The Pentagon: Racked Over Iran

Is the U.S. seriously considering military action against Iran because of its nuclear program while ostensibly pursuing diplomatic options?

If so, this leaves the Pentagon in a precarious position.

Seymour Hersch writes in The New Yorker that senior commanders believe that a bombing campaign will probably not succeed in destroying Iran’s nuclear program and could lead to serious economic, political, and military consequences for the U.S.

Says Hersch:

A crucial issue in the military’s dissent, . . . officers said, is the fact that American and European intelligence agencies have not found specific evidence of clandestine activities or hidden facilities; the war planners are not sure what to hit. “The target array in Iran is huge, but it’s amorphous,” a high-ranking general told me. “The question we face is, When does innocent infrastructure evolve into something nefarious?” The high-ranking general added that the military’s experience in Iraq, where intelligence on weapons of mass destruction was deeply flawed, has affected its approach to Iran. “We built this big monster with Iraq, and there was nothing there. This is son of Iraq,” he said.