January 10, 2006

Military Readying for Air Strikes in *undisclosed* Southwest Asian Country

Patrick at Clarity and Resolve speculates that Iran is about to get bombed for its nuclear brinksmanship. Me? I'm thinking the Afghanistan-Pakistan border is looking especially hot today. Let's not forget, though, that Centcom also is over The Horn of Africa where the looming war between Eritrea and Ethiopia has forced U.S. diplomatic intervention. Something about speaking softly and carrying an F-16 suddently pops into my mind.

Fort-Wayne News Sentinel:

Members of the Fort Wayne-based 122nd Fighter Wing are scheduled to leave for Southwest Asia about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday from the unit’s headquarters on Ferguson Road. It represents the wing’s largest single deployment since it was called to Chambley, France, in 1961 during the Berlin Crisis. This deployment is in support of ongoing operations in the U.S. Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) area of responsibility, which includes Southwest Asia. The unit will deploy fighter pilots, as well as maintenance and support personnel.

SEE-DUBYA notes: At first I thought, fighters? Why fighters? But F-16s armed with Mk-84 2000-lb. bombs were used by the IAF in the 1981 strike on Iraq's Osirak reactor.

UPDATED NOTE by Vinnie:

We have no compelling national interest in either Ethiopia or Eritrea

The Pakistanis have their own F-16s to bomb with.

Just about every "fighter" in our arsenal is capable of converting to a bombing role. Only the B-52, B-1, and B-2 are strictly bombers.

If this were 1942, the Fort Wayne newspaper staff would have been jailed for telegraphing troop movements.

I (Vinnie) am blinded by my burning desire for revenge in the face of 25 years of Mullahcratic hostility.