Chance of U.S. Attack on Iran Very Low - Iran President Khatami says
Iran, sandwiched between U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, said on Thursday it believed the chance of a U.S. attack was low since American forces were pinned down elsewhere, but if one happened it would fail. "I do not think the Americans would do such a crazy thing as carry out military attacks against Iran," Iranian President Mohammad Khatami told state radio during a visit to Uganda. "We believe the possibility of America attacking Iran is very low, as it is involved in other places," he said. "The Iraqi problem is too complicated and so it does not seem they would think about attacking another country." Khatami said Iran would in any case defend itself against any attack by the United States, which he described as not "wise enough" to understand the implications of its own actions. Khatami was asked about an article in the New Yorker magazine that reported the United States had conducted secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran to help identify potential nuclear, chemical and missile targets. "If any country tries to invade our country, we are strong enough to defend ourselves," Khatami told a news conference. "The U.S. has shown many times that it is not wise enough to think about the future and the implications of its actions ... If the Americans can rescue themselves from Iraq, they have done a great job." The New Yorker article, by award-winning reporter Seymour Hersh, said secret missions have been under way at least since last summer with the goal of identifying target information for three dozen or more suspected sites. [more]