During the first part of this year, the Bush administration's "war on terror" began to softly mutate into what it was supposed to mean in the first place: the conquest of Eurasia, and in the near term, Southwest Asia. This is the first article in a two-part report.
"This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous ... And having said that, all options are on the table."
- President George W Bush, Brussels, February 22
The Pentagon, acting under instructions from Vice President Dick Cheney's office, has tasked the United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM) with drawing up a contingency plan to be employed in response to another 9/11-type terrorist attack on the United States. The plan includes a large-scale air assault on Iran employing both conventional and tactical nuclear weapons ... Many of the targets are hardened or are deep underground and could not be taken out by conventional weapons, hence the nuclear option. - American Conservative , July 22
