Anybody else notice that the Bush Administration’s threats to bomb or even nuke Iran, crazy though they are, at least aren’t coming with any threats of a ground invasion? Which (minus the nukes) puts American foreign policy back where it was under Bill Clinton: drop bombs wherever and whenever desired, but no ground troops. This wasn’t a morally or tactically sufficient foreign policy then, and it won’t be now. But still an improvement over 2003.
Posted by Wayne Uff at April 12, 2006 06:11 AM
The US has put troops into Iran---Regular US "Special Forces" ---operations going on for at least a year already; probably much longer than that. Recurring "incursions" to detail targets and interview "potential dissidents."
Posted by: Hoffmann on April 12, 2006 4:50 PMPresident Clinton put lots of troops on the ground in Bosnia and Kosovo. They succeeded brilliantly in defusing a fulminating civil war and pogrom. This is one of our Army's proudest triumphs.
The pre-occupation bombing campaign had maximal effect on its targets, the leadership of Serbia, with very few civilian casualties and minimal military casualties. It is immoral to slaughter an enemy (Kuwait turkey shoot of retreating Iraqis) needlessly; there is only a feather's difference between the typical Serb or Iraqi conscript and a volunteer American GI in the great scales. This was a virtuous restraint by the Air Force and a great triumph for them as well.
Posted by: Craig Nelson on April 15, 2006 2:55 PM