapitating the leadership of the Revolutionary Guards, who are believed to have direct control over the nuclear-research program." The shift in targets, from known and suspected nuclear sites to Revolutionary Guard facilities, stems in part from American contentions that the Guard are behind attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq. "What had been presented primarily as a counter-proliferation mission has been reconceived as counterterrorism," Hersh writes. "The revised bombing plan for a possible attack, with its tightened focus on counterterrorism, is gathering support among generals and admirals in the Pentagon," the report states. "The strategy calls for the use of sea-launched cruise missiles and more precisely targeted ground attacks and bombing strikes, including plans to destroy the most important Revolutionary Guard training camps, supply depots, and command and control facilities." The report cites three developments as responsible for the shift. "First, the President and his senior advisers have concluded that their campaign to convince the American public that Iran poses an imminent nuclear threat has failed (unlike a similar campaign before the Iraq war), and that as a result there is not enough popular support for a major bombing campaign. The second development is that the White House has come to terms, in private, with the general consensus of the American intelligence community that Iran is at least five years away from obtaining a bomb. And, finally, there has been a growing recognition in Washington and throughout the Middle East that Iran is emerging as the geopolitical winner of the war in Iraq." Bookmark to del.icio.us Family Affair The Hamzi family lives in a dazzlingly glistening, spic-and span clean house in Biet Jann. Metropolitan Neapolitan Artichoke cream and seared tuna add up to a Neapolitan renaissance in Tel Aviv.   1.   Noise 11:39  |  Efox 01/10/07   2.   Iran a geopolitical leader as a result of Iraq 11:52  |  Chaim Gorenstein 01/10/07   3.   "Iran is emerging as the geopolitical winner of the war in Iraq" 12:26  |  Axel 01/10/07   4.   shift of approach 12:28  |  Axel 01/10/07   5.   What are U...... 12:29  |  Steve Mcgarret 01/10/07   6.   To Chaim Gorenstein 12:38  |  Realistic 01/10/07   7.   Faulty thinking 12:46  |  Logician 01/10/07   8.   A LOT OF TALK AND NO ACTION 12:59  |  SM 01/10/07   9.   Good for the goose is good for the gander 13:00  |  Hannah 01/10/07   10.   The Iran Strike will happen after the Primaries. 13:29  |  Realist 01/10/07   11.   In Iran we do not have Homosexuals? Hannah 13:35  |  Fudge Packer 01/10/07   12.   The road runs both ways 13:56  |  Hannah 01/10/07   13.   #11, Fudgepacker 14:06  |  Hannah 01/10/07   14.   Impossible to destroy Iran`s nuclear facilities 14:12  |  Chris Linthwaite 01/10/07   15.   Crazy Hannah 14:16  |  Hannah 01/10/07   16.   Seymour Hersh is a joke 14:30  |  JR 01/10/07   17.   # 3 Axel 14:31  |  Lynn 01/10/07   18.   # 13 Hannah and the homos 14:35  |  Lynn 01/10/07   19.   WHAT IS THIS?? 14:36  |  Robert 01/10/07   20.   # 7 Faulty thinking from a Logician 14:37  |  Lynn 01/10/07   21.   Attack Iran? I don`t think so 14:45  |  Natallie Durson 01/10/07   22.   good news 15:09  |  alan 01/10/07   23.   Hannah 15:16  |  Doug 01/10/07   24.   To Chris Linthwaite 15:23  |  Realist 01/10/07   25.   # 17 lynn 15:29  |  Axel 01/10/07   26.   attack iran 15:38  |  muhammed 01/10/07   27.   5 Steve McGarret 15:38  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/10/07   28.   #13 ferocious female warrior, Get Real 15:41  |  Realist 01/10/07   29.   MULLING SURGICAL WHAAATTTT? 15:52  |  indrajaya 01/10/07   30.   U.S. should stay out of it. 15:53  |  F. Kovacic 01/10/07   31.   hannah 13 15:53  |  alan 01/10/07   32.   #13 - Amusing 15:55  |  JES 01/10/07   33.   Fake Indrajaya - Downwinder 16:05  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/10/07   34.   