E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSNBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
Updated at 3:16 p.m. ET: VIENNA -- Iran has rapidly ramped up production of higher-grade enriched uranium over the last few months, the U.N. nuclear agency said Friday, in a confidential report that feeds concerns about how quickly the Islamic republic could produce an atomic bomb.
The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency also said Iran had failed to give a convincing explanation about a quantity of missing uranium metal. Diplomats say the amount unaccounted for is large enough to be used for experiments in arming a nuclear missile.
"The Agency continues to have serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program," the Vienna-based U.N. body said in a quarterly report about Iran issued to its member states.
Israel, which has threatened Iran with pre-emptive strikes on its nuclear sites, had no immediate comment on the report. Germany, which has backed tough new sanctions on Iran, said it was further cause for concern.
"Germany is very concerned about the latest report from the IAEA. We think Iran should understand the key to ending sanctions is in their own hands, they have a duty to cooperate with the international community," said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.
The Islamic republic's rapid expansion of work which can have both civilian and military purposes underlines that it has no intention of backing down in a long-running row with the West that has sparked fears of war in the Middle East.
Tehran says its nuclear program is exclusively for civilian purposes and denies it aims to make atomic weapons.
Iran thwarted investigation into nuclear program, UN watchdog says
The confidential IAEA report said Iran has, since late last year, tripled output of uranium refined to a level that brings it significantly closer to potential bomb material, an official familiar with the agency's probe said.
Making clear the two sides were far apart, it said there were major differences on how to tackle the issue and that Iran had dismissed the IAEA's concerns as "unfounded." No further meetings are planned.
The setback increased concerns of a downward spiral towards conflict between Iran and the West, and sent oil prices higher.
IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano urged Iran in the report to provide "early access" to Parchin, a military site near Tehran seen as central to the agency's investigations into possible military aspects of Iran's nuclear work.
The failure of the two-day IAEA visit could hamper any resumption of wider nuclear negotiations between Iran and six world powers - the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - as the sense grows that Tehran feels it is being backed into a corner.
The IAEA report said Iran had carried out a significant expansion of activities at its main enrichment plant near the central city of Natanz, and also increased work at the Fordow underground facility.
Enriched uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants, which is Iran's stated aim, or provide material for bombs if refined much further, which the West suspects is Tehran's ultimate plan.
At Natanz, the IAEA report said 52 cascades - each containing around 170 centrifuges - were now operating, up from 37 in November.
At Fordow, almost 700 centrifuges are now refining uranium to a fissile concentration of 20 percent and preparations are under way to install many more, the report said.
Fordow is of particular concern for the West and Israel as Iran is shifting the most sensitive aspect of its nuclear work - refining uranium to a level that takes it significantly closer to potential bomb material - to the site.
Estimated to be buried beneath 80 meters (265 feet) of rock and soil, it gives Iran better protection against any Israeli or U.S. military strikes.
The report said Iran had now produced nearly 110 kg of uranium enriched to 20 percent since early 2010. Western experts say about 250 kg is needed for a nuclear weapon, although it would need to be enriched much further.
An IAEA report in November suggested Iran had pursued military nuclear technology helped to precipitate the latest sanctions by the European Union and United States.
Iran last month said it had started to refine uranium to a fissile concentration of 20 percent - compared with the 3.5 percent it mainly produces at Natanz and which is used for nuclear power plants - at Fordow.
Nuclear bombs require uranium enriched to 90 percent, but Western experts say much of the effort required to get there is already achieved once it reaches 20 percent concentration, shortening the time needed for any nuclear weapons "break-out."
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Rebels plead for weapons to make vision of post-Assad Syria happen
- 12 die as Afghan Quran-burning protests resume despite Obama's apology
- Australia's 'dingo baby' mystery finally solved?
- Beijing's pollution could cut 5 years off lifespan, expert says
- NBC's Kabul correspondent discusses Quran outrage
Leave a Comment:
Well, I believe the last word in the "Article" above is the key, isn't it? "RESEARCH"..........
Humm, anybody should be able to understand that research could and does include research into "Nuclear Bombs".
We need to join with Israel and wipe those fanatics off the earth - Just like they plan to do to Israel and all "Non-Fanatic-Islamists".
All I'm saying is that we just need to make sure.
How many hundreds of thousands of times did we hear that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
I'm getting so sick and tired of meddling in other peoples affairs anyway.
But if you really think about it, who is going to profit financially from a war in Iran? Now, do you want to die for that?
Not arguing about it Mac, but just the US and Israel should not do it without a whole bunch of other nations agreeing. And none of this Iraq style BS, we need to take out the crazy mullah's running the place. I don't think the average Iranian hates us as much as the Mulsim's countries do.
Yes, they are Mulsim ran, but overall they are Persians, but we set that country up for the mess that is now there. Using nukes on them should be a no no. With todays technology, it shouldn't be that big of a problem to get the leaders, and the majority of their military.
Then tell who ever is left, join the 21st Century, or suffer, seriously suffer if you don't. Put in a goverment that is good for the remaining people, their people, their govt.
Trying to negotiate with Iran on their nuclear program is a waste of time. All the Iranians are doing with their offers to negotiate is buying time. They are hoping to forestall any actions to stop them long enough for them to achieve their goal of building nuclear weapons. Does anyone really think Israel should sit back and let a self proclaimed enemy bent on their total destruction develop the weapons they need to do it!!! The Iranian leadership has stated publicly, multiple times that they do not believe that Israel has any right to exist and that it is their mission to wipe Israel off the map. Does anyone really expect the Israelis to sit back and let them develop nuclear weapons to do it with.
The recent Iranian releases regarding their work on their Fordo nuclear enrichment facility makes it pretty clear that they are looking at more than civilian nuclear power. Their claim that the 20% enriched uranium they are producing is only for a research reactor is an obvious lie. This is because they have already enriched many time the amount of uranium needed to fuel this research reactor to this higher level. The only reason for this massive production of 20% enriched uranium is as a precursor to further enrichment to weapons grade. The IAEA estimates that Iran has enough uranium stock to make enough highly enriched uranium to fuel approximately 15 good sized nuclear weapons.
The Iranian efforts towards installing new generation centrifuges capable of far more rapid enrichment of uranium also clearly indicates their plans to develop nuclear weapons. Since they already have far more 20% enriched uranium than they need for peaceful purposes, the only reason for upgrading a facility designed for higher level enrichment is to facilitate production of weapons grade material. Once they have these new centrifuges installed, the time they will need to produce weapons grade material will be uncomfortably short. It ill be to the point that they could have the material produced before we could plan and execute a strike on the facility to try and stop them. In addition, this facility was built well underground, making it very hard to take out and also clearly indicating its military purpose. Peaceful nations do not build facilities like this deep underground and deny IAEA inspectors access to the facility if their purpose is peaceful. In addition, if they really had nothing to hide (i.e. were not working on weapons) they would let the IAEA inspectors into any of their facilities any time they wanted. The fact that they won't clearly tells me they are hiding something.
