Will Bush Give the Order?

It is quite clear, if you read the signals coming from the White House, that an attack on Iran is still receiving serious consideration by the President. In fact, some insiders are saying that it is a matter of when, not whether, the attack will take place.

It is not a coincidence that this issue has risen to the surface during Congress's summer recess. The neocons know that the political window, if there is one, for military action against Iran will be slammed shut as soon Congress reconvenes and the indictments start dropping into various Bush Administration Official's laps. To complicate matters more, the highly anticipated report from General Petraeus will likely fan the flames of the troop withdrawal movement and drastically weaken the Presidents support amongst Republican Congressmen. The neocons obviously feel that if they can't convince the President to launch a unilateral attack on Iran now, they may not have the opportunity again.

The gravity of the consequences of a military action against Iran raises an extremely sensitive question. Would the military leaders refuse the order to launch the attack? It may seem ridiculous to think that the Commander in Chief's military orders could be refused but consider this:

Admiral William J. Fallon assumed duties as the commander, U.S. Central Command on March 16, 2007.

The Inter Press news Service Reported on May 15, 2007:

Fallon's refusal to support a further naval buildup in the Gulf reflected his firm opposition to an attack on Iran and an apparent readiness to put his career on the line to prevent it. A source who met privately with Fallon around the time of his confirmation hearing and who insists on anonymity quoted Fallon as saying that an attack on Iran "will not happen on my watch". Asked how he could be sure, the source says, Fallon replied, "You know what choices I have. I'm a professional." Fallon said that he was not alone, according to the source, adding, "There are several of us trying to put the crazies back in the box."

The fact that a number of retired Generals have publicly denounced the Administrations handling of Iraq is a clear indication that there are deep divisions between the White House and the Pentagon. The Iranians are in a position to launch devastating counter attacks resulting in high numbers of American military casualties through both conventional and asymmetrical methods. I do not believe that our military leaders are willing to sacrifice our troops lives in great numbers for an ideology that has been proven counter productive and morally bankrupt.