As a soldier in our Armed Forces I have taken an oath to defend our country against all enemies both foregin and domestic and follow the orders of those appointed over me and the President of the United States. With all this said I am not a strong advocate of putting our forces in harms way untill all diplomatic issues have been resolved. In this case I feel we have exhausted our efforts in a diplomatic solution to this credible threat to our Nation, its forces in the middle east, and our allies Israel so I support Joint Military strikes from both the US and Israel before Iran obtains a Nuclear Weapon. We must at all cost stop them from obtaining a Nuclear Weapon before its too late.

The noose of the sanctions is crushing the nation and they are working. Keep up the pressure. I do NOT support preemptive military action. We certainly do not need more of this, especially after having Vice President Cheney out right lie to the American people, TWICE on Meet the Press. The Iranian leader is a lame duck anyway and if we keep up the sanctions we might well be able to put a cork in this near term. The Israelis may screw it up however and it would be disasterous. A war over there is the worst possible outcome. I am nervous these nutty neocons are whipping up the fear machine again. While we certainly do have to support Israel, I think measured support is the better policy. That governments policy on settlements has been just horrendous and directly has contributed to thousands of unnecessary deaths. Israel has a right to exist but does not have a right to continue to blatantly steal land and like it or not that is what they have been doing for 30 years. So the answer is NO Randy, back off on the war drums before you create yet another catastrophe for the country.

Someone needs to ask you Randy, and WHO do you expect to pay for any military action you suck us into? You certainly did nothing to fund the past wars you supported running up billions of dollars in bills and THEN voting to shove our great nation into its first ever default!!! How could we ever hope to conduct a war when you acted three times only last year to shutdown the government? I don't think the American people, especially after you just voted this week to deny the middle class a tax cut, in fact deny ALL Americans a tax cut because you insist, in spite of widespread evidence to the contrary, that millionaires and billionaires get enormous additional relief you expect the rest of us to pay for. You know sir, that the economic argument in support of your view is a proven fraud with decades of evidence discrediting your position. You know sir, that the American people by a wide margin reject your argument. So why sir, why why why are you harming this nation with such action? We deserve an answer and we just cannot get it from you. So please sir, urge your leadership to support the middle class not destroy it and please, rescind your commitment to the Grover Norquist blackmail pledge that a prominent national conservative suggested this week had roots with the Muslim Brotherhood. That pledge never told you to destroy the middle class.

I believe the war mongering chicken hawks on capitol hill have blown this stuff way out of proportion. Iran wants nuclear capabilities for MEDICINE not a weapon. If we are really concerned about the threat of nuclear missiles why haven't we attacked North Korea yet? They are closer than anyone to emerging as a new missile owner. Oh that's right North Korea is not sitting on top of the OIL that Iran is. But gas will continue to rise as those at the top get richer and richer off of our soldiers blood and our citizens struggles to be able to affoird anything but gas and food......

4) I do no support preemptive military action. Pro-actively attacking is bullying. We need to talk out our problems and attempt to resolve conflict non-violently. I'm far more impressed by leaders (Bobby Kennedy) who can peacefully settle things over so-called leaders who bankrupt this country in order to build their own macho ego. We need to grow up and stop kicking everyone's butt because we think they might do something to us. Technology is everywhere. The ability to create and build powerful weapons can be purchased by anyone with enough cash. Therefore, we should spend more time building strong relationships with everyone and less time pissing everyone off.

We should recognize that both Israel & Iran are sovereign countries, mind our own business, limit our military efforts strictly to self defense, while seeking trade & diplomacy with both of them. Iran has just a much to nuclear energ as any other country.

I support going the trade and economic sanctions route because, with the situation in Syria, the Middle East is like a powder keg just ready to explode. A military strike against Iran will embolden Hezbollah and other militant groups in the region to strike at Israel and at Western targets thus causing a much wider conflict.

We've been at war for over a decade. Being the world's policeman has helped pushed this country to an economic brink. If the sanctions cannot be strengthened effectively then let Israel and other members of NATO take the lead.