It is time to stop screwing around and allowing the Iranians to stall with the hollow promise of talks. None of the many rounds of talks to date have resulted in any progress on getting them to stop. They have no intention of changing their plans to develop nuclear weapons and only military action will stop them.
Funny, according to the Los Angeles Times, 16 US Intelligence agencies do not consider Iran a serious threat when it comes to nuclear weapons. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-intel-20120224,0,5827032.story
And who cares if they make ONE nuke? Seriously, we have them surrounded, we have bases and military might all around them. Israel has over THREE HUNDRED nukes. Pakistan, India, China and Russia all have nukes. It would be suicide for them and I don't think they are that stupid. Besides, when is the last time Iran invaded and occupied another country? hmmm?
Support the Military Industrial Complex, start a war in Iran where the losses are measured in lost lives of innocents and our military men and women, and the winnings are measured as profits to the wealthy, politically connected, international, globalist businessmen.
We've seen this before. Sanctions never work. Attack now.
While having Iran with a nuke is not desireable, do you really think they'd use it first? If they did, it would be the end of their existence, as Israel and the U.S , as well as other allies would retalliate. I may be naive, I just don't see Iran carrying out a preemptive strike..
Lets just pull the bandaid off and get it over with already. Let Israel or who ever go in. All the prolonged BS is going to do is run up oil prices.
Sincerus - Iran occupied part of the Al FAW peninsula during the Iran/Iraq 8 year war.
Brad - Israel cannot take the chance that they may. It would only take a nuke at Tel Aviv and one a Haifa to pretty much destroy Israel.
BOOM.
The Iranian Government has been given all benefiit of the doubt about whether or not they are developing an ATOMIC CAPABILITY. The UN has investigated the problem several times with NO cooperation from Iran. The UN is now faced with making a decision they don't like ie: blow up the facility. The UN will discuss the problem with no action taken untill Israel makes the decision for the UN. Israel will destroy the Iranian weapons facility with no help or notification to the UN. They may tell Britain and the US they are going to do it but it will be thru unofficial channels.
One of the posts compares this situation to Iraq WMD's but it is tottaly different. In Iraq they allowed UN inspectors into the country for 6/7 years but the UN could not find any WMD. The only organization that claimed they had WMD was the BUSH administration. Even the Secretary of State for the US said they did not have WMD but we attacked anyway. This is a totality different situation.
Israel will be forced to solve this problem because the UN is not capable of acting on this issue.
EWUSNRET,
And in return, we and others would destroy Iran..So, really, what would be the point? To be nothing more than martyrs?
I will tell you it is not an if but a when we will attack Iran at this point. I believe we are setting up a war by proxy, to limit our involvement as our country is war weary as it ever has been. Iran wants a nuke for brinksmanship, like NK, obviously if either country ever used one it would be suicide for there country.
The possibility remains for an unstable regime to take over eirther country and launch at will, then who do you blame? Action should be taken as soon as possible, once a bomb is tested and armed it is too late, all this talk will be for not.
Hmm what could we use these for?
The deal was sweetened with black hawks, bombs and missile delivery systems.
Iran will surel attack Saudi Arabia if war breaks out, then a sectarian aspect will take effect and blow up from their hopefully we have supplied everyone with enough weapons to keep our involvement at a minimum, When Israel srikes, because they are going to strike.
While I do wish there weren't any nukes at all, I really don't want any country who refers to themselves as an "Islamic Republic" to have nuclear weapons. I'm already uncomfortable enough knowing that Pakistan has them.
And that isn't aimed specifically at Islamic countries. If there was ever a Christian Republic of "Wherever" I wouldn't want them to have nuclear weapons either.
The UN was not capable in Iraq. Every intelligence agency(British, Russians) said that Iraq had WMDs. There's an awful lot of experts that think they were transfered to Syria(they have 45 WMD sites there.
Channeling the '80's icons Wayne and Garth, "Way? Way."
Really? Iran is ramping up high grade uranium production, has specific metals missing, testing long range missiles, preventing the IAEA from visits, vowing to destroy Israel and the US, and only now is the UN realizing that just maybe they might possibly be working on a nuclear weapon. Sure all of those intellegence photos of simultaneous programs(secret secondary campuses/buildings/underground developments) that were started up in the 80's/90's and now again in the 2010's wasn't a clue about their intentions. The statements of the spouses of their dead nuclear scientists aren't clues either. I also suppose that those US Defense Dept. reports talking about their long range missile programs didn't elude to anything either.
Yes, Iran is getting nukes (likely within a year by many estimates). The big question is does the world want that or do they need to be stopped. I feel confidant that when they've got them, they'll use them either physically to start a regional war and/or politically to drive up the cost of oil (which- face it- would cripple the US. $5 gas is really bad, but wait- with an Iran threat it'll be $6.50 and up).
Really mongoose? Were going to stop short because one dictator had chemical weapons used on hundreds of thousands of Kurds, warheads outfitted for SCUDs that could reach Israel, had dialogue regarding transportation of said chemical weapons to Syria and another is rapidly enriching uranium beyond the acceptable levels of energy production?
Were you born in a vacuum?
I have acquaintances from Iran who are living here. They left Iran when the Ayatollahs took over. Their names are Saeed and Fariba. They are married, but they met each other over here. They are really good, smart people. They hate the Iranian government passionately, one reason being that Saeed's mother, a physician, was imprisoned because there was something on her computer the Ayatollahs didn't like. She escaped from prison with the help of a guard who was one of her patients.
What Saeed and Fariba tell me is that 95% of the Iranian people are pro-American. The crowds that Iranian TV shows chanting "death to America" and other such venom are actually sponsored by the Iranian government for anti-western publicity purposes.
If Iran is attacked - we will have made enemies of tens of millions of Iranian people who want to be our friends. I'm sure current government officials are aware of the extent of pro-American sentiment in Iran, and for this reason they are reluctant to charge into Iran willy-nilly (a term borrowed from Rumsfeld).
So the beating of war drums is counterproductive, in my opinion. 1.) we as a country cannot afford it; 2.) consumers won't be able to afford the sky-high price of gasoline and diesel, and the resulting sky-high price of everything else due to high oil prices; and 3.) the economy will most likely degenerate into another recession because too much of people's disposable income will go towards fueling their vehicles and not enough into the broader economy.
