To Bart and other readers:
I probably have more experience in planning things like this scenario than most readers. Believe me, we will get lost in a real quagmire if we take action - we are VERY thin in reserve ground and air capability. Our penetrating bombs (e.g., GBU-28 w/ BLU-113 penetrator) may not penetrate deep enough through deep rock to reach Iran's labs and facilities. Besides, we have a finite (classified) number of these weapons and there are many targets.
From a diplomatic angle (and I know you really don't care about this angle), we will loose many marginal allies - there are a number of nations that help us behind the scenes so their populations do not become "restless" and over throw the government.
Pakistan is one such government - it is a politically unstable government and President Musharraf
has turned to repressive measures to keep the population in check. Even so, there are many tribal areas (home to Osama Bin Laden and others) into which government troops do not venture (they do not control their own territory). Now, suppose President Musharraf�s government is overthrown, how do you think the following government will use Pakistan's nukes?
North Korea has an army of over 700,000 troops, 10,000 artillery pieces and 2,000+ tanks. There are over 11,000 underground, protected facilities nationwide; 4,500 of them are within 100 Km of South Korea. Do you believe that North Korea will just sit still?
Our air power is better than anyone else and will dominate in any area we can get a sufficient number of front-line combat aircraft. But to win a war you need to conquer and occupy territory and that takes ground forces (that are now tied up in Iraq and Afghanistan and other US committments). Also, the US population (you excepted, of course) will probably get tired of large-scale military casualties.