During the Israel vs Iran debates, all I can think of is the Bush Admin and their declaration that Iraq had WMD's. As we all now know, Iraq had no WMD's and America has lost thousands to an irresponsible and illegal "war on terror". I will be highly dissappointed if my state reps support yet another invasion of a sovereign country, on the assumption that this nation poses a threat to our "national security". Thanks to our continuing war against the Middle East, America now has military roaming our streets and possibly drones flying in the air In closing, I would like to say that I will not vote in another state or federal election until America and Virginia have candidates that still think the Constitution matters.

We need to recognize that any Israeli airstrike will require US support and coordination, will violate the territorial rights of a number of free nations and will likely result in the expansion of conflict. The question becomes, is the United States ready to invest another generation of soldiers in a costly ground war? Add to that, the reality is not IF Iran will acquire a bomb, but when. It will happen and we have no legal or moral right to interfere. The more important question is how we are going to go about building friendly ties with Iran. Few remember that we opposed the efforts of Pakistan to develop atomic weapons, yet we now have a working relation with that country and recognize it has to weapon for defensive purposes. Of course, working with Iran is much more challenging. But the return is worth the effort. It comes down to how badly do we want a war with Iran? There are groups of Americans, most with no children in the military, who are eager for yet another war. We need to use trade sanctions and diplomacy, and time, to slowly build a working relationship with Iran. That does not take military intervention off the table, but it does push it back as a tool of last resort, not an eager choice of militarists.

A military attack on Iran would be completely insane. Iran has forsaken the development of nuclear weapons. Iran has signed the NPT. Iran has allowed inspectors. Israel has 200-600 nuclear weapons. Israel has not signed the NPT. Israel has not allowed inspectors. Our own intelligence agencies converged in the conclusion that Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons. Nothing has changed since then. Iran has not attacked any other nation for more than 300 years. Iran poses no threat to the world. The problem is not Iran but Israel. Estimates have 1,000,000 deaths outright from an attack on Iran's nuclear energy facilities--with another 35,000,000 premature deaths as contamination spreads across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. No rational or humane nation would contemplate such an attack, which would be one of the greatest atrocities of human history.

Put a blockade around the country, then go in and perform a real inspection.

Economic and trade sanctions aren't doing a whole heck of a lot of good when Russia and China (just to name two) are giving them everything they need. We are creating more and more enemies by going around nation building. Also, increasing our military presence around Iran isn't winning us any fans either. It's no wonder they are hostile towards us. We've interfered in the affairs of Iran for decades and we are somehow surprised that they aren't coming around to our way of thinking with our strong arm tactics??? Give me a break... And now that we are seeing that these sanctions aren't doing much we want to entertain military action?? Absolutely not! We have been stretched too thin militarily and now we are in the midst of a reduction of force. Knowing these two facts, how can we even think about shifting focus to anyone, let alone Iran?? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe I can't stand hearing people beating the war drums that have nothing invested in it.

Sanctions have never achieved the results expected. I think a covert Israeli Drone(s) attack would be more successful. Ahmadinejad will use the nuclear weapon against Israel when engineering and development is complete. There are too many "Loony Tunes" in Iran to place any trust in their intentions to limit nuclear power to domestic uses………

I agree, strengthen the sanctions , as in item one,(these will most likely fail), then follow with air strikes from Israel, with back up support from the United States if needed.

Pro-actively attacking is bullying. We need to talk out our problems and attempt to resolve conflict non-violently. I'm far more impressed by leaders (Bobby Kennedy) who can peacefully settle things over so-called leaders who bankrupt this country in order to build their own macho ego. We need to grow up and stop kicking everyone's butt because we think they might do something to us. Technology is everywhere. The ability to create and build powerful weapons can be purchased by anyone with enough cash. Therefore, we should spend more time building strong relationships with everyone and less time angering everyone.

