Speak up now, or Iran is next!

So the US aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis has been sent to the Gulf as part of a buildup of forces that Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, hopes will show Iran that the US is serious about using military might. This comes as the rumor factory is running the “attack in two weeks” message.

What is clear is that regardless of the cost, the US strategy of using “preventive” (not to be confused with preemptive) force to bring governments to heel, will be used in the Iran situation. However, Iran is no walkover like Iraq was.

The rationale behind the US approach is that the “threat” to US interests must be so weak, that they fall like a deck of cards in a summer breeze as the armed forces of the greatest military power the world has ever known washes over them. In doing this, the rest of the onlookers become paralysed with fear and the US is allowed to do whatever it wants.

Unfortunately, what we have seen in Iraq is that the “war of the flea” is not as easy a victory as the high tech US military predicted. What with the “just in time” introduction of military personnel and assets, Uncle Sam is feeling the heat as a rag-tag band of civilians keeps them pinned down and bleeding on regular basis. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad really isn’t that worried after the display of impotence displayed by the very expensive, body bag adverse US military machine.

The reality is that working class kids from GB and the US will die in what George Galloway described as something akin to “ ..the film Zulu, but without the happy ending”. In other words, more body bags and big contracts for Bush’s corporate mates who get paid to supply the bombs that destroy the buildings that they later get paid to rebuild – though they never seem to be able to do that.

Please do mankind a favour Bliar and tell Bush it’s not on – if you have the guts.