September 30, 2003 - Speaking to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee Secretary of State Colin Powell sent a bellicose warning to Iran and to Syria to halt what he called their direct support of terrorism. The speech to the powerful lobbying group came just two days after Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld issued stern warnings to the two countries to “stay out of Iraq”. Later, speaking to an Arab-American audience in Detroit the Secretary of State softened his language toward Syria but warned non-Arab Iran that the United States would not tolerate the development of a nuclear weapons program by Iran. The two speeches came the same day that the Chicago Tribune ran the story of an Illinois Guard Anti-Aircraft Artillery unit being mobilized for an 18 month tour in the region.
Iran announced its willingness to cooperate with an IAEA inspections regime. The IAEA reportedly gave the Iranians until October 31 to prove that it did not have a weapons program but was developing only a peaceful nuclear capability. Asked about the Iranian announcement of compliance with IAEA inspections Powell said it was “not enough”. "We have to have all questions with respect to their nuclear weapons programs answered," he said. "Over the past year, the evidence that has come forward, that is now before the IAEA, has made it clear to the world that there is something going on in Iran with respect to nuclear weapons development that goes beyond their nuclear power industry."

Civilian planners in the Pentagon reportedly have developed plans to attack the Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz and Arak south of Teheran. The Pentagon inner-circle will not rule out a pre-emptive attack on Iran according to Gordon Thomas, a Contributing Editor of the American Free Press writing for MichNews.com this morning.

In the context of the Afghan and Iraqi guerilla campaigns mobilization of an anti-aircraft artillery unit does not make sense. Neither the Iraqi resistance nor the Taliban have an air arm. The military usefulness of the 202nd Anti-Aircraft Artillery in either of those conflicts is not readily apparent. It only makes sense in the context of an engagement with a State that does have an operating air force. The fact that the unit has been mobilized for an extended deployment in the Middle East indicates that the Pentagon expects to engage an enemy with a significant air capability. It is a strong signal that preparations for a preemptive attack have passed from the planning stage to implementation. Following recent Pentagon practice the 202nd will be ready for a combat assignment in January.

Connect the dots and you have a straight line to Teheran on schedule for January 2004 - just in time for the Presidential campaign.