if elected, how should I tackle Iran?
965572
Leave them alone.They will collapse under their own weight.Do not forget that majority of the educated Iranians dislike the mullahs.
670545
America’s Options Against Iran. Iran’s nuclear program is a matter of concern. The real question, of course, is “what can the United States do about it?”\n\nThe options are negotiate, launch aerial attacks to take out the nuclear program, or to enact regime change through one means or another. Negotiation is not exactly an option – Iran has pretty much ruled out any deal that would limit its nuclear weapons program. There is also the fact that the Israelis will not patiently sit by while the Iranians use negotiations to buy time to continue their nuclear weapons development. These two factors leave only the option of stopping the program through air attacks or regime change.\n\nAir attacks have huge problems. Iran has a widely-dispersed nuclear program. There are at least 23 cities (plus uranium mines) in this program. However, targeting does not just involve the nuclear program. Iran also has a huge missile program. There are 40 cities or islands involved with Iran’s missile program, which also would need to be hit – so as to limit or preferably eliminate delivery options for the Iranians. This means at least 63 sites have to be hit in order to guarantee a major disruption to the Iranian nuclear program and its delivery system.\n\nThe type of air attack involved would probably be on the order of the first day of the 1991 Gulf War, in which a devastating air attack was launched over a month’s time. Even that devastating attack was not enough to prevent Saddam Hussein from launching missiles against Israel and Saudi Arabia in the 1991 Gulf War. In 2003, special operations forces were able to prevent a large number of launches, but their use is a huge step forward. Iran has some modern planes (particularly the MiG-29 Fulcrum), but the majority of their aircraft are old F-14As, F-4 Phantoms, J-7 Fishbeds, and F-5E Tigers. An air campaign would be able to hit the sites, and degrade the program. Iranian response would unpredictable, though.\n\nThe best option to guarantee a halt to Iran’s nuclear weapons program is to overthrow the imams. There are two ways this can be done; sponsoring the domestic opposition (which has significant popular support), or through an invasion. The former option has worked in the past. In the 1980s, the CIA was able to keep the Polish Solidarity movement functioning as an opposition movement despite martial law and opposition by the Polish and Russian secret police. That said, the effort took eight years, and the CIA back then was run by William Casey. Today’s CIA has become more of a bureaucracy, and much more risk-averse. The other problem with such an effort is that the situation in Iran is markedly different in two respects: Poland did not have a lengthy history of sponsoring terrorist attacks, nor was that country trying to develop nuclear weapons.\n\nThe other option is an invasion. This is probably the touchiest option. Currently, Iraq involves 17 American  brigades and three division headquarters. Afghanistan involves another division headquarters and three brigades. The 2nd Infantry Division is pretty much committed to defending the Republic of Korea. Two more divisions are carrying out peacekeeping in various parts of the world (the Sinai, Kosovo, and Bosnia being major deployments on that front). This is seven out of 24 divisions available (12 active, 8 National Guard, 3 active Marine, one reserve Marine). The Army is arguably stretched thin, since some divisions will have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan. Until the situation in Iraq stabilizes or additional divisions are formed up, that will remain the case. Iraq has become an insurgency, and those take time (usually five to ten years). Iran would, in all likelihood, develop a similar insurgency. That will further tie down American forces in the region.\n\nThe options against Iran are limited, in large part due to the “peace dividend” of the 1990s, in which eight active-duty and four National Guard divisions were dis
522343
that is possible, if Iran has nuclear weapons we will need the best units to be stealthy and precise to ensure that they are destroyed rather then a whole bunch of regular soldiers knocking on the front door with a machine gun and smoke grenade.
904428
Looks quite easy to me. All you have to do is follow the foot steps of that Iraqi Chalabi. Feed false intelligence about nukes and WMDs to Bush. He would be very glad to invade your country.
46986
What we should do is to work with the rest of the world to isolate Iran. That would mean no trade with the country except for food. It would destroy their economy and send the message that the world won't tolerate their behavior. \n\nWhat will happen will be completly different and nothing will happen to Iran. Many countries are too thirsty for their oil so they will not support any sanctions.\n\nI think what we should do is to kill the top leaders of Iran. War is too expensive and sanctions do not work.
1047168
This is an awesome question. I see what you mean by the tactics. Iran is surrounded. I think it may have been just dumb luck though.
