The Pentagon views the weak, militarily surrounded and impoverished country of Iran as the greatest threat America faces, according to one of the US’s top military officials.
Adm. James Winnefeld, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a Washington think-tank on Tuesday that he doesn’t “see any greater challenge than Iran.”
Of all the general national security threats America faces, Winnefeld said, including economic threats, terrorist threats, and the threat of a potential offensive military strike on the US, “you find Iran touches (them) one way or the other.”
Part of the reason this answer comes so easily to the political and military establishment is because of the mantra about Iran trying to develop nuclear weapons. But there is a consensus in the intelligence community that Iran has no such weapons program.
The US is not so concerned with Iranian military capabilities per se. Iran is one of the few states in the geo-strategically vital Persian Gulf area that isn’t a client of the US, doing the bidding of Washington power-brokers in exchange for economic, military, and diplomatic support. This disobedience is the real threat to an America that wants complete control over the Middle East.
“It is a matter of faith among many American politicians that Iran is the greatest danger now facing the country,” writes Micah Zenko, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “But if that is true, then the United States can breathe easy: Iran is a weak military power.”
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Iran’s“military forces have almost no modern armor, artillery, aircraft or major combat ships, and UN sanctions will likely obstruct the purchase of high-technology weapons for the foreseeable future.”
Even if Iran did have nuclear weapons, which it doesn’t, “the threat to the US homeland would continue to be minimal,” according to Zenko.
But the military establishment continues to habitually hype threats that don’t exist, because it fills the pockets of rent-seekers in the military industrial complex and it serves the bureaucratic interests of powerful hawks in Washington.
'Threat' means something other than what the rest of us mean by it when USrael gov't officials say it. Say it's hunting season. You have a rifle. You see a fawn. That's your 'threat.'
…it'd be hard to think of anything more 'threatening' than a dodo bird, provided you have a gunny sack, a set of ginsu knives and can find some kindling.
No sht. The US has 43 military bases surrounding Iran, not to mention multiple carrier groups, countless NUCLEAR armed subs, missile sites in Turkey in addition to ICBMs. Who's the threat again?
So Russia is not a threat with its submarines and bombers supposedly a constant irritant testing America's defenses? And what about China and its military build-up in the Pacific?
This guy Winnefeld does not seem to be aware of America's REAL enemies and it certainly isnt Iran.
"This guy Winnefeld does not seem to be aware of America's REAL enemies and it certainly isnt Iran. "
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America's REAL enemies are the regime in Tel Aviv and its fifth column in Washington.
Why do Americans not wake up to the fact that their Government uses fear to manipulate and exploit them? I mean, it's not as though they hide the fact, is it?
Perhaps Americans need to be surrounded by fear in order to feel comfortable!
Iran is geo-politically weak
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To the contrary, Iran's position is greatly improved thanks to the United States wiping out their arch enemy Saddam Hussein and bringing Iraqi Shia to power for them.
, militarily inadequate
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To the contrary, while in terms of sheer firepower Iran is no match, their military is far from incapable, especially its well-honed asymmetric naval warfare strategy for Hormuz http://www.alibertarianvent.com/2012/10/grand-the….
But of course, yes, not actually a threat to the United States.
Fear is needed to continue the farce of the US military Industrial Welfare state!
Take the trillions a year from the Pentagon, US State department weapons bazaar, the Dept. of Enegies atomic weaponry and base it on an actual defense requirement and not an OFFENSE requirement and the US fiscal problems would be gone in but a few short years!
Ten shades on the brown-nosometer for General Winefed! There will be a need for some new prospects, what with all the scandals.
Thank you for your opinion, Mr. Pentagon. Now, go play nice in some sandbox and smoke some crack concaine. These dudes at the Pentagon don't have enough to do. They shoul be reassigned to Kandahar or Bengazi.
"Iran is geo-politically weak, militarily inadequate, and racked by sanctions."
Another Glaserism.; there is not one word of truth in this statement.
You may notice that "this statement" refers reflexively to itself; therefore you admit to lying about this being another "Glaserism", whatever that is.
If Iran is our #1 threat then we obviously don't need the size military we now have and can reduce it by 75% and still have more than we need.
All of this unwarranted violence against innocent people of the middle east is to reestablish the british empire to the head of the table. Americans are too blind to see it, paying 85% of NATO costs and giving away the farm to Europe courtesy Bernanke bailouts.and slave warriors. The Mossad running around the WTCs with explosives in the van on 9-11 is an organization started by the Rothschilds in England. Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood work for Europeans. I went to college and had a few Iranian friends who were gracious and fun people. I resent genetic trash Americans wanting to bomb them. They do not have the right to do this.