A BBC News article today outlined a U.S. contingency plan for attacking Iran — one that would include air strikes not only on nuclear sites, but also air and naval bases, missile facilities and command-and-control centers.
The piece added that the U.S. has maintained it does not plan to attack Iran and that it is only trying to halt uranium enrichment in the country, but bloggers aren’t convinced.
“Authorities insist there is no cause for alarm but ordinary people are now becoming a little worried,” said the BBC story. That’s true for bloggers, whose reactions ranged from sarcastic to spooked, but not surprised.
Dorian McCreary, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, writes, “We’re drawing up attack plans just in case we need them. *wink, wink*”
At Ramblings of a confessed Ubergeek, Chris Fuhrman admits, “Color me paranoid, but this scares me.”
And though the Blue Herald calls the attack plan a “reason for concern,” blogger Batocchio knew it was coming. “It’s not surprising that the Pentagon would have a plan for invading Iraq. What’s of greater concern is the nature of the plan, since it seems it contains a high level of detail for an imminent attack on Iran. Now, while we’re bogged down in Iraq, there certainly seems to be an inordinate amount of focus on Iran.”
Many bloggers used the release of the plan as an opportunity to bash the administration.
Adrienne Carey Hurley characterizes the plan as hypocritical: “The head of the beast still talks out both sides of its mouth. The government insists it’s NOT planning a war on Iran, but plans for a ‘massive air strike’ have nonetheless been drawn.”
Over at American Barometer, J. Drake suggests the plan is only the beginning. “My guess would be that what is being trumpeted as a threat to intimidate Iran is really the prelude to a major offensive. Doesn’t that sound like the president we’ve all gotten to know? I mean, at this point, he’s got no re-election to worry about and most of his party and a majority of the public intensely dislike him.”
Others, like Big Fat Harry Blog, wonder whether the legislative branch will put a stop to the plan before it starts. “[W]hy isn’t Congress challenging administration planning, preparation and propaganda which seems almost guaranteed to lead to yet another Middle East war,” Harry asks.
And because the British media broke the story, the U.S. media was criticized for its notable silence.
Erik of Pragmatic Madness, along with many other bloggers, chides the domestic media for missing out on this story in favor of lighter fare, like a dog’s rescue of Oregon mountain climbers. “Hmmm, the White House has announced its plans for attacking Iran,” writes Erik, “and we’re reading about dog rescues?”
Christina Hernandez is a CJR intern.