>>>>>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34092280/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
>>>>
>>>>Rather optimistic of them to involve their airforce. When Israel goes, the Iranian airforce will be smoldering on the ground before the first bunker-buster penetrates. These guys would be punching *waaay* about their weight.
>>>
>>>Do you think today Iranians are Egypt under Naser ? Or Iraq under Saddam ?
>>>I wld suspect that the best of their airforce is hidden just as good as their nuclear facilities.
>>>
>>>I don't believe an attack on Iran would achieve anything, nor it is even going to happen.
>>
>>You may be quite right, but a "hidden" airforce isn't going to do them much good. Nuclear facilities can live underground but an airforce needs to ... well, get some air <s> They are very short on refining capacity which will limit training, their armed forces are laboring under the same kind of "commissar" system that was so deliterious to the USSR under Stalin and while not rising to Arab levels they still have the cultural disadvantage of confusing bombast with power.
>>
>>Religious fervor will provide human waves to clear mine fields but won't do much good against Israeli air power.
>>
>>I have a great deal of respect for the Iranians as a people and as a culture but I don't think they are being ruled by "the best and the brightest" ... though I suppose that means they are very much like the rest of mankind <bg>
>
>My impression that you are overemphasizing little bit 'religious' which is quiet common when it comes to Iran.
>They are religious, but they are not fanatics. If it was mullahs who command their defence (or ofensive) systems
>then war with Israel would have happened probably long time ago, but they do have some soldiers on the payroll as well. {g}
>
>What we have seen up to now is Irranian mullahs barking at Israel, and Israeli hawks barking back at Iran
>but no direct bites yet.
>
>As for Airforce, who said it have to be deep underground ? Iran is big country. Unlike flat deserts of Egypt
>there is plenty of suitable terrains where to keep defence resources. Chances of Israel finding Irranian jet fighters
>lined up like shrimps on a big silver platter are quiet slim.
>
>Situation is quiet tense but I doubt it will escallate further then much more and much louder barking.

I agree that the level of religious fervor in the military isn't in any way Ahmenejhadish but I do know they have a system similar to what the Stalinists had with political commissars being integrated into military units. That can make it dangerous for an officer to stray too far from the mullah's path.

I hope you're right, but that doesn't solve the problem of Iran with a nuclear bomb and I think that is exactly the problem the Israelis intend to solve. The "international community" is so completely toothless (or greedy) in this area that I think a lot of people are counting on the fact that Israel ultimately will prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

(and I'm a lot more worried about Pakistan)