[A-List] Fw: HEADS UP: F-16 Fighter Wings Deploying to SW Asia

[Peter Hollings]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Hollings" <phollings at alum.mit.edu>
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 9:03 AM
Subject: HEADS UP: F-16 Fighter Wings Deploying to SW Asia


> It looks as if preparations for war against Iran are intensifying.  If the
> "buzz" is accurate, these aircraft would deliver ground-penetrating
nuclear
> bombs on underground weapons facilities. Many of these facilities are near
> population centers and there are credible arguments that the bombs could
> neither penetrate deeply enough before detonating to avoid significant
> radioactive fallout in the surrounding area nor to guarantee destruction
of
> deeply buried facilities. Reportedly the decision to bomb was made because
> there were not adequate troops for an invasion. (Iran's population is
about
> 70 million, about three times that of Iraq.)  There would likely be
> significant civilian casualties and a public outcry, particularly about
the
> use of nuclear weapons, the dis-proportionateness of the attack, the fact
> that it was unprovoked, and the hypocrisy of allowing Israel to have
nuclear
> weapons.
>
> These factors raise the political hurdle that Bush must clear to justify
the
> attack to the US and world public. To an extent this is being addressed in
> the media where we see much criticism of the Iranian regime. Also, the
issue
> will likely be brought before the UN Security Council. However, Russian
and
> Chinese vetoes make justification for war by the UNSC unlikely and my
sense
> is that the public has not yet been prepared for war, particularly with
> nuclear weapons. We shall see.
>
> Peter
>
>   _____
>
> From:
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 2:34 PM
> To:
>  Subject: HEADS UP: F-16 Fighter Wings Deploying to SW Asia
>
>
> The 122nd Fighter Wing deployed to SouthWest Asia (SWA) at 0230 this
> morning.  The 122nd flies the variant of the F-16 which would be
> critical in
> strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ditto for the 4th Sqdrn of the
> 388th
> FW.
>
>
> http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/local/13586753.htm
>
>
> Posted on Mon, Jan. 09, 2006
>
>
> 122nd Fighter Wing to leave in the wee hours
>
>
> From staff reports
>
>
> 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.
>
>
> ************************************************************************
> ****
> **************************************
> http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/159253/4/
>
>
> Sunday, January 08, 2006
>
> 300 deployed from Hill Air Force Base
>
> The Associated Press
>
> LAYTON -- Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wings 4th Fighter Squadron have
> been
> deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq, the Air Force said Friday.
>
> More than 300 airmen from supporting maintenance units left for the
> region
> Monday and Tuesday, while the squadron's 12 F-16s left Wednesday.
>
> The 388th Fighter Wing does not release deployment details until airmen
> have
> reached the deployment location.
>
> Those deployed come from multiple squadrons, including the 4th Fighter
> Squadron, Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Component Maintenance
> Squadron,
> Maintenance Operations Squadron and Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
>
> "The mission of the Air Force is to deliver sovereign options for the
> defense of the United States of America and its global interests to fly
> and
> fight in air, space, and cyberspace," said Col. Robert Beletic, 388th
> Fighter Wing commander.
>
> This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B7.
>
>
> I have antennae up for B1, B2 and F-117 deployments.  The B1 abd B2
> could
> sortie directly from their US bases as they did for OEF/OIF. Guam and
> Diego
> Garcia are other possible/probable staging areas.
>