A military attack on Iran would be completely insane. Iran has forsaken the development of nuclear weapons. Iran has signed the NPT. Iran has allowed inspectors. Israel has 200-600 nuclear weapons. Israel has not signed the NPT. Israel has not allowed inspectors. Our own intelligence agencies converged in the conclusion that Iran was not pursuing nuclear weapons. Nothing has changed since then. Iran has not attacked any other nation for more than 300 years. Iran poses no threat to the world. The problem is not Iran but Israel. Estimates have 1,000,000 deaths outright from an attack on Iran's nuclear energy facilities--with another 35,000,000 premature deaths as contamination spreads across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. No rational or humane nation would contemplate such an attack, which would be one of the greatest atrocities of human history.

I do not believe in military action unless we have been attacked. After that go in beat the enemy and come home. This urge our politicians have to Americanize defeated enemies is nothing more than creating more dependents for the American tax payer to support. Whip them and leave them to stew in the results of their behavior.

I am in favor of Israeli military strikes with US assisting with nonmilitary support. The worse case scenario would be if either China and/ or Russia intervenes in support of Iran. In that case are military forces would have to get directly involved. God help us.

Have we not gotten a good dose in Iran+ Afghanistan yet?? With blood on your hands from that fiasco that is still wet you want to commit this Great Nation and brave soldiers into another conflict to satisfy insatiable political driven agendas rather than what is in the best interest for this nation again. No matter what your poll dictates, you all in Wash. are the laughing stock of the world and your agendas are pre-determined. Your poll should ask, how can we in congress sleep good at night with the charade Congress has subjected the American through the last few years.

Economic sanctions will not work for one primary reason: Too many exceptions or waivers have or will be granted for Iran's oil export trade with China, etc. Oil is their primary export; if it is not choked off completely, sanctions will continue to be ineffective. However, sanctions as currently imposed, will continue to negatively impact the Iranian people and they could rise up in rebellion against the current regime as they tried a short while back. However, unless there is a change in the current US Administration in November, the Iranian people would get the same encouragement as they received before from Obama ....nada. Even so, a strike by Israel on Iran's nuclear assets would almost certainly commit the US to the fray on Israel's side in some role with or without Obama. Such a move prior to the Nov election, however, could inadvertently help Obama win re-election. Even though a military strike by Israel may be the only way to defeat Iran's nuclear threat, maybe it won't have to come until after the election when, hopefully, Romney will become President and Israel will then more confidently have the support from the US it needs to stop Iran's tyrants who are "hell-bent" on destroying them.

Iran poses no threat to the US. Stop your warmongering. Maybe a few billion dollars that we keep sending to Israel every year can be kept home to fix our infrastructure or invest in NASA.

I find it worrying that this may not be the truth concerning Iran's nuclear development. It would not be the first time. We do not need another war.

At this time we have solid evidence that Iran wants to wipe Isreal off the face of the earth. When early evidence is found they have a Nuclear weapon we should stand by Isreal and strike Iran to prevent them from being attacked. Isreal has had to fight other backers of Iran too long in Irans covert war on Isreal. The State of Isreal deserves the right to exist in peace.

President Reagan said, "Of the three wars during my lifetime, none were started because we were too strong." And this administration wants to slash our military strength, not maintain it. We cannot count on an insanely fanatic people and government in Iran following a rational course of action as we would. Too often, we attribute our own values to those who do not hold them and engage in wishful thinking. This administration's failure to support the Iranians in the streets against their government, picking favorites among the Islamic strongmen, supporting one and secretly waging war against Syria, has led us to this crisis. This administration has leaked secrets which have weakened our position. Our leaky border security has permitted enemy agents to hide in our midst with plans for our destruction which will likely result in local acts of violence if we attempt any half-hearted attempts at military action against any Islamic nation. Therefore, any military action must be a decisive one-blow raid on the underground bunker nuclear facilities of Iran following raids to take out anti-aircraft warning and missile capability and command and control. To minimize civilian casualties and international outcry, warning pamphlets in farsi and other dialects should be dropped a few hours in advance.

