Five US generals to quit if Bush orders attack: report

8220;There is simply no stomach for it in the Pentagon, and a lot of people question whether such an attack would be effective or even possible,8221; the source added.

According to the report, a British defence source has said that there were deep misgivings inside the Pentagon about a military strike. 8220;All the generals are perfectly clear that they don8217;t have the military capacity to take Iran on in any meaningful fashion. Nobody wants to do it and it would be a matter of conscience for them. There are enough people who feel this would be an error of judgment too far for there to be resignations,8221; the source said.

A generals8217; revolt on such a scale would be unprecedented, it said. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has repeatedly warned against striking Iran and is believed to represent the view of his senior commanders.

The threat of a wave of resignations coincided with a warning by US Vice-President Dick Cheney that all options, including military, remained on the table.