IAF B707 refueling Israeli F-15sThis story exploded all over the 'Net today:
Would the U.S. Shoot Down an Israeli Jet? Top Officer Won’t Say
April 20, 2010
MORGANTOWN, West Virginia -- In a town hall on the campus of the University of West Virginia, a young Air Force ROTC cadet asked Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen to respond to a “rumor.” If Israel decided to attack Iran, the speculation went, those jet would need to fly through Iraqi airspace to reach their targets. That airspace is considered a “no-fly” zone by the American military. So might U.S. troops shoot down the Israeli jets, the airmen asked the chairman, if they breached that airspace?
Mullen tried to sidestep the question.
Read it all here
Here's the STORMBRINGER take: This non-answer does not necessarily imply that the United States will take drastic measures against our Israeli allies. The man is being as politically correct and tactfully discreet as possible - and though I ordinarily find the PC mindset repugnant, in this case Admiral Mullen must choose his words very carefully because he represents the military arm of the United States government.
Americans serving in Iraq have been on the receiving end of Iranian rockets smuggled to militants in Iraq for years. Iranian EFPs have also killed a number of Americans. I am certain of two things: there are American servicemen & women who would hesitate when given an order to fire upon Israeli targets - particularly enroute to bomb Iran; and the Command I'm sure is contemplating this scenario.
The sad fact of the matter is we had our opportunity to smash the Iranian Fundamentalist Islamic Revolution in it's infancy and we hesitated - or should I say Jimmy Carter hesitated. The ball was in his court and he balked. IF the day after our embassy was taken down on November 4, 1979, the 82D had jumped on to Tehran Airport and moved on the city . . . well, we wouldn't be having half the problems we're having with these people now.
But instead we've got what we've got going on now, and this thing is going to go on for the next hundred years.
- Sean Linnane
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I hadn't thought about it but the answer may not have been a swipe at the Israelis so much as to sidestep exacerbating the situation with the Iranians at this moment to keep further options open without shoving us into overdrive (from drive) to war with Iran.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry. As a direct result of our nuanced foreign policy the Iranians will ahve a missle capable of hitting the US mainland in 5 years or so.
ReplyDeleteWhat could possibly go wrong?
Something to ponder upon.
ReplyDeleteThanks to the Walker family, weren't the Russians reading our communications? Weren't they ready to respond w/ an a Airborne Corp?
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right . . . but we didn't know that at the time, so this doesn't let Mistuh Jimmuh off the hook.
ReplyDelete