Defense spending and Iran

Over the last couple of weeks, there has been a lot of chatter about the possibility of Israel bombing Iran’s nuclear site, with or without U.S. participation. 

A recent U.N. report concluded that Iran’s nuclear program is advancing, and the tyranny in Tehran will have nuclear weapons capability in a short amount of time.

{mosads}Israel has been aggressive in dealing with rogue nations that are working to sneak into the nuclear club, bombing reactors in Iraq 30 years ago and Syria in 2007.

Some members of Congress, including Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), have said the U.S. must consider using military action against Iran.

Others, such as Reps. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.), say we are engaged in too many wars and would like military action put out of the question. 

There is bipartisan support in Congress for an Iran sanctions bill, though the White House hasn’t embraced it.

President Obama has talked tough on Iran, though. 

After an Iranian-led assassination plot to kill a Saudi ambassador on U.S. soil was thwarted, Obama refused to rule out military options. 

The Pentagon is already stretched thin by military involvement in the Middle East, and Congress could be cutting the defense budget dramatically over the next couple of years.

Members of the supercommittee are eyeing savings from the plan to get out of Iraq at the end of this year and out of Afghanistan in the foreseeable future. Liberals believe the Defense Department could be cut by 25 percent or more.

At a 2010 breakfast sponsored by The Hill, Adm. Mike Mullen, then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, said, “Our national debt is our biggest national security threat.”

On Tuesday, Iraq and Iran were discussed at length during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. 

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta clashed over the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, with the Arizona Republican calling withdrawal at the end of 2011 a “failure of leadership.” He warned that Iran’s influence would increase after U.S. troops leave, as reported by The Hill’s new defense blog, DEFCON Hill. 

McCain is among many Republicans vowing to head off cuts to the Pentagon that would be triggered should the supercommittee flop. 

Yet Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday said he would oppose such efforts. 

That could pit Reid against Panetta, who has warned against the supercommittee cuts.