GOP Rep: bombing Iran wouldn’t be an act of war
CNN’s Erin Burnett interviews Congressman Mike Rogers (R-MI):
BURNETT: Do you think that bombing those key facilities, whether it’s Parchin or Fordow, is that short of war, in your opinion, or would that spark a war? If we use one of those, you know, massive ordinance, penetrators, 30,000 ton bombs that could actually penetrate deep under the ground, where as you say they have been placing some of their facilities?
ROGERS: Well, again, I would be cautious of — short of war. I will say that –
BURNETT: So that’s not — that would be war. OK.
ROGERS: Well, in very targeted strikes, we use very targeted strikes against al Qaeda. And so if it is a very targeted strike, many would argue that that is one — that’s short of war. And if it only seeks to go after their nuclear program, that is — we’re not talking about invasions or naval engagements or troops on the ground, none of that. And this has been used by other — President Clinton used this tactic.
But there’s also other things under that. I’m not saying that’s — that is the right answer. That is an option that I believe is short of war if it is very selective, very targeted, only to the nuclear program. And we do know, those — that the Iranians believe that there is a whole panoply of options — war and then these targeted strikes they don’t see as — wouldn’t see as an act of war.
(Emphasis added.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZFgf2m5EmDk