Now it seems that there is an Iranian threat closer to home--our home:Iran may be able to build a missile capable of striking the United States by 2015, according to an unclassified Defense Department report on Iran's military sent to Congress and released on Monday.
"With sufficient foreign assistance, Iran could probably develop and test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States by 2015," said the April report, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.
Iran boosts Qods shock troops in Venezuela
Pentagon predicts U.S. clash with Islamist paramilitary
Iran is increasing its paramilitary Qods force operatives in Venezuela while covertly continuing supplies of weapons and explosives to Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the Pentagon's first report to Congress on Tehran's military.
The report on Iranian military power provides new details on the group known formally as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), the Islamist shock troops deployed around the world to advance Iranian interests. The unit is aligned with terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, North Africa and Latin America, and the report warns that U.S. forces are likely to battle the Iranian paramilitaries in the future.
So in addition to having to face Iran's nuclear threat, the US is going to have to deal with its own version of Hizbollah and Hamas.
I'm waiting to see how Obama reacts to being lectured on the need to talk, and only talk, with Iran.
Technorati Tag: Iran.
You have to admire Iran's doggedness. "Smarter" people would give them 100 reasons why a Hezbollah-like force in Venezuela won't harm the U.S. the way Hezbollah harms Israel. The Iranians aren't interested. If it worked in Lebanon, let's see if it works in Venezuela. If not, we'll try something else. As a wise man probably said, being a genius is nice, but 99% of success is just showing up.
ReplyDeleteThese days, being a democracy means being a toothless democracy.
ReplyDeleteThe West believes this.
In the Middle East, they seem to sense this intuitively.
Bottom line, a democracy cannot be a 'strong horse'