Bad Idea 16:18  |  Chick 01/10/07   35.   This is called bluffology! Dubiya is actually listening to Papa 16:18  |  lakshmi 01/10/07   36.   The reason is unimportant 16:23  |  Gordon 01/10/07   37.   To 31 Alan 16:24  |  Iranian FudgePacker 01/10/07   38.   To F. Kovacic 16:32  |  American Soldier 01/10/07   39.   To 21 Nat 16:43  |  Realist 01/10/07   40.   To #7 Logician 16:51  |  Nam Nut 01/10/07   41.   Surgical shmurgical, they`ll still attack Israel in return 16:57  |  Yonatan 01/10/07   42.   "We do not need a Nuclear bomb In Iraq" 17:03  |  Realist 01/10/07   43.   How to save lives - although now it is too late 17:03  |  Chick 01/10/07   44.   #13 Hannah - So now we know 17:07  |  Yonatan 01/10/07   45.   # 38 american `dumb` soldier 17:10  |  Axel 01/10/07   46.   The Purpose of Surgical Strikes 17:13  |  Whitley 01/10/07   47.   #16 Seymour Hersh--JR 17:20  |  ballistic 01/10/07   48.   attack on iran from Persian point of view 17:21  |  Aryen 01/10/07   49.   #17 Say Lynn 17:25  |  ballistic 01/10/07   50.   Iran Attack 17:28  |  Nemesis 01/10/07   51.   #18 No homos, Cupcake Lynn 17:29  |  ballistic 01/10/07   52.   #38 American Soldier 17:36  |  ballistic 01/10/07   53.   What`s new? 17:47  |  JDross 01/10/07   54.   aryen 17:50  |  alan 01/10/07   55.   To #45 Axel 17:55  |  American Soldier 01/10/07   56.   Who has credibility? 18:07  |  Harvey S. Cohen 01/10/07   57.   Hannah`s arguments lack substance 18:10  |  Whitley 01/10/07   58.   To Ballistic 18:13  |  American Soldier 01/10/07   59.   Simplistic Ballistic still trying to sound intelligent 18:25  |  James Kevin O`Leary 01/10/07   60.   Response to American Soldier @38 18:25  |  Mark B. 01/10/07   61.   ballestic # 51now you using the holy books in your debates? 18:37  |  terrornator 01/10/07   62.   Seymour Hersh ALWAYS talks out of his BUTT 18:46  |  Dr. Dave 01/10/07   63.   "Lies" Harvey 18:49  |  Whitley 01/10/07   64.   # 21 Just the opposite is the case, Fatmah... 19:00  |  Misha 01/10/07   65.   Iraq? Shmiraq!! 19:03  |  Clickfool 01/10/07   66.   to axel re:american soldier 19:08  |  terrornator 01/10/07   67.   #56 Good post Harvey! 19:09  |  ballistic 01/10/07   68.   #58 American Soldier 19:10  |  ballistic 01/10/07   69.   Mark #59 19:11  |  Neal 01/10/07   70.   to Mark B 19:14  |  American Soldier 01/10/07   71.   # 35 Lapsh, who cares about your bubbeling.... 19:16  |  Misha 01/10/07   72.   #59 James O`Leary 19:17  |  ballistic 01/10/07   73.   "Iranian torpedoes" Mark? 19:22  |  Whitley 01/10/07   74.   To Ballistic 19:22  |  American Soldier 01/10/07   75.   #61 Terrornator 19:24  |  ballistic 01/10/07   76.   Use bunker-buster nukes for fine, precise job. 19:29  |  Rosemary Meadows 01/10/07   77.   to Hannah 13 19:37  |  Iranian Fudgepacker 01/10/07   78.   Make sure you know what you`ll do 19:39  |  Fortuna Benmayor 01/10/07   79.   Permanent end of US hegemony, Dross? 19:45  |  Whitley 01/10/07   80.   Iran won in Iraq 19:45  |  Fortuna Benmayor 01/10/07   81.   Don`t believe the hype 19:52  |  Lucyfer 01/10/07   82.   Why stating what you are going to do, USA? 19:53  |  Fortuna Benmayor 01/10/07   83.   @27 Mark of Lewiston 19:58  |  Steve Mcgarret 01/10/07   84.   For Rosemary Meadows # 73 20:03  |  Clickfool 01/10/07   85.   Iran Attack 20:04  |  Jimbo 01/10/07   86.   Iran Attack 20:13  |  Jimbo 01/10/07   87.   To Alan 20:15  |  Aryen 01/10/07   88.   ballestic,your just avoiding the question on which side you will 20:17  |  terrornator 01/10/07   89.   "Admitted mistake" ballistic? 20:17  |  Whitley 01/10/07   90.   71 American Soldier - Your Last Leave 20:20  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/10/07   91.   # 51 Ballistic, still speaking for God 20:23  |  Lynn 01/10/07   92.   69 Neal 20:32  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/10/07   93.   #36 Huh? 20:43  |  Kovacic 01/10/07   94.   