All we can do is hold our breath and hope Israel doesn't do anything rash. There was a lesson to be learned from Bush's ill-advised foray into Iraq to stop their WMD program which didn't exist, as it turned out.
There were many other reasons for taking out Saddam, not just WMDs.
Joe - you feel confident that Iran will use nules. Really? What gives you that confidence? You don't know a thing, other than the Zionist propaganda that flows from the Jewish run media.
"The UN inspectors have serious concerns." What a caption. They throw it out there and let your imagination run wild.
"This could be a cause of concern for Israel because the area of this site is so difficult to attack. If one day, Iran decides to cut its cooperation with the IAEA, it would make it easier to use such a site to make a bomb, but it's in the long term," said Meir Javedanfar, an analyst and lecturer on Iranian issues at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. "In the short term, I don't think Israel has too much to worry about because the site is still under inspection.
Iran cannot produce a nuclear weapon within a year, until or unless, they kick out the IAEA inspectors. They cannot enrich uranaium beyond 20%, as long as the inspectors are there. So all this wringing of hands and nashing of teeth is just bs, generated because the Zionists control most of what you read and hear, unless you are willing to go to sites which are not controlled by Zionists.
Every single claim the Zionists made about Iraq having WMD was a lie. The Niger documents were forgeries, The "mobile biological weapons labs" were for filling weather balloons. The aluminum tubes were unsuitable for nukes and Atta never met with Iraqi agents in Budapest, because he was in Virginia at the time, at an ATM machine. Lies, lies and more lies.
Here is some more info from experts.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2012/0216/Threats-to-US-Pentagon-officials-drop-three-surprises/Doubts-about-Iran-s-nuclear-ambitions
Doubts about Iran's nuclear ambitions
Despite the hype surrounding Iran’s pursuit of nuclear technology, the country's leaders are “not likely” to develop weapons unless attacked, the panel said.
The same goes for plans to close the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, according to General Burgess. Though Iran can close the strait (“at least temporarily”), launch missiles, and even tap terrorist surrogates worldwide “if attacked,” military-intelligence officials assess that it is “unlikely to initiate or unintentionally provoke a conflict.”
What’s more, senior intelligence officials expressed some doubt that Iranian officials are actively interested in developing a nuclear weapon.
Said James Clapper, director of national intelligence (DNI): “There are certain things that they have not yet done and have not done for some time.”
On this point, the panel was robustly challenged by some lawmakers. “I’m very convinced that they’re going down the road to developing a nuclear weapon,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina.
Still, the Pentagon officials stuck to their analysis. Though Iran has enough highly enriched uranium to build a weapon “if political leaders chose to do so,” Burgess explained, he said that the prospect of stepped-up sanctions is frightening to Iranian officials. “I don’t think they want a nuclear weapon at any price.”
Israel cannot take the chance. They will successfully attack, and we will moan that they should't have done it while we celebrate behind the scene.
Maybe we should just give Iran Czechoslovakia, that would surely calm them down and give them necessary elbow room
Guilty until proven innocent. Huh?
If you have seen the video and pictures of Kurds and Iranian people...women and children gassed in various regions of Iraq? Do you think they did that with marshmallows?
Iran's holy leaders are like rabid dogs...they will do anything. Esp in the name of allah, they are without reason...why else would they be in such a rush to build WMD...so they can use them and show the world they are so powerful or at least in their own minds. Typical behavior for the mentally ill. If anyone thinks they can be trusted you are sorely mistaken. There will be a war to end all wars eventually and Israel will be the first to be attacked.
jolly you right Sadam had and used chemical weapons and then disposed of them b4 we attacked...those will resurface sooner or later.
Agreed jolly. At this point it is moot but we gave them chemical weapons, we saw them use them on their enemies yet people say they don't exist. They had to be removed or at the very least the leader who uses them.
But who is the only nation who has used nukes...blah, blah, blah. We saved lives by using them.
Iranians would take out population centers with nuclear bombs/missiles. I really don't dislike the Iranian people and if push comes to shove, their nuclear sites will be taken out (by nukes, if they're deep underground), but no population centers or terrorists attacks as the Iranian Government would do.....That will be the sign for the good people of Iran to change their own corrupt/overzealous Islamic fundamentalist government. Believe me......it's in the works..........Little dudes, with beards, are going to disappear before you know it.
The last thing we need right now is another war. If Israel feels threatened then let them lead the way. There is absolutely no reason for our country to get involved. It seems like there are a lot "maybe's" and "if's" on this intelligence. It appears to mostly be speculation.
If Iran feels it can shield itself with the threat of higher fuel prices, the eclipse of that shield is quickly approaching.
Ralph, are you nuts? Have you not been reading/watching this entire issue develop as a whole? There is no cooperation, there are no blanket inspections (only what Iran will "allow"), there is absolute intent to develop nuclear weapons and the delivery systems as such. Nobody wins in a fight and/or war but something must be done...with the proximity to other super power countries in the region (both financial and military) do you really think that even in Iran used a "weak" nuke against Israel and if the US was forced to lob something that way (may not even be nuclear) that a WWIII wouldn't break out just because of the location?? Lets be real, war is never the right answer but something has to be done and tough decisions have to be made...
There are no conventional weapons in existence capable of piercing the ground that deeply, never mind nuclear weapons. Why do you think the Iranians went though all the trouble to build their research facility 80 meters underground? The worst that would likely happen is that they end up having to sweep the floors.
I say if Israel is feeling threatened, we let them have at it. Give them a pat on the head, tell them "good luck kids," and then go about our day. I think NOT getting involved would go to great lengths to repair our relationship with Iran, which would undoubtedly make it easier to negotiate with them.
Then, once we're on amicable terms, we can better explain to them that 1,400 years has passed since the Qur'an was written and that the world is, indeed, a much different place now. And if the prophet Muhammad were living in the world today, he might see things a little differently now than he did then. And they, of all people, should be aware that God, in all of his vast and incomprehensible wisdom, has been known to change his mind on occasion.
This is very simple to solve. You send in spies. Not just any spies, but Iranian born and bred spies, who cannot be detected ---- who hate the fact that a nuke might be used to flatted another country.
It's obvious, that a country who was really developing a nuclear bomb, would not swing open it's doors and tell it's enemies to come in and check the progress of it.
Doing this (which they probably already are) ---- then you would know the truth, if they had it or not.
Problem is, every time I think about Iran, my mind doesn't go to a fair fight, and who is wrong or right in this fight ---- it goes to who's backing who financially, and who is expected to profit the most, and why, if a war were to break out.
