Before the current U.S. administration gets any closer to launching an attack on Iran – which recent news stories suggest is an increasing possibility – our leaders need to formulate a realistic answer to the most basic questions when considering war against a foreign nation: Can we do this successfully, and what will our nation gain?

The U.S. had the support of the world when it invaded Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. For about 18 months, the occupation of that country had mostly cleared out the Taliban, began restoring infrastructure and stable government and (save for the failure to locate Osama bin Laden) successfully diminished al-Qaida’s operations and influence.

Things in Afghanistan began to turn sour after America’s “pre-emptive” invasion of Iraq in 2003. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the operation has been proven to be poorly planned and badly executed, resulting in a constantly deteriorating security situation for the Iraqi people. Sectarian violence is still on the rise, Iraq’s government is woefully inept and that nation’s infrastructure is no better than it was four-and-a-half years ago.

Now the administration has upped the ante in the Iran issue. Most notably, America has increased the amount of naval forces in the Persian Gulf, ostensibly in support of the Iraq debacle. The thinly-veiled threat to Iran was that America can launch strikes there at any time.

A story published in the Sun Journal’s on Aug. 19 proved even more alarming. The U.S. has now taken the unprecedented step of declaring part of Iran’s legitimate armed forces – the Revolutionary Guard – a ‘terror organization.’ Certainly, Iran has supported groups like Hezbollah financially and logistically for years, but the recent declaration was as if another country similarly labeled the U.S. Air Force.

Needless to say – and I’m certainly not taking Iran’s side here – the declaration has infuriated that nation, and, I believe, brings us closer to another foolhardy war.

Ray Takeyh, an Iran expert on the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, summed up the situation most accurately in the story mentioned above: “The coercionundermines diplomacy. And once diplomacy is undermined, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

The question Americans must ask now are: Does this administration really want to start a third war with even greater global implications? What is the strategic goal? Can this nation sustain such a war as the U.S. military creaks under the stress of the two current wars?

America has been at war for nearly six years now, and during that time, there has been no significant expansion of our armed forces. The Army, in particular, has been hardest hit by constant deployments as well as losses of personnel and equipment in battle. When a nation goes to war, it must take steps to ensure it is on a true war footing (including serious consideration of a military draft).

The United States has failed in this regard.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey, in a story published on Aug. 20, was quoted as saying, “The demand on our forces exceeds the sustainable supplyif the demands don’t go down over time, it will become increasingly difficult for us to provide trained and ready forces.”

The Army, in truth, has been smarting for several years now. And Casey was talking strictly about the Iraq War.

I’m unsure what plans the administration may have for military action against Iran. Airstrikes alone, historically speaking, are largely ineffective. Our ground forces are either deployed, preparing for deployment, or recuperating from a deployment. Furthermore, any armed action against Iran would bring an immediate and forceful retaliation on American troops in Iraq – troops who already have their hands full.

Our nation is not prepared, either militarily or in the arena of public opinion, to launch another (ill-conceived) war. The consequences of attacking Iran would make the disaster of Iraq look like a walk in the park.

Thomas M. Ruyle served for more than seven years in the Army and the Army National Guard, including a 10-month deployment to Iraq in 2004 as an intelligence specialist. He is a Sun Journal copy editor/page designer.