Mr. Forbes, I say my mind here with all respect to you and the Federal government and all members within, but my words are from my heart and they are laced with fear. I am a retired Navy chief and I love my country and Christ and believe in law and order and a fair chance for ALL people to succeed who are willing to work for it. I daily pray for all American leaders and their families, from the top to the bottom to have good health and a good life. However, our country has some real problems and no one is talking about them. I am definitely not a fan of Iran, but I have to say the U .S. did not have any problems when North Korea and other edgy 3rd world countries were developing their nuclear weapons - hardly any mention of this in the news or from D.C. I have read that it will be 10-12 years before Iran will have enough material to make 1 bomb. I really don't believe that Iran is a nuclear threat. I believe the REAL issue is that Iran may take steps, along with Brazil, India, Russia, China and others to dislocate the America Dollar as the world's "Petro Dollar" which would cause the US far, far, far more harm than Iran's single nuclear weapon 10 years down the road. How about Congress and the President coming clean on what the real problems are? How about some adult discussions about the horrible financial debt the Federal government is in? How about some REAL ACTION instead of more empty words, more empty promises, and more spending? How about some real discussions about how the labor movement is nothing but federally and state developed socialism being mentored and supported by our current Chief of State and the Democratic side of the aisles? How about President Obama's seemingly daily walking on and spitting on the Constitution and the Congress? If president Obama keeps this up Congress will soon not matter. Indeed, Congress almost doesn't matter now. How about being a country where the rule of law is the standard and not the exception, especially for our president? How about NOT being a country that writes many thousands of pages of NEW law every year which in effect drags EVERYTHING and EVERYONE down. These days a person cant' sneeze without being liable for some lawsuit or violating some law that the citizenry did not know existed? How about establishing tax fairness in our country where 49% (the last figure I heard recently) of the citizens pay no Federal taxes? I am afraid the USA is lost as we are too far gone. I wanted to believe, I spent my life working toward my belief, but every month that goes by, what I earn in dollars is worth less, and less, and less. I see my retirement going down the drain due to the US vastly over spending. I am afraid all is lost and that it is just a matter of time.

The US is never going to understand the Middle East. Let's quit meddling in their affairs and let them fight over themselves. As has been commneted, if this is all about oil, lets open our own fields for more exploration and drilling and quite buying oil from the Middle East. I am tired of hearing about environmental damage in the US, about not in my backyard routine, etc. I am tired of seeing US military involved in the Middle East areas. Seems like the politicans and free press just love to go there and talk about their problems and about how the US is going to solve or help solve the issues. That area has not been able to get along for as long as history was recorded in the old testament. And every four or eight years a new president of the US is going to straighten it out? Give us a break. With a do nothing Congress and a Presdient that seems to hate the country he leads, we have our oun burdens!

Iran is marginalized by this country's and others' sanctions...Leave it that way. Fearmongering doesn't help or work.. As for Israel, that renegade country will do whatever it wants, and suffer the consequences for it. I have little regard for a country's government that has ignored and violated more UN resolutions than any other country in UN history. We don't need Israel, and they are NOT deserving of our financial resources to enable their violative government actions. This has NOTHING to do with Jewish culture or religion; it's purely a disgust for a country that believes it has some sort of entitlement to create instability to achieve its own self-centered objectives. The rest of the world be damned.....

Impose trade embargos with a time limit with the understanding that if the nuclear disarmament is not achieved the US and Isreal will attack and force the disarmament with air strikes and then with full military action.