It's kind of like puppet masters who are pulling the strings all over the world ---- and we are the puppets.
The major concern should not with those who might have the nuclear bomb but with those who already have it, gift from France and the USA, and are not signatory of any of the international nuclear agreements and who are keen in implementing their mad policy of genocide in the name of Jehovah. I mean of course Israel which has 200 unchecked nuclear bombs and has the capability of delivering them. Israel is a rabid state as radical as Iran. If it not kasher to be a fanatical Moslem, it should not be kasher to be a fanatical jew too, keen on implementing God's commandement to wipe out the palestinians from their land.Many things have changed in this world since king david, who preceeded Mahomed by 1000 years and the Jews who are smart people, contrary to the Moslems, should have undestood that long ago.
JoeNY #1.14,
As to the increase cost of oil probability, if our government doesn't screw things up, see:
http://www.winningreen.com/site/epage/65358_621.htm .
Mac- We all know that Iran will use a nuclear weapon the day it is up and ready. The world will just look the other way. They way they don't do anything about Iran arming terror networks. But the US military have to stay away from this. The world doesn't look at the good the US does on a daily basis. The help we give. And Israel can take care of bombing Iran. I just hope they use lots of missiles. Just not on the nuke facility, the whole main structure of the Iranian Government. Iran wants to draw the US into a war. Just to solidify their agreements with China and Russia. Which they just signed huge oil deals with both countries.
I would like the whole international community to do something. Not calling on the US at every turn.
Let's lay it all out on the table here.
If we're comparing the potentiality of what kind of damage Iran could do to the US (and yes, I recognize that Israel faces a much bigger threat from Iran than we do)? Iran is a mosquito. Even with a nuclear weapon, they're just a mosquito with a slightly enlarged stinger.
The real issue centers around the two 5 ton elephants in the room... Russia and China. Both countries have supported Iran and have done zero to reduce the political tantrums that Iran frequently throws. In fact, they encourage those tantrums. Both China (and I'd be willing to bet, Russia - although to a much lesser extent) feel that if a country wants to develop nuclear capabilities, then they should be allowed to do so. For China, it all boils down to each country having the sovereign right to determine their own future and they refuse to participate in politics of "control".
Fine. I don't agree with their opinions, but they're perfectly entitled to them. It's passivity like their doctorine that allows attrocities like those perpetrated in Bosnia-Herzegovina to occur. Passivity is also what allowed World War I & II to occur. China would do well to learn from our lessons. They admire and are eager to copy "everything Western" in terms of architecture and technology. They need to adopt that same zeal to understand who we as a people are and the lessons we learned (painfully) to get to where we are now.
So - back to the original topic... what would China and Russia do if war does break out?
I'm not sure how they'd respond if Israel pre-emptively attacks Iran.
What I can tell you is that if the US gets involved, you'll almost certainly drag China and potentially Russia into the conflict as well. If we arm Israel - they'll arm Iran. If we supply Israel, I would anticipate they'll do the same for Iran. If we put boots on the ground in Iran, I think both China and Russia would be less directly involved (they have some fairly substantial interests in maintaining the status quo with the US and I doubt would seek direct conflict with us... but who lknows).
Iran's potential to "harm" us in any kind of direct warfare is pretty limited (If I have any concern about Iran - it's their non-traditional methods and terror network they could bring to bear). My concern would be China and Russia.
hungrymongoose
I would just like to know what you consider a weapon of mass destruction (WMDs). I am a retired combat Vet. and there were WMDs in the form of 110,000 pounds of yellow cake uranium which only has two uses. First for power rods for a nuclear power plant or second for refining into a nuclear weapon. I will let you in on a little know fact, IRAQI HAS NO NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS. I wonder what that uranium was intended for???
Double D:
That yellow cake uranium that was found was not weapons grade, and both the UN and the IAEA already knew about it being stored, legally (by an international law), by Saddam Hussein.
Why should we believe this? Is this Islamic regime credible? Have they ever been?
For anyone to propose a WMD type scam, and believe it, is feeding into the hands of the Iranian regime.
My only comment to this is that to say Iran is not attempting to develop nuclear weapons technology is naive. To say that they will be the first to strike is only mere conjecture at this point. Of course, we all hope that no one ever has to utilize a nuclear weapon ever again, but then we had also hoped that people wouldn't take over airplanes and fly them into buildings either.
@RalpH: You've now taken your hatred for Israel to far. Posting stories that are months old to try to prove that Iran is some peace loving country, even on an article that clearly explains not only how Iran is not cooperating with the IAEA, but also how the information that Iran has provided the IAEA is cause for even more alarm.
As far as enriching the uranium past 20% to 90%, you stated that they couldn't do this with the inspectors there. Guess what? If you'd been actually reading the news instead of trolling the discussion boards with your anti-Israel BS, you'd realize that the inspectors have already left due to Iran's lack of cooperation. You also stated that Iran wouldn't be able to enrich to 90% in a year. Wrong again, after they reach the 20% enrichment level it would take no more than 6 months to get to 90%. Additionally, 20% is high enough to produce a crude, low yeild, yet still devastating nuclear weapon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium
Want more proof of Iran's intentions?
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9010175602
Don't even try to spin that one as being "zionist propaganda" RalpH, it came from an Iranian paper.
Really the only argument you can make is that why if Israel and the US have nuclear weapons shouldn't Iran? While I would probably whole heartedly agree with you if we were talking about a non-theocratic country with relative isolation from unstable regimes (ie NK), Iran is a completely different story. And ALL of you who support Iran are forgetting one very important variable in this equation. I'm not too concerned about Iran having a nuke, it would be suicide for them if they even attempted to use it. What is very, very scary is the arms race that will kick off when Iran announces it has a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia has already stated that they will immediately develop nuclear weapons capability if Iran has one, Iran would then most likely give it's research or even a weapon to Syria. Take Israel out of the equation for a minute, the two Islamic sides of this (Persian and Arab) aren't the best of friends, and all it would take is one rogue element to spark a nuclear holocaust. Millions of people would be killed, and they would be mostly Muslim. I also don't think that many of the countries in the area have demonstrated that they can be trusted with this kind of power, and I would also argue that current events only add to this lack of trust.
I am shocked by every pro-Palestinian poster who claims to support peace and life, while taking a passive or even defensive stance when it comes to this Iranian issue. If you truly cared about Palestinians, you should be as concerned as Israel about Iran having a nuke.
