"... Iran will inevitably attain some kind of nuclear weapon capability ... & the US must find the methods to manage this..."

Lang at SST/ here

".... the increase in American troops on the ground was very useful in many ways, but I continue to think that the essential development that "turned the tide" for a while was the serendipitous realization on the part of Iraqi Sunni Arabs and an emerging number of US military that the insurgents had little in common with AQI and that cooperation was possible. From that, all else flowed even unto the death of these two fanatics. Will that last? Look to the outcome of the recount in Baghdad for an answer. Is there an esoteric meaning to this talking "bidness" of the "Surge?" I do not know, but if the COIN campaign in south Afghanistan does not go well, will there be an appeal in the media and the WH (in that order) for more troops? Will Obama accept that apparent defiance of his orders?

And then there is the leading editorial in the Washington Post in which Hiatt says that "they" are not advocating military action against Iran. IM experience, when someone tells you that they are not doing or advocating something, then you should know that they are doing or advocating that. The WP editorial is part of the ongoing "full court press" by Israeli/AIPAC information ops designed to move American public opinion to acceptance of an AMERICAN air war against Iran. The Israelis know that they themselves lack the ability to punch this much above their weight. All that nonsense about Osirak and Syria is just that. Mowing your lawn and mowing the grass at Arlington National Cemetery are both grass cutting. but...

And then, today, there was Bruce Riedel (Reidel?) a once upon a time colleague. He was on the tube today to "answer for" Gates' leaked memo about Iran strategy. I wonder who leaked that? (irony) Riedel insisted that Iran will inevitably attain some kind of nuclear weapon capability and that what Gates (and he) believe is that the US must begin to plan for the long term methods to be employed in managing that phenomenon. The well programmed and probably fearful anchors (Todd and Guthrie) produced all the usual objections; Israeli unilateral attacks, "don't give up the ship," etc. In spite of this, Bruce, in his usual humorless, stolid way, persisted in defending the truth of American interest and Israel's limited capability. God bless, Bruce. pl