I believe our position is defined by three points. #1 we can no longer afford to be the police for the world; #2 there is no possible way we can stop countries from developing nuclear weapons and #3 the world is now a global economy and you will never get all nations to agree to sanction one nation. With that said, it seems to me that all we can do is be forceful in our rhetoric and simply inform all other nuclear nations that if they use a nuclear weapon against us or our friends, we will wipe them off of the face of this planet. Getting the Iranian citizens to understand that by reminding them of what we did to Hiroshima, might generate enough interest for them to overthrow their nut-case leadership. As for the previous post stating "Pray that Israel will see that Jesus is their Messiah...", it is exactly that sort of ignorance and self proclaimed religious supremacy that is completely responsible for all of this fighting and for most wars throughout the centuries. The writer is sadly confused. Israel (the original Palestine) and Jerusalem were flourishing, quite successfully, a thousand years before Jesus was born. Israel and the Jews will never see Jesus as their Messiah, he was their son! The Bible doesn't end wars, it starts wars. Just ask the 10 million Muslims that were slaughtered during the crusades because they would not convert to Christianity, throw away their Koran and replace it with the Bible. Do you think they are still holding a grudge? You better believe they are. Now what, you want to impose your Christianity on Israel and the Jews? Giving their lives to build the Pyramids and being slaughtered by Hitler wasn't enough for you? If everyone would just stop trying to impose their religion and way of life onto the rest of the world, we would have a lot more peace on earth.

No one sane wants to see a nuclear missile go off especially in the United States. We would be naive to believe that our enemies would not use nuclear weapons on us or Israel. Iran continues to demonstrate they disrespect human life and I have no doubt that they would prefer to eliminate their enemies by any means possible. We would not forgive ourselves if a nuclear weapon went off and we had done nothing. We are war weary and deeply in debt but we must not let that keep us from doing the right thing. Diplomatic sanctions must come first, we must monitor the situation and if we must act; let us act covertly and support our allies. We do not want another war, and at the same time we must not let unrighteous men escalate the global crisis and bring us into another World War.

The United States has already been involved in too many middle east wars. We have drained our treasury and lost too many young men and women in wars that we cannot win. Let's stay out of this one unless we are directly attacked.

All our efforts to "prevent" Iran from achieving nuclear capability is a battle already lost. We cannot UNINVENT nuclear technology - whether for peaceful applications or for bombs. Whatever technology there is can, given a little time and money, be bought or stolen. We nearly made this mistake with China, years ago, thinking that they were too backward and lacked the infrastructure, etc., but they bought or stole whatever they needed anyway. As others have stated, North Korea, Pakistan, even Israel itself, have the capability to use nuclear weapons and many other countries have peaceful capabilities which could be ramped up for military usage over time. What keeps everyone from using these weapons is "mutually assured destruction' as was established during the Cold War. So what DO we do? 1. Act as if Iran already had the capability, even to the point of HELPING them achieve peaceful nuclear facilities, as we have done in Japan by promotion of a nuclear power industry 2. work globally in the same way and work on the technology to improve and assure nuclear safety. 3. work with all nations on strategies to defend against "rogue states" and non-governmental idiot groups from using weapons. 4. Find ways through treaties to reduce our own incredibly overextended nuclear weapon supplies through mutual disarmament efforts, including others than Russia, and including Israel. Is this all too 'dreamy' or idealistic? Who knows. But our present 'prevention' policy clearly is a bad dream and it stands in the way of any real solution.

I am a realist. Iran hates Israel and will wipe them off the face of the earth just as soon as they get nuclear grade material to produce a bomb. What can you do? Nothing until the first shoe drops and then what? Israel will nuke them and we get involved and Russia gets involved , then all of the Muslim world gets involved and you know the rest of the story. It is in the Bible. The good news is that Jesus is coming. I am just holding out for that part. You cant stop whats coming with diplomacy or money.