We are now pouring thousands of troops on to the Yemeni island of Socotra, this no doubt is in preparation for an armed conflict with Iran. So mark my words in post 1;11, not if but when.
Funny, according to the Los Angeles Times, 16 US Intelligence agencies do not consider Iran a serious threat when it comes to nuclear weapons. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-intel-20120224,0,5827032.story
And who cares if they make ONE nuke? Seriously, we have them surrounded, we have bases and military might all around them. Israel has over THREE HUNDRED nukes. Pakistan, India, China and Russia all have nukes. It would be suicide for them and I don't think they are that stupid. Besides, when is the last time Iran invaded and occupied another country? hmmm?
Support the Military Industrial Complex, start a war in Iran where the losses are measured in lost lives of innocents and our military men and women, and the winnings are measured as profits to the wealthy, politically connected, international, globalist businessmen.
Indeed, however the war began when Iraq invaded Iran.
@ sincerus;
Israel, Saudi Arabia,the U.S. The problem is not that we think they are going be apt to use it any time. The first problem is the stability of the country. When dealing with theocracies,there are no true written protocols,ie rules of engagement. eg Russia and the U.S "trust but verify". Do you wish to sit under an unstable nuclear umbrella? I surely would not.
The second reason to care is that it could start an arms race,not could really but will I should say. Do we want more mid east nations to have nukes pointed at eachother,or worse the west? Umm I think not.
The problem right now is that Americans are war weary, and who can blame them, Ibelieve at the moment congress is listening to them. But the fact is that this threat needs to be handled sooner than later. If we set an example now that proliferation will not be tolerated it will give pause to other nations with nuclear ambitions.
Coral Taxi, Have we not been sitting under a nuclear umbrella since the cold war? There are still dozens of nukes missing from that era. I understand where you are coming from, however, take Libya for instance. We talked Libya out of it's nuclear weapons programs just months before we invaded and took out Ghadafi. Perhaps Iran learned a lesson in that escapade of ours? We tend to respect nations with nukes more so than not. It would insane to strike a pre emptive attack on Iran, no doubt China, Russia and North Korea would be there to back them up --- and they have LOTS of nukes.
These wars are against ourselves, our morality and our Constitution. We can not afford to continue "policing the world" and "nation building" while our infrastructure here at home crumbles. These people in the middle east do not want our version of deMOCKracy. Our presence over there is a recruitment tool for the fanatics.
This stand-off with Syria, Iran, and all the rest of the Middle Eastern concerns is basically a geopolitical plan for regime change. That didn't work out so well with Iran in 1953, nor currently in Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps, the only ones it did work out for where the ones who profited. War is a racket.
Recall during the Bush administration these concerns were dismissed by Dems as fear mongering.
And the Dems were proven correct, Iraq had no WMD,s except in the GOP's mind, they just knew they did. Shows how much the GOP knows.
SallyAnn.... It was not just the GOP, the Dems voted to approve the war in Iraq as well. And, there were at one point WMD's in Iraq as they used them against Iran. Iraq refused to provide adequate proof they had destroyed all of them and US forces did find limited evidence that Iraq still had a some. While it was not to the extent the intelligence led us to believe, is was not a one sided, politcal party decision.
Sally Ann is a liberal shill. Saddam used poison gas on the Kurds.
Oblies - That is because it was fear mongering then and it is fear mongering now.
"The UN inspectors have serious concerns." What a caption. They throw it out there and let your imagination run wild.
EWUSNRET - talk about shills. You are an Israeli shill. Shouldn't you're moniker be IDFRET? If the Kurds were attacking the Iraqi government, what should Saddam have done? SWhould he have said, "I give up"? What would Israel do if there was a Palestinian uprising, attacking the Israeli government? Why does Israel use white phosphorus on civilian populations?
Where did Iraq get the gas? I believe it was from Ronald Reagan, so they could use it to kill Iranians.
RalphH - well known Muslim sympathizer.
What is wrong with being a "Muslim sympathizer"???... personally I like to think I see things from all sides. For example I think israel has the right to protect itself... but so does Iran.
lmao..... Ronald Reagan! Can you get anymore wacko. Im betting that Sallyann couldnt even look at the pictures of women and children that were killed by mustard gas. We saw films during boot camp of people dying from gas, its a horrible way to die.
Maybe someone can explain to me when sanctions have ever worked?
The North Koreans just spent 6 hours in the US embassy in Bejing begging for food...those sanctions seem to be working. AND, Iran hasn't seen anything yet on sanctions.
It won't work!
For Sutton918: You said:... "I think israel has the right to protect itself... but so does Iran". Wow, you can't get more freakn' liberal than that! Heck, while you're at it, why don't you go hug a tree. If it was up to me, I'd be taking a $5 fee per car... because I'd turn Iran into one big parking lot. Wars over.
Mob Boss-3630833
If we have to go to war, that's how to do it. Apologize for nothing. Afterwards, level a warning to the world "Don't @!$%# with us"
How about we toss a bunker buster for peaceful civilian purposes into the Iranian nuclear weapons research and production facilities? Then the U.N. inspectors wearing their moon suits can go in and see how close to weapons grade the stuff was. There will be no need to apologise for the bunker buster . . . the Iranians could have invited the U.N inspectors inside for a look see. That they refused to do so speaks volumes.
Sounds risky to use a bunker buster, that's some serious concussive-firepower burrowing into a place full of fissile material and not a whole lot of areas for the explosive gasses to escape
read up on how Fat Man and Little Boy triggered
no es bueno
When did common sense and reality enter this equation???
@RalpH: You've now taken your hatred for Israel to far. Posting stories that are months old to try to prove that Iran is some peace loving country, even on an article that clearly explains not only how Iran is not cooperating with the IAEA, but also how the information that Iran has provided the IAEA is cause for even more alarm.
As far as enriching the uranium past 20% to 90%, you stated that they couldn't do this with the inspectors there. Guess what? If you'd been actually reading the news instead of trolling the discussion boards with your anti-Israel BS, you'd realize that the inspectors have already left due to Iran's lack of cooperation. You also stated that Iran wouldn't be able to enrich to 90% in a year. Wrong again, after they reach the 20% enrichment level it would take no more than 6 months to get to 90%. Additionally, 20% is high enough to produce a crude, low yeild, yet still devastating nuclear weapon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium
Want more proof of Iran's intentions?
http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9010175602
Don't even try to spin that one as being "zionist propaganda" RalpH, it came from an Iranian paper.