Surgical strikes in Iran 20:46  |  Douglas 01/10/07   95.   74 Steve Mcgarret 20:49  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/10/07   96.   # 71 american `dumb` soldier 20:53  |  Axel 01/10/07   97.   You just dare America.... 20:57  |  Reuben Tehrani 01/10/07   98.   # 70 whitley 20:58  |  Axel 01/10/07   99.   # 51 ballistic, "Gays won`t be players in a Muslim world"? 21:04  |  Lynn 01/10/07   100.   to 83 Mark of Lewiston 21:08  |  Infantry Soldier 01/10/07   101.   "Occupation of Tehran" Mark? 21:09  |  Whitley 01/10/07   102.   # 82 Whitley re simplistic ballistic 21:11  |  Lynn 01/10/07   103.   "Surgical" Strikes? 21:12  |  P. J. Casey 01/10/07   104.   #65 Iraq? Shmiraq!! 21:17  |  Lawrence 01/10/07   105.   Aryen from the Ukraine 21:24  |  Lynn 01/10/07   106.   No, Axel 21:25  |  Whitley 01/10/07   107.   Mark of Lewiston 21:27  |  Lynn 01/10/07   108.   # 77 Why stating what you are going to do, USA? 21:38  |  Lawrence 01/10/07   109.   Why did you cowardly ignore the message, Axel 21:39  |  Whitley 01/10/07   110.   Everyone hates Bush, He has nothing to loose 21:42  |  Grynch 01/10/07   111.   # 25 Axel 22:09  |  Lynn 01/10/07   112.   101 Whitley - Yes, Occupation 22:36  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/10/07   113.   107 Lynn 22:46  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/10/07   114.   # 109 whitley 22:54  |  Axel 01/10/07   115.   # 109 whitley - sure 23:02  |  Axel 01/10/07   116.   HAHA! 23:44  |  Paul 01/10/07   117.   Jews in Iran 23:48  |  Paul 01/10/07   118.   His Butt 23:51  |  Paul 01/10/07   119.   # 109 whitley 00:06  |  Axel 02/10/07   120.   No, Axel, you are wrong again 00:30  |  Whitley 02/10/07   121.   axel whos says,"die you will,courtesy of the us 00:31  |  terrornator 02/10/07   122.   Wrong again, Axel 00:43  |  Whitley 02/10/07   123.   Who said it would be a cake walk? 00:56  |  Whitley 02/10/07   124.   @Whitley - Stop drinking the Whitehouse coolaid 00:58  |  JDross 02/10/07   125.   You reek of "recycled" Leftist rhetoric 01:16  |  Whitley 02/10/07   126.   # 120 whitley 01:22  |  Axel 02/10/07   127.   Put up or shut up, Mark? 01:25  |  Whitley 02/10/07   128.   # 121 terrornator 01:28  |  Axel 02/10/07   129.   # 122 whitley 01:44  |  Axel 02/10/07   130.   Axel is a hipocrit 02:05  |  Lawrence 02/10/07   131.   Millions of lives, Axel? 02:15  |  Whitley 02/10/07   132.   Past tense Axel? 02:24  |  Whitley 02/10/07   133.   As I said, a Leftist cheering the body count 02:33  |  Whitley 02/10/07   134.   The German thing is Catholic 02:36  |  Paul 02/10/07   135.   Now that is fantasy 02:39  |  Paul 02/10/07   136.   Thence! 02:42  |  Paul 02/10/07   137.   A new Leftist buzz word 03:01  |  Whitley 02/10/07   138.   recycled Leftist rhetoric--"coolaid" 03:10  |  Whitley 02/10/07   139.   123 Whitley 04:16  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/10/07   140.   127 Whitley - Ask Yourself a Question or Two 04:31  |  Mark of Lewison 02/10/07   141.   #58 - Oil prices **ARE** set by the market 13:17  |  spyguy 02/10/07   142.   Who is Really Meddling in Iraq 14:54  |  Neil 02/10/07   143.   whitley and "precipitously" 15:19  |  Axel 02/10/07   144.   attack on iran 15:51  |  kim 02/10/07   145.   To Chaim Gorenstein 20:37  |  Persian Kitty 02/10/07   146.   To JR #16 20:46  |  Persian Kitty 02/10/07   147.   To Realist 20:53  |  Persian Kitty 02/10/07   148.   To Neal #69 21:09  |  Persian Kitty 02/10/07   149.   Yo Whitley 21:40  |  Persian Kitty 02/10/07   150.   To Aryen 21:46  |  Persian Kitty 02/10/07   151.   #150..Persian Kitty 00:25  |  Nemesis 03/10/07   152.   149 Persian Kitty 01:57  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/10/07   153.   Roosting Chickens 22:59  |  NJ 03/10/07   154.   Zionsits are the terrorists! 17:21  |  Ramin 07/10/07

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