Reports: Cheney considered Israeli missile strike on Iran to provoke retaliation as attack excuse; Secret Air Force task force mapping out attack plan

Above: Israeli Air Force F-15s. Israel has several types of cruise missile which can be launched from land, air, or sea. In January of this year, the Times of London reported that Israel was formulating attack plans on Iranian nuclear facilities that included the use of 'mini-nuke' bunker-busting bombs. Under the plans, conventional laser-guided bombs would open 'tunnels' into the targets. 'Mini-nukes' would then immediately be fired after, exploding deep underground to reduce the risk of radioactive fallout. Such an attack would be the first with nuclear weapons since 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Cheney mulled Israeli strike on Iran: Newsweek

Vice President Dick Cheney had at one point considered asking Israel to launch limited missile strikes at an Iranian nuclear site to provoke a retaliation, Newsweek magazine reported on Sunday...

Citing two unidentified sources, Newsweek said former Cheney Middle East adviser David Wurmser told a small group several months ago that Cheney was considering asking Israel to strike the Iranian nuclear site at Natanz.

A military response by Iran could give Washington an excuse to then launch airstrikes of its own, Newsweek said.

Read the rest at Reuters

The Whispers of War

There are still voices pushing for firmer action against Tehran, most notably within Vice President Dick Cheney's office. But the steady departure of administration neocons over the past two years has also helped tilt the balance away from war. One official who pushed a particularly hawkish line on Iran was David Wurmser, who had served since 2003 as Cheney's Middle East adviser. A spokeswoman at Cheney's office confirmed to NEWSWEEK that Wurmser left his position last month to "spend more time with his family." A few months before he quit, according to two knowledgeable sources, Wurmser told a small group of people that Cheney had been mulling the idea of pushing for limited Israeli missile strikes against the Iranian nuclear site at Natanz—and perhaps other sites—in order to provoke Tehran into lashing out. The Iranian reaction would then give Washington a pretext to launch strikes against military and nuclear targets in Iran. (Wurmser's remarks were first reported last week by Washington foreign-policy blogger Steven Clemons and corroborated by NEWSWEEK.) When NEWSWEEK attempted to reach Wurmser for comment, his wife, Meyrav, declined to put him on the phone and said the allegations were untrue. A spokeswoman at Cheney's office said the vice president "supports the president's policy on Iran."

In Iran, preparations for war are underway. "Crisis committees" have been established in each government ministry to draw up contingency plans, according to an Iranian official who asked for anonymity in order to speak freely. The regime has ordered radio and TV stations to prepare enough prerecorded programming to last for months, in case the studios are sabotaged or employees are unable to get to work. The ministries of electricity and water are working on plans to maintain service under war conditions. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also sent envoys to reach out to European negotiators recently, in the hopes of heading off further sanctions or military action.

Read the rest at Newsweek

Secret US air force team to perfect plan for Iran strike

THE United States Air Force has set up a highly confidential strategic planning group tasked with “fighting the next war” as tensions rise with Iran.

Project Checkmate, a successor to the group that planned the 1991 Gulf War’s air campaign, was quietly reestablished at the Pentagon in June.

It reports directly to General Michael Moseley, the US Air Force chief, and consists of 20-30 top air force officers and defence and cyberspace experts with ready access to the White House, the CIA and other intelligence agencies.

Detailed contingency planning for a possible attack on Iran has been carried out for more than two years by Centcom (US central command), according to defence sources.

Read the rest at the Times of London

Iran watching U.S. troops, says in missile range

U.S. troop movements are being monitored by Iran using satellites and other technology and would be in range of Iranian missiles if an attack was launched, a top Iranian military official said.

In remarks published by Iranian newspapers on Monday, Yahya Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also said he did not expect any U.S. attack because America was too bogged down in Iraq...

"Iran has now a strong intelligence system and missiles. We are closely watching the foreigners' moves in neighboring countries by highly advanced satellite technology and advanced radars. If they enter our airspace or our territorial waters, they will get a fair response," Rahim Safavi said.