Really the only argument you can make is that why if Israel and the US have nuclear weapons shouldn't Iran? While I would probably whole heartedly agree with you if we were talking about a non-theocratic country with relative isolation from unstable regimes (ie NK), Iran is a completely different story. And ALL of you who support Iran are forgetting one very important variable in this equation. I'm not too concerned about Iran having a nuke, it would be suicide for them if they even attempted to use it. What is very, very scary is the arms race that will kick off when Iran announces it has a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia has already stated that they will immediately develop nuclear weapons capability if Iran has one, Iran would then most likely give it's research or even a weapon to Syria. Take Israel out of the equation for a minute, the two Islamic sides of this (Persian and Arab) aren't the best of friends, and all it would take is one rogue element to spark a nuclear holocaust. Millions of people would be killed, and they would be mostly Muslim. I also don't think that many of the countries in the area have demonstrated that they can be trusted with this kind of power, and I would also argue that current events only add to this lack of trust.
I am shocked by every pro-Palestinian poster who claims to support peace and life, while taking a passive or even defensive stance when it comes to this Iranian issue. If you truly cared about Palestinians, you should be as concerned as Israel about Iran having a nuke.
I did enjoy your trail of thoughts but I must partially disagree with you. First of all the race to own a bomb in middle east started the day Nixon authorized transferring the not then so really needed "tactical nukes" from Europe to Israel. Tactical nukes are those that Nato felt needed to fend against Soviet tank advantage back in mid 1960/early 1970 based on the assumption that Soviet assult will start in Germany. This nuke had many advantages at the time. It was designed to be small enough to be used in special designed canons.
However as the missle technoldgy evolved, giving both sides more powerfull weapons, the idea of tank battles of the past became just like past.
But this weapon found a new home in Isreal. Sorrounded by hostile countries with 1 to 100 ratio in terms of army...it was the best ultimate deterent Israel could have had & that was the start of nuclear race in the middle east back in 1969.
SR-71 the legend, BLACK BIRD was used to prove the Egypt & Soviets during the 1973 war that there are no deployments of these tactical nukes in Sinai in order to draft a truce between US & Soviets.
Lets step back for the sake of arguement that Israel has the right to defend itself & I do agree with that. But why 150 nukes?We will never know the actual numbers but I am only basing my question on the Jimmy Carter's assesment of Israel having 150 nukes.
You may count all Arab cities as well as Iranian cities & you will only come up with 25 targets. Wondering the intended targets of the other 125?
Can you tell me?
You people can fool people with the WMDs dramas and hoaxes once and not again and again.
Most are not George Bush, Jr and his army of supporters!
If that is the case, why did Ronald Regan arm the Iranians?
Were not WMD business in Iraq a bunch of lies and hoaxes?
Why did not you people find WMD in Iraq till now after decades of searching?
Either you people are useless or screaming after watching expensive Saudi Ramadan style soap operas?
Gee I thought once Obammy got elected everyone was going to love us! He was going to make friends with everyone because (once again) any problems we had with other countries was all Bush's fault.
Uh, J.C.? Our standing in the world skyrocketed the day Obama took office.
zdub - The UN experts have left Iran, the inspectors are still there. Get you hear out of your own rear end. I do keep up with the news. That link about the scientist's wife proves only that the scientist hated Israel, for it's treatment of the Palestinians. Perhaps, she was paid for her statements, I don't know. Explain these Israeli prognostications about Iran's nuclear weapons program to me. Why are they so right now, when they were so wrong 18 years ago?
Israel paints Iran as Enemy No. 1: 1992
Though Israel had secretly done business with the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution, seeking to cultivate a Persian wedge against its local Arab enemies, the early 1990s saw a concerted effort by Tel Aviv to portray Iran as a new and existential threat.
1992: Israeli parliamentarian Benjamin Netanyahu tells his colleagues that Iran is 3 to 5 years from being able to produce a nuclear weapon – and that the threat had to be "uprooted by an international front headed by the US." Wow - it appears Netanyahu was a little off in his prognostcations. It has been 18 years and still no Iranian nukes. Bwaaahaaaahaa. The Zionists and their dire predictions. They should take up other pursuits.
1992: Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres tells French TV that Iran was set to have nuclear warheads by 1999. "Iran is the greatest threat and greatest problem in the Middle East," Peres warned, "because it seeks the nuclear option while holding a highly dangerous stance of extreme religious militancy." Oops- it appears Peres's head is up his a$$ also, in his prognostcations.
1992: Joseph Alpher, a former official of Israel's Mossad spy agency, says "Iran has to be identified as Enemy No. 1." Iran's nascent nuclear program, he told The New York Times, "really gives Israel the jitters."
Here are some more bs warnings from Israel. If one reads the article, they will se the US is confident that Iran is a long way from being a threat to the US. Stop believing Israeli propaganda. It is garbage in and garbage out.
RalphH:
Wow, you're anti-Israel bias is so overpowering in your own head that your thoughts are totally nonsensical at this point.
"Explain these Israeli prognostications about Iran's nuclear weapons program to me. Why are they so right now, when they were so wrong 18 years ago?"
It isn't just Israel anymore. It's the entire goddamn world. Did you even read this story?
I am an Israel supporter, but to be honest, it's not even about Israel anymore. If you were to take your own head out of your anti-Israel ass, you would realize that Iran is a HUGE destabilizer all over the world. At the very minimum, they are starting a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, and if that's not a cause for concern, you're nuts.
It is Israel now, using the Zionist media in the US and Europe to stoke the flames of war. The sanctions the US applies to Iran are almost always sponsored by Jews in our government. The last bill was sponsored by Brad Sherman, Jew congressman from California, working for Israel.
I am tired of our nation fighting wars, which are dreamed up by Zionists in our government and in Republican, right wing "think tanks". These wars cost America men and treasure. The Iraq war will end up costing over 3 trillion dollars. I know it means nothing to you Zionists, not one of whom has apologized for their little mistake in Iraq.
Zionist warmongers like Ken Adelman and the Zionist Washington Post pushed the war in an editorial titled, “Cakewalk in Iraq.” Jewish supremacists Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz told you that Iraq would “Welcome us as liberators.” Iraq became the longest war in American history. Here is a report from USA Today: “Pentagon officials estimated for the first time Wednesday that up to 360,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans may have suffered traumatic brain injuries.” Now that’s not counting tens of thousands who have suffered maiming, amputations, or death in this war based on lies.
See those above figures. Zionists do not give a damn how many gentiles die or are maimed for their wars.
I don't want a repeat of Iraq in Iran. Iraq did not have WMD and Iran does no have nukes. I base my knowledge on statements from these experts, while you base your knowledge on the fools who said Iran would have nukes 18 years ago. The same fool, Netanyahu is still making predictions, despite the inaccuracy of hos old predictions. Iran has not started a war in 180 years, quite a record, I would say.