460003
Nuclear power is not the issue.  Nuclear bombs are the issue. The president of Iran has said he wants to wipe out Israel, which is fine with me, but I doubt if Israel is going to just sit there and let itself be wiped out.  You can bet that Israel has plans to launch a strike on Iran and you can bet the US has a plan drawn up to invade, which is fine also. But I think that if the US launches an attack it should not necessarily be the same way as in Iraq with the goal of regime change.  The US should simply blow up all Iran's nuclear facilities and leave them totally disintegrated with absolutely nothing left but a big hole in the ground; if this means using nuclear weapons then fine.  Just blow the place up and leave it at that, and let the Iranians deal with the mess.  If they try to rebuild it, blow it up again, and so on forever.  Muslims are a very dangerous threat to mankind and should not be allowed to get a nuclear weapon, because they will come up with all this Allah jihad holy bullshit as justification to use it, which is all a crock of baloney anyway.
103113
ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans for a combined air and ground attack on targets in Iran if diplomacy fails to halt the Iranian nuclear programme. \nThe inner cabinet of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, gave “initial authorisation” for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in the Negev desert. \n\n \n \nIsraeli forces have used a mock-up of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment plant in the desert to practise destroying it. Their tactics include raids by Israel’s elite Shaldag (Kingfisher) commando unit and airstrikes by F-15 jets from 69 Squadron, using bunker-busting bombs to penetrate underground facilities.
464057
Iran is a fine country.  But the people that run it need to be taken out in the street and shot.  And if that doesn't help it, then nuke it and turn it into a wasteland.
387913
that should be something that Iran should worry about. and i also agree with the first answer. it saves us a war.
402581
It shouldn't be a first option.  The ideal situation would be an internal revolution in Iran, I can't imagine that the average Iranian is terribly happy with Ahmadinejad and Khamenei though the Iranian police state has so far been able to keep them in power.  I think that diplomatic options need to be exhausted before military options are exercised, but it is up to Iran how far this goes.  If they allow the IAEA in to monitor and verify their claim that they are trying to generate Nuclear power for civilian purposes (which all current evidence indicates is not the case) then the world will probably let them do so, however if Iran begins deploying and/or exporting Nuclear Weapons they will have to be stopped, and it would be imprudent to take any option off the table before their intentions are known.
324242
There is no need to conquer Iran.  There probably will not even be a need to attack Iran, but if the need arises, we would still not need to conquer them.  Iran presents two strategic problems for the US: the leadership and, to a certain extent, the people are rabidly opposed to Israel; and they actively support, supply and finance the insurgency in Iraq.\n\nSo far we have let the Europeans ply their typically Chamberlainesque appeasement tactics to the nuclear problem, but sooner or later we will have to explain to them and to the Russians that Iran will simply not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.  Period.  The problem will then almost certainly go rapidly away.  If it does not, we will destroy their nuclear facilities from the air.  No need to invade.  Pay no attention to Iranian threats; the worst they can do is lob a few missiles at Israel, like Saddam did in the first Gulf War.\n\nThe second problem is more intractable, but it has, I believe, an indirect solution.  Invade Syria.  That would cut off Baathist support for the insurgents, sever the main route for insurgent communications, and send an unambiguous message to the other states in the region, including Iran.
40691
If you ignore recent politics, Iran.
210236
I don't see anything happening over Iran too soon.  Any US president would be insane to start a war with Iran and should be sent to a psychiatric facility immediately.  The EU and NATO definitely won't do anything to piss the Iranians off, Iran has missiles that are within range of their countries.  The UN doesnt have the balls to do anything either (plus you have Russia and China who'll oppose a lot on the Security Council).  Frankly, I think Israel is the only one who can be counted on to do anything at all--which in their case is going to be military action.  That, sadly, is going to drag us (the U.S.), if not Europe, in as well.
471153
I think Iran is far harder nut to crack than Iraq and it would be biggest Bush's stupidity if he try to attack the country at least now. Besides, Iran can't for now threaten anybody with its uranium-enriching level.
399088
Forget about the politics & people.  \n\nA radioactive dust bowl comes to mind if Ahmadinejad doesn't pull his head out of his *ss.
364478
Iran = the diversion bush needs to keep up the pressure on the illegal alien issue, which covers the scooter libby scandal, which covered the he lied about the WMD... o the tangle web we weave when we weave a tale of such deception\n\nthe closer the elections of 2008 get the MORE likely we go to war against IRAN