"It seems very unlikely that foreign troops in the region could start another attack because they have been busy with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and they should focus on that," he added in comments carried by Iran Daily.

Read the rest at the Boston Globe

Related Link:
Reports: Bush inner circle moves closer to attack on Iran; Considers provoking Iranian response through cross-border raids

Related Link:
Report: U.S. weighing plans for Iran attack

Related Link:
Rice: U.S. needs to keep Iraq safe from Iran

Related Link:
Iran Revolutionary Guard Leader: 'The Revolutionary Guards have identified all the weak points of the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan'

Related Link:
Report: USS Nimitz, Truman strike groups heading to Persian Gulf to join USS Enterprise

Related Link:
Bush on Iran: 'We will confront this danger before it is too late'

Related Link:
Analysis: U.S. strategy on Iran now based on failure in Iraq

Related Link:
UN Ambassador Khalilzad: Mideast instability could lead to world war; Says could be 10-20 years before Iraq 'in a position to stand on its own feet'

Related Link:
Rice: Saudi arms deal important to protect U.S. allies from Iran

Related Link:
Report: U.S. to designate Iranian Revolutionary Guard as terrorist organization

Related Link:
Reports: $20 billion arms sale part of 3-step plan to contain Iran; Includes U.S. bases in Iraq, doubling of Saudi, Kuwait military

Related Link:
Reports: Iran to buy 250 advanced fighter jets from Russia

Related Link:
Rice: $20 billion Arab arms sales 'will help bolster forces of moderation... to secure peace and stability in the Gulf region'

Related Link:
Report: White House seeks $20 billion arms sale for Saudis, others; Promises $30 billion in aid to mollify Israel

Related Link:
Report: Cheney pushing for air strikes against Iran

Related Link:
Bush warns Maliki on trusting Iran; Calls Iran 'dangerous'; Says 'there will be consequences' for Iranian involvement in Iraq

Related Link:
Report: Recently departed Nimitz, Stennis along with Kitty Hawk in war game excercise to practice Iran assaults

Related Link:
Enterprise arrives in Middle East as lone carrier; Nimitz, Stennis head to Pacific

Related Link:
Reports: $20 billion arms sale part of 3-step plan to contain Iran; Includes U.S. bases in Iraq, doubling of Saudi, Kuwait military

Related Link:
Amphibious strike group leaves Monday for Middle East to 'deny terrorists use of the maritime environment'

Related Link:
Report: Stealth bombers to be fitted with 'bunker buster' bombs

Related Link:
Source: Cheney convinces Bush to strike Iran before end of term

Related Link:
Reports: Navy announces deployment of Enterprise strike group to Persian Gulf; Conflicting reports on if it will join or replace Stennis or Nimitz

Related Link:
Reports: USS Enterprise strike group to join Stennis, Nimitz

Related Link:
Reports: Riots in Iran over gas rationing; Rationing due to war fears; Revolutionary Guards in Iraq

Related Link:
Report: Israeli air force training for Iran strike

Related Link:
'Senior American Military Officers': Plan for Iran strike in place; Air Force, Navy to play primary roles

Related Link:
Kuwait says it won’t allow U.S. attack on Iran from territory

Related Link:
Iran threatens U.S. Mideast bases if attacked

Related Link:
Report: Joint U.S.-Israel exercises aimed at Iran

Related Link:
Perspective: Navy Works to Keep Lines Open to Iran

Related Link:
Sources: Iran planning large-scale retaliation if U.S. attacks

Related Link:
'Sources': Cheney senior aide promoting plan to provoke Iran into military response against U.S.

