How the U.S.-Iran War May Start -- It May Not Matter Whether the U.S. Military Option Is Off or On the Table

Lenny Ben-David
I*Consult
22 April '10
Posted before Shabbat

A silly back-and-forth took place this week with U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy saying “Military force is an option of last resort. It's off the table in the near term.” Then the Pentagon’s Press Secretary Geoff Morrell responded, "The president always has at his disposal a full array of options, including use of the military....It is clearly not our preferred course of action, but it has never been, nor is it now, off the table."

Why does everyone assume that only the United States – or Israel, for that matter – is the only one at that famous table with military options? Defense analysts should not ignore the presence of the Iranians at the table and their ability – perhaps even likelihood – of toppling the table by initiating hostilities.

Are the Iranians currently deploying their “assets” in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Caribbean and Venezuela, Lebanon, Sinai, Gaza in preparation for confronting the Big and Little Satans? So it seems.

Is the U.S. ready?

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