I am also 100% certain that Israel was behind the falling of the 3 WTC towers on 9/11, because the evidence that they were rigged in a controlled demolition is overwhelming.
Such a peaceful nation, why would anyone think they would want to harm anyone and why would they want a nuclear weapon. All they want is clean energy (Sarcasm)
Why would anyone think they aren't developing Weapons of Mass Destruction. They are getting ready to execute a man for just being a Christian. They are not cooperating with the weapons inspectors from the UN.
If you think they are telling the truth, then I'm willing to sell my beachfront property in Arizona for a great price. Spectacular view.
Many like you focussed on Iraq and now it is shifted to Iran and Syria.
What Iran and Syria do are not our business.
Let the UN take WMD reports to Pakistan nuke sites and dump there!
Oil prices are bound to shoot up again due to Saudi manipulations.
Your Arizona beach front may become worthless like many properties in California, Michigan in the Saudi business of oil price manipulations and the drum beats of the puppets.
By any chance, are you wiling to buy property in Sacramento for its original price about six years back? One (I don't want to make it a better marketing stuff by being too personal) has spent huge monies for improvements too!
Chester - The Iranians did not threaten to wipe Israel off the map. That ius just some tired old Israeli propaganda, from an intentional misquote. Israel has threatened to attack Iran's nuclear enrichment sites for the past 20 years and have been encouraging the US to do the job, as well.
Israel paints Iran as Enemy No. 1: 1992
Though Israel had secretly done business with the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution, seeking to cultivate a Persian wedge against its local Arab enemies, the early 1990s saw a concerted effort by Tel Aviv to portray Iran as a new and existential threat.
1992: Israeli parliamentarian Benjamin Netanyahu tells his colleagues that Iran is 3 to 5 years from being able to produce a nuclear weapon – and that the threat had to be "uprooted by an international front headed by the US." Wow - it appears Netanyahu was a little off in his prognostcations. It has been 18 years and still no Iranian nukes. Bwaaahaaaahaa. The Zionists and their dire predictions. They should take up other pursuits.
1992: Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres tells French TV that Iran was set to have nuclear warheads by 1999. "Iran is the greatest threat and greatest problem in the Middle East," Peres warned, "because it seeks the nuclear option while holding a highly dangerous stance of extreme religious militancy." Oops- it appears Peres's head is up his a$$ also, in his prognostcations.
1992: Joseph Alpher, a former official of Israel's Mossad spy agency, says "Iran has to be identified as Enemy No. 1." Iran's nascent nuclear program, he told The New York Times, "really gives Israel the jitters."
Here are some more bs warnings from Israel. If one reads the article, they will se the US is confident that Iran is a long way from being a threat to the US. Stop believing Israeli propaganda. It is garbage in and garbage out.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2012/0224/Looming-Iranian-missile-threat-to-US-Pshaw
From getting all the rocket thrusters to work properly to developing heat shields that can withstand the stresses of rapid atmospheric reentry, Iran is probably many years away from getting an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The American spy apparatus, which once hyped the Iranian missile threat, has quietly stopping saying when Iran can hit the east coast. And the irony is that it’s taking Iran so long precisely because its missile efforts really are sophisticated.
“The bottom line,” says Paul Pillar, a veteran CIA Mideast analyst, “is that the intelligence community does not believe [the Iranians] are anywhere close to having an ICBM.”
It's in Israel's interests of course to convince the US otherwise, since Iran does have missiles that can reach that country. Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said in a CNBC interview on Wednesday. "We estimate that in 2-3 years they will have the first inter-continental ballistic missiles that can reach the east coast of America."
How many times does the world need to be pissed on by Iran before we wake up and acknowledge that the only reason for the multiple centrifuge facilities is to build the Islamic bomb? If they build it, they will use it. The Iranian rulers are total nut jobs. End the problem now, while we still can.
Once they detonate a nuclear device is too late to ask "how are those sanctions working?"
Ask the Russians and the Chinese, neither see any problem with providing Iran with the necessary technology for their rockets and nuclear facilities in the first place.
I wonder when they will sign a non-aggression-pact with Iran?
Zaphod,
The Islamic bomb?? Pakistan has had that for years.
Since 1991 Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists have been keeping the US and allies busy in one wars or the other.
When we beame free, they got the Clinton busy in Bosnia business!
They saw the advantage of these wars for them. They became richer and drove others slowlly bankrupt.
Now it is cheaper to buy politicians, lobbyists, UN, human rights groups, media people and others as money as become dearer for us!
Iran should buy or steal the nukes from Pakistan and they should test them on Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait and other Sunni barbaric beastly ruled nations.
It will be win-win for all.
Most of the world will be free from wars for at least two decades and oil prices' manipulations with some wars will end!
While Iran struggles with enriching their uranium further, to bomb grade material, engineers in the West are developing the Space Launched Kinetic Dart program. A space launched "Kinetic Dart" or series of multiple darts encased in a similar material which covered our Space Shuttle, protecting it from heat during reentry. At a predetermined altitude and traveling at enormous speeds, the outer protective casing sheds away with the dart left to penetrate ANY depth of solid rock or reenforced concrete. The depth is predetermined by the weight and ballistic design of the Dart. Lower mass means shallower depth and the heavier the deeper. These darts are NOT nuclear or have any explosive material. Their shear speed and weight will create an unstoppable penetration and then releasing the Dart's KINETIC ENERGY deep inside the mountain or buried bunker system. Traveling at thousands of miles per hour, no missile system can track or shoot them down especially with simultaneous launches perhaps in the dozens at a time! The sound alone, just prior to penetration, will be deafening!
zaphod - Exactly when and how has Iran pissed on the world? It wasn't Iran that gave false intelligence to the US in order to get us to attack Iraq, at an eventual cost of over 3 trillion dollars. It was Israel and it's Zionist supporters, led by Paul Wolfowitz.
Iran has signed the NPT and has adhered to its restrictions, by not enriching uranium to bomb grade. Granted, they are learning how to do it, if they ever decide they require nukes. They asked for the US or another country to provide the fuel rods fo rtheir nuclear plant and we said no. They decided to do it themselves and are well within their rights.
The U.N. NOW has "serious concerns about Iran's Nuclear program" ?
Talk about living UNDER a mushroom.
Wait a minute, the U.N. has their TENACLES into EVERY COUNTRY for their World's wealth re-distribution efforts.
Time to kick out the U.N. from NYC after collecting all the un-paid parking tickets.
