Did They Even Notice?

Such a disproportionate display, just to impress the Iranian leadership! The Trident missile is the most-sophisticated weapon system ever devised. It is almost beneath the dignity of the U.S. to flaunt it so. Not even the Soviets got this privilege!

It makes you wonder if the U.S. has somehow lost faith in the ability of its armed forces to make any kind of impression on the Iranians at all. In his last months in office, Dick Cheney supervised the launches of aircraft from the same general area, just to impress the Iranians that they were dealing with Distilled Evil, The Grim Reaper, Dr. Death himself. Didn't seem to have caught the attention of the ayatollahs, however. If it did, they were too canny to say anything.

Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. Evan McConnell quotes someone in "Son Of The Morning Star" that virtually all the Indian tribes of the Great Plains in the 19th Century could have been subdued peacefully, if, instead of sending cavalry, the U.S. had instead sent a travelling troupe of circus performers. For the Iranians, maybe we should send belly dancers? Lots of talented dancers in Sacramento! Maybe we could have a dance-a-thon in Qom? Just saying!:

CAIRO -- The United States test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads during a joint military exercise Wednesday with Saudi Arabia, a Western military official said.

...The U.S. has been strengthening missile defenses in allied Arab nations in the Gulf to help counter any potential missile strike from Iran. Like its nuclear work, Iran's missile program is of top concern to Washington and Arab nations wary of Tehran's growing influence in the region.

...The Western military official in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, said U.S. Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, head of the Missile Defense Agency, attended the test launch.

...The Patriot missile systems, which originally were deployed in the region to shoot down aircraft, have now been upgraded to hit missiles in flight.

Saudi Arabia has long warned of the potential for a nuclear arms race in the Gulf region if Iran were to gain the bomb. Iran's assurances that its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes such as power generation have failed to ease concerns.

On Monday Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan said Saudi and U.S. warplanes will carry out joint exercises soon.