Sanctions in a world so rife with alternatives (read ways around) have never worked. A nice, "safe" alternative from a poltical stand, where the goal is to apease everyone. Yet, unworkable in the long run. For example, 50 years of sanctions against Cuba haven't changed a thing, except keeping two neighbors from supporting each other (and changing both for the better). On the other hand, Communism can be easily defeated by overwhelming support of Capitalism in a staged process to bring the other into the global community. Irrational political and social beliefs based on fanaticism will not bend to the same forces when the ultimate goal of said society is to change the rest of the world to their way of life. Or else. The answer to the Southwest Asia lies in new approaches, not recycling solutions that worked (and now fail) in the past. As Einstein pointed out, using the same level of thinking that created the problem is no way to solve it. Finding a way to pull Iran into the modern world, making it dependent on a global community is the answer. How? That's the $64 trillion question with an even more valuable answer. Sanctions will do nothing. A military action might provide an exclaimation point pointing out that what is happening in Iran is not good for the global community. But, without a follow on to take advantage of the potential awakening, all it will do is solidify Iran's position in the fringe community - the very same community creating the wide spread problems in the world. It's throwing gasoline on a fire hoping that the new liquid will put it out. The key is finding a path that Iran can walk that has the chance to converge with the path the rest of the world is walking. Find something they need, that the rest of the world has, and they want, or pointing the want out to them. Allowing them nuclear weapons capability is NOT an option. Point solutions (sanctions, military actions, and "special operations" without a future strategy) is what has lead us to where we are (how many examples in US history do I have to point to?). How is repeating this going to change a thing? We need to find a carrot that will entice Iran to join the world community. Yet, be ready to back it up with a very big stick. Sanctions are not a carrot. Nor is a military action. One is a twig (given its effectiveness in history) and the other is a small branch that will do nothing but stir a hornets nest. What do they want, besides the elimination of the Great Satan (us) and the Little Satan (Isreal)? Find that, something the world community can provide, and we crack the code. Use real sticks, not twigs or branches, to help make it real. The same approach can be used with North Korea and Saudi Arabia. Not to mention Syria. And quite a few African nations. It is time for new thinking. Not recycling bad thinking. John Pastore

After failing to find Saddam's WMD in Iraq or elsewhere (as far as we have been informed), we'd have to be absolutely sure of ourselves regarding Iran before acting preemptively. It's not that I trust Iran; I don't; but we cannot afford to commit lives and money without being certain of our position. For example, I'd sure like to know from whom Iran is getting the specialize material and technology to do what's alleged of them. Same for North Korea. It may be that cutting off sources of supply is more affordable than direct strikes at this stage. Also, it is a fact that petty dictators like Saddam, this Iranian guy (don't have time to look up how to spell his name), and countless others love to create turmoil with empty bluster. Further, we should be making much better use of counter-propoganda than we have so far done.

I tend to agree with John Schroeder's blog from 8/6/2012. Any military "intervention", however cannot be half-hearted. Special forces/Seals who can target and not fail must be employed along with Isreali Special Forces could/would get the job done. Any plans need to be preceeded by a long and dedicated time of Prayer!

Have Israel bomb the nuclear sites so that we can stop hurting the civilians with our sanctions

I'm totally sick at the thought of the United States of America thinking of becoming war mongers again. Just who is going to go and fight? Our soldiers are exhausted with multiple deployments to countries where we had no business. What has really been accomplished in Iraq and Afghanistan? Nothing! If Congress wants to go fight again sign em up! Let our soldiers stay home this time. Somehow I think if politicians would go to war they'd lose their excitement at the idea of a new fight. These useless wars have devastated our country financially and morally! Congress might as well put on uniforms. They certainly aren't doing anything else. They have to earn their hefty salaries somehow!

I totally agree with Nancy. It's just insane in Washington. Week after week these discussions are utterly ignored by congressman Forbes. I cannot see any way forward until those in this congress begin to work together and accomplish something. I think the entire congress should feel humiliated by the failure. When the republican candidate uses terms like Obamalony we have clearly reached the epitomy of absurd. Make no mistake congressman Forbes, the voters are fed up with the inaction and performance.

I also feel that if we have proof of Iranian production of weapons grade uranium, then that proof should be disemenated to the Citizens of the U. S., just like was done when Russia was shipping Nuclear IBMs to Cuba. I used Google earth to locate a friends rural property, with as little information as state road number, and that it was 2 miles from a township he named. No address. I walked the little man on the road til we got to the location which the friend had a picture of. In that case with proof, we should not turn our backs on any Isreal solution, they deem necessary. Without, sanctions will due.