Reserve? What reserve?

Via Buckdog we hear from the new chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

America's top military officer said the country does have the resources to attack Iran, despite the strain of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Adm Michael Mullen, who took over as chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff three weeks ago, said diplomacy remained the priority in dealing with Iran's suspected plans to develop a nuclear weapon and its support for anti-US insurgents in Iraq.

But at a press conference he said: "there is more than enough reserve to respond (militarily) if that, in fact, is what the national leadership wanted to do".

Oh, where to begin?

Let's start with that "national leadership" comment. Yeah. What national leadership? Bush is a buffoon; Cheney is interested only in what he can pillage on behalf of his corporate sponsors; and the rest of them are still wrapped in the belief that the United States can accomplish anything by simply saying the words "pre-emptive airstrike".

Apparently Mullen thinks any strike against Iran would go "according to plan". That being something along the line of, Launch an airstrike; Destroy a bunch of Iran's infrastructure; Threaten to do it again; Call it a day. Something close to, (what was it they called that?), Shock and Awe, take over Iraq, do a "Mission Accomplished", and try to find the troops under the piles of flowers and candies.

Mullen didn't identify the "reserve" the US military purportedly has on hand. Given that Bush has been using the National Guard, an organization primarily intended to operate as a national militia on home ground, as a supporting expeditionary force in Iraq, it seems he believes any assault on Iran would not involve an already overstretched ground force. Add to that fact that the US is using mercenaries and Mullen's "reserve" becomes more than a little questionable. That is, unless he truly believes he could accomplish whatever mission he accepts through single-element strikes originating with the US Navy.

One would think an admiral with Mullen's background and qualifications would be aware that no military operation ever goes exactly as planned. He's got Iraq and Afghanistan on his plate to prove it.

I suspect the "reserve" to which Mullen refers is somewhat nebulous. It's that body of manpower not yet tapped. They haven't been to the recruiting office yet and they're not yet in uniform.

No, I think Mullen's "reserve" includes lazy, fat-assed, chickenhawks who can't even finish a cartoon of themselves without considerable whining.