Related Link:
Nine US warships with 17,000 personnel enter Gulf in show of force

Related Link:
Security Analyst to UK Lawmakers: Iran drawing up plans to strike European nuclear plants

Related Link:
Report: Fallon vetoed increased Gulf presence, opposes Bush moves on Iran

Related Link:
Cheney 'warns' Iran on visit to USS Stennis

Related Link:
Official: Kuwait has built food stockpile, taken precautionary measures in event of U.S. attack on Iran

Related Link:
Rice: Military option still open on Iran

Related Link:
USS Nimitz strike group arrives in Persian Gulf

Related Link:
U.S.: Iran Can Target Missile at U.S., Europe in Less Than 8 Years

Related Link:
Eisenhower strike group heading home

Related Link:
Source: Larijani tells Maliki Iraq 'part of the United States' and 'part of the danger' to Iran

Related Link:
U.S.: Iran world's biggest sponsor of terrorism

Related Link:
Iran's top national security official in surprise visit to Iraq for talks with leaders, Maliki

Related Link:
Bahrain: Plans ready in event of U.S. attack on Iran

Related Link:
Bahrain, U.S. hold largest mass casualty drill ever

Related Link:
Report: Kuwait preparing contingency plan for U.S. attack on Iran

Related Link:
Guided missile destroyer USS Chafee leaves for Persian Gulf to join Nimitz

Related Link:
General Holmes: U.S. has military capability for war with Iran, but attack not 'a desired military activity right now'

Related Link:
Report: U.S. offered U.K. to conduct aggressive air patrols over Iran

Related Link:
Stennis group leaves Persian Gulf for Arabian Sea

Related Link:
Israeli Military Intelligence Chief: Iran preparing for U.S. attack in Summer

Related Link:
U.S. orders 3rd carrier to Persian Gulf, says Nimitz to 'replace' Eisenhower

Related Link:
U.S. launches Persian Gulf 'war games' aimed at Iran

Related Link:
Senior Commander: U.S. rules of engagement would have called for fighting in HMS Cornwall incident

Related Link:
Perspective: Iran can harass but not block Hormuz ships-experts

Related Link:
Perspective: Analysts say Iranian military obsolete

Related Link:
Report: Israel, U.S. hold large-scale joint missile defense exercise

Related Link:
Report: Iran poised to strike in wealthy Gulf states if U.S. attacks

Related Link:
Inelligence Chief McConnell: Iran training Iraqi insurgents in I.E.D. use at sites in Lebanon, Iran

Related Link:
Gulf countries deny giving air space for Israeli attack on Iran

Related Link:
Israel to hold nationwide nuclear attack drill

Related Link:
Report: 3 Gulf states agree to Israeli overflights en route to Iran; Turkey urged to allow U.S. overflights, ground attack

Related Link:
UK Defense Sources: Widespread Pentagon opposition to attack on Iran

Related Link:
Report: Pentagon panel plans for attack on Iran with 24-hour notice; Special op teams operating between Iraq and Iran

Related Link:
Report: Israel seeks U.S. okay for Iran attack

Related Link:
UK Military Sources: Massive attack on Iran could come 'any day'

Related Link:
Navy Commander Walsh: US Gulf buildup result of Iranian 'provocations'

Related Link:
USS Stennis joins Eisenhower in Gulf as 'warning' to Iran

Related Link:
Report: U.S. attack plans for Iran include destroying naval, air bases, most of 'military' infrastructure

Related Link:
Report: Pentagon panel plans for attack on Iran with 24-hour notice; Special op teams operating between Iraq and Iran

Related Link:
Officials: Iranian patrol boats probe Iraqi waters

Related Link:
Iran's Elite Guard to Hold 'Asymmetrical' War Games

Related Link:
Sources: US in advanced stages of planning for attack on Iran; Able, ready to strike in the Spring

Related Link:
Iran's Top Authority: Iran will target U.S. interests world-wide if attacked

Related Link:
U.S. strike group transits Suez on way to buildup in Persian Gulf

Related Link:
Analysis: U.S. and Iran on the precipice

Related Link:
'Senior Pentagon Officials': Air force preparing for aggressive tactics against Iranians in Iraq

Related Link:
Analysis: Surging towards Iran