Iran: They'd Rather Walk

From Sunday's Times of London, a report that an order to strike Iran could lead to the mass resignation of senior military commanders. The Times' reporters have identified at least four to five generals and admirals who would resign their commissions rather than carry out such orders.

The money quote:

A British defence source confirmed that there were deep misgivings inside the Pentagon about a military strike. “All the generals are perfectly clear that they don’t have the military capacity to take Iran on in any meaningful fashion. Nobody wants to do it and it would be a matter of conscience for them."

And the military's discontent goes all the way to the top:

General Peter Pace, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said recently there was “zero chance” of a war with Iran. He played down claims by US intelligence that the Iranian government was responsible for supplying insurgents in Iraq, forcing Bush on the defensive...

Hillary Mann, the National Security Council’s main Iran expert until 2004, said Pace’s repudiation of the administration’s claims was a sign of grave discontent at the top.

“He is a very serious and a very loyal soldier,” she said. “It is extraordinary for him to have made these comments publicly, and it suggests there are serious problems between the White House, the National Security Council and the Pentagon.

The Cheney administration is destroying and dividing the US military. The generals are not about to walk the plank with these madmen. Apparently Duty, Honor, Country is still alive in our armed forces, and for this we must all be deeply thankful.

To think it has come to this.