Emanuele Ottolenghi’s instincts are spot-on regarding the Scottish Herald report of bunker-buster bombs going to Diego Garcia. Diego Garcia is a British-owned island in the Indian Ocean where the U.S. has maintained storage and communication facilities for decades. The island is a hub in our global network of prepositioned supplies and ammunition; shipments to and from the island occur far more often than we go to war.
The bomb shipment discussed in the Herald item isn’t of a kind that happens frequently, but it’s exactly the sort that happens as a result of long-term contingency planning. The Pentagon parks ammunition in certain spots around the world to support the operations we may have to undertake. Standing policy drives these preparations most of the time.
The bombs in question — assuming the Herald got their nomenclature right — aren’t our most impressive bunker-busters anyway. The BLU-110 and BLU-117 bombs described in the report are 1,000- and 2,000-pound bombs, respectively: weight classes we have used since the early 1990s or before. Fitting these bombs with modern guidance packages and improved penetration capability has given them more punch, but it doesn’t place them in the same category as our premier weapons.
For comparison, the bunker-busters we sold to Israel in 2005 are 5,000-pound weapons. In the U.S. inventory we have an 18,700-pound bunker-buster and a newer 30,000-pound penetrating bomb. Without turning this into “Bomb 101,” the point to take away is that we move the little bombs, which are the workhorses of our inventory, on a more routine basis than we do the big, exotic bombs. Presidents since Bill Clinton have wanted the military to be prepared to attack Iranian targets if it should become necessary, and having the right bombs staged forward is part of that effort. We can deduce from the shipment to Diego Garcia that the military is updating CENTCOM’s inventory and that Obama hasn’t ruled out a military approach to Iran. But there are no grounds to conclude that a strike must be imminent.
“…a certain segment of the Left.”
This is not quite accurate. We are no longer talking about a “certain segment of the Left.” No, it is now mainstream. Very soon those who disagree will find themselves informally excommunicated from the Democratic Party.
Moran’s moral equivalencies aside, there has lately been too much officially-inspired war chatter here and in Israel which seems intended more to sate (but actually whets) media appetites than to serve any useful purpose. Needless to say, reducing government yammering is not being “adult”, just (hopefully) following TR’s advice.
Please immediately visit the websites of the New York Times and the Drudgereport. Neither is headlining the outrageous comments of Jim Moran. This is how ho-hum the story is being treated. What does that tell you?
James Moran is nothing if not consistent. If hostilities do break out and the US is involved, we already know from past experience where he will go with it.
From The Best of the Web, March 11,2003:
A Democrat Speaks Out
A Democratic congressman who opposes the liberation of Iraq is blaming the Jews for threatening Saddam Hussein’s hold on power. “If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq we would not be doing this,” the Connection newspapers of northern Virginia quoted Rep. Jim Moran as saying last week. “The leaders of the Jewish community are influential enough that they could change the direction of where this is going and I think they should.”
Democrats have for some time shown a troubling tolerance for politicians who say or do anti-Semitic things: Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, former Reps. Cynthia McKinney and Earl Hilliard. Will the party distance itself from Moran’s remarks? Today’s Washington Post quotes numerous Virginia Democrats, including a spokesman for the governor, as criticizing Moran–but no members of Congress are among them, nor does the paper quote any Democrats from outside Virginia.
Moran offered this Trent Lott-style “apology”: “I should not have singled out the Jewish community and regret giving any impression that its members are somehow responsible for the course of action being pursued by the Administration, or are somehow behind an impending war.” In other words, he regrets giving the impression that he meant precisely what he said.
In an op-ed in Pakistan’s Balochistan Post, another Southern politician weighs in with views similar to Moran’s: “This is a war that has been promoted for years by the most radical Jewish supremacists in Israel and America.” The author of these words? David Duke.
I like this guy. of course iran isn’t going to attack israel. no one thinks they will. and irans stupid saber rattling WAS identical to israels drills a while back.
“This is a war that has been promoted for years by the most radical Jewish supremacists in Israel and America.” The author of these words? David Duke.
who is absolutely right. look at all the pro iraq war op eds written by jewish supporters of israel in the years and months prior.
Moran’s remarks seem pretty measured to me.
Saber-rattling is understandable, but dangerous. Both sides are doing it.
Remember Sarajevo.
Witnessing the Crumbling of Old Brains is inevitably sad. At least there’s no need to react to more-tear.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/NEWS05/807130365/1304/LOCAL
former GOP congressman says “iraq was invaded to secure israel”.
don’t worry, no way the MSM will cover anything with the I word. just as walt and mearshimer