The efforts could include more air patrols by Air Force and Navy fighter planes along the Iran-Iraq border to counter the smuggling of bomb supplies from Iran, said a senior Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Such missions also could position the Air Force to strike suspected bomb suppliers inside Iraq to deter Iranian agents that U.S. officials maintain are assisting Iraqi militias, said outside military experts.
Bush warned two weeks ago that U.S. forces would take a harder line against Iranians in Iraq, vowing to "seek out and destroy" weapons supply networks that endanger U.S. troops. He expanded the warning Monday in a National Public Radio interview, saying Iranian threats to the Iraqi people also would be considered unacceptable.
The tough stance has been backed by other military moves. Bush this month ordered a second aircraft carrier group, led by the John C. Stennis, to the Persian Gulf, a measure described as a warning to Iran. The stepped-up presence and visibility of U.S. warplanes is seen as likely to reinforce that message. "Air power plays major roles and one of those is as a deterrent, whether it be in border control, air sovereignty or something more 'kinetic,' " said the senior Pentagon official, using jargon that refers to offensive military action. |