[Washington Times] Bill Gertz - U.S. military forces are capable of conducting operations against Iran if called on to bomb nuclear facilities or other targets, the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, said Thursday. "From a military standpoint, there is more than enough reserve to respond if that, in fact, is what the national leadership wanted to do, and so I don't think we're too stretched in that regard," he said in his first press conference since becoming chairman Oct. 1. Defense and military officials have been preparing U.S. forces within striking distance of Iran. The forces would be dominated by Navy and Air Force weapons and forces since Army and Marine Corps forces are focused on Iraq and Afghanistan. There are two main targets of any Iranian military action, according to the officials. First, U.S. forces are set to attack Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps facilities because of the paramilitary's support and provision of armor-piercing roadside bombs. A second target would be Iranian nuclear facilities, which are in numerous underground facilities across the country. "There is a significant amount of activity right now to try to influence them diplomatically," Adm. Mullen said. The use of military force would be an option "of the last resort," he said. ()
2007-10-19 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive