Iran Pushing Back Against Bush’s Sabre Rattling

Sam Gardiner at The Left Coaster reports: Military forces continue to move toward Iran. We have more details. In addition, a new concern emerged this morning. Iran may be reacting. (…) On Tuesday an Iranian parliamentarian told a Chinese press service that the Iranians had shot down a US remotely piloted vehicle. This is not the first Iranian report of U.S. RPV’s flying over their territory. About this time last year, the Iranians reported RPV’s were flying near nuclear sites. UPI is quoting a Kurdish source this morning that Iranian troops are moving to the border area with northern Iraq. This is in the vicinity of Pashmakh, Iraq. It’s not clear what’s behind the Iranian move. This northwestern part of Iran has been an area of high tension for a number of years. There have been quite reliable reports that the United States and Israel are supporting a Kurdish group that is actually conducting combat operations inside Iran. The Iranians have responded by firing artillery into Iraq. Gardiner concludes: After seeing all of this unfold, there is an obvious question. What’s the U.S. strategy for Iran? Does all of it mean an attack is close. My sense at this point is an attack is not imminent. I think we are seeing an unfolding of a broad strategy to put pressure on the Iranians. We have seen diplomatic pressure. We have seen economic pressure with the sanctions. We are now seeing military pressure. It’s not just about the Iranian nuclear program. It goes beyond that. I think the White House is concerned about the growing influence of Iran in the Middle East. It’s about pressure now. At some point it could be about a strike.