The conservatives beat the UN with their wealth distribution from the working class to the wealthy. Too bad the rich envy the poor that the rich have to take everything away from the poor. Crumbs everyone?
Conseravatives are the rich ones huh! perhaps you should take a look at the to 10 richest congressmen. 7 are liberal democrats getting richer by the day. Perhaps they will give you some crumbs.
Seriously Ido, you're one of those New World Order conspiracy nuts?
Israel will attack before the end of the year. Even if attacks only temporarily delay Iran's nuclear ambitions they will deem it necessary. All the talk by Washington against this option is nothing more than laying the foundation for plausible deniability, while behind the scenes the Administration is in full support.
otm, ... SHhhhhhhh, aah theenks we gott'um fooled, so puh-leeze be quiet.
otm, I think you are correct. They need to get those nutjobs out of office, and out of life, period.
What do you mean full support. Is America going to be there when missiles fall on Israel? If yes, there is nothing hidden about it. If "no" then there will be millions dead and GOD save Israel.
Israel won't attack. They haven't got the guts or the will. Israel only attacks countries like Lebanon, which doesn't have the ability to shoot down one airplane. They also attack Palestinian women and children, using tanks, F16s and Apache helicopters. The IDF is a joke.
This is an excercise in convincing Americans that it must do the job, just as we did in Iraq, at the cost of more than 3 trillion dollars and more than a thousand soldiers lives, as well as hundreds of thousands of injured. No more wars for Israel.
Your Jew-hating bent is showing. The IDF doesn't have the guts? They did pretty good in 67 and 73 when the whole Arab world was against them. They don't attack women and children - they're no threat to them. Your buddies Hezbolla and Hamas are.
The U.S. will be there in the form of Patriot anti-missile batteries (and the countless millions or billions of U.S. defense dollars), we will be there in intelligence help, targeting, and in many other ways!
And, if necessary, should Israel really need it, boots on the ground to save Israel.
God continue to bless America!! Shed His grace on thee, crown us good...
EWUSNRET....I AGREE WITH YOU 100%, but don't forget Israel destroyed a nuclear research facility under construction in Iraq in 81' and one in Syria in 07', and while speaking about Israel's lack of guts (sarcasm), lets also throw in the raid on Entebbe in 76'.
Yes this Ralph H is definitely anti-semetic, he should have been a Nazi in Germany during WWII, he would have fit in perfectly. I have friends who are Jewish and i work at a place that has muslims as well, i have no problem with either of them.
Folks need to take a chill pill and relax. Israel will attack Iran and Iran will retaliate and then a localized regional war will commence amongst Israel, Iran, Syria, Hezbolla (Lebanon) with logistics support from US, Saudi Arabia and Russia, China. The hard part will be to keep it localized. When the dust settles former enemies will reconcile and a two state solution will finally be viable with what is left of Israel. As for Iran, they will finally be a democratic country.
Now for the scary part, should this war spread and involve the US, Russia, China, EU then we are looking at WW3.
israel live by war and out of war. it needs war to apply its rabid policy of ethnic cleansing. It is a state based on an ideology of genocide for the sake of God. Is this not the very definition of fanaticism? Iran does not want to destroy any ethnic group in the name of God, and this is the difference between Israel and Iran. And if it is sound to try and restore the kingdom of David, why should it not be sound to restore the islamic state of Mahomed, which is younger that the king david' state by 1000 years. Or whenever we talk about Israel we should stop thinking and be forced to believe in their own conception of God's commandments, who , according to them ,gives them the right to wipe out a whole people and replace by jews. Iran does not believe that its survival depends on the physical elimination of the Armenians, the Kurds, the turks, the arabs , the afghans who happen to live in what the iranians consider as their home land< If you think that your neighbour is to be physically eliminated, dont expect him to come and let you apply god's orders. the very sionist ideology is an ideology of extreme violence directed against a specific ethnic group and which take its source from the Bible. If violence in the name of Allah should be condemned , it should be the case for violence in the name of Jehovah too, unless it is kasheer for a jew to kill whomever god orders him to kill, and not kasheer for any member of any other religion to kill. Is there not some kind of distorsion of moral values and respect of human life just for the sake of Judaism and at the only benefit of the Jews, all other human beings being considered as not entitled to God's commandment not to kill?
Here is a little information about our friends the Israeli's and reasons why people should always take what our government tells us with a grain of salt. It is about the Israeli attack of the USS Liberty in 1967. When Israel knowingly attacked our ship with unmarked planes, our government refused to send rescue, and then covered it up to protect the US-Israeli relationship. This affidavit came out in 2003 only after Admiral Geis had died.
http://www.gtr5.com/evidence/moorer.htm
@ john-737278
It's called friendly fire so stop pimping the USS Liberty. The worst case of friendly fire was inflicted by the British (read below). Now fly over to England and throw some rotten fruit at Will and Kate.
latekate
Friendly fire does not go on for 6 hours. Did you read it. What exactly would be the motivation of these high ranking individuals to come clean when they were near death?
I am not against Israel, but it should be clear that we the public rarely knows the truth.
You're right John. Isreal will attack, and my money is on them (If we're still here). Personally, it's my belief that WWIII has already started; someone just hasn't pulled the trigger....yet....
That's why we should vacate the region, because it would scare the crap out of Iran. They would have to think that we were pulling everything out, thinking we knew that they were done. That would do more than sanctions. IMO
I wishes the USA would just leave these people to their own destruction!
There nothing that i will learn, love or even want to be a part of from this part of the jungle!
john-737278
More like 20 minutes. Read something credible donkey.
latekate
Chairman, Joint chief of staff is not credible. 8 hours of surveillance, sorry 2 hour attack.
I am conservative, but not blinded by what our government says is the truth.
Perhaps and eyewitness account.
http://hnn.us/articles/195.html
If Israel wants to keep poking its neighbors with a stick, let them do it without foreign aid. We've spent too much American treasure and lost too many American lives supporting the failed experiment known as the State of Israel.
Late Kate - This is for you about the USS Liberty. It is time to change your opinion. Keep in mind, Lyndon Johnson was secretly Jewish and a Zionist to boot.
There is a timeline at the website which was set up to honor the American victims of the Isareli and U.S. Military. Most of it follows.
June 8, 1967, Israeli forces attack the USS Liberty. They kill 34 American servicemen, wounding 171 others. It will be the highest casualty rate ever inflicted on a U.S. naval vessel, with 7 out of every 10 crew members killed or injured. It will also be the only peacetime attack on a U.S. naval vessel that, to this day, the Congress of the United States of America formally refuses to investigate.
2 June 1967. Liberty departs Rota at top speed of 18 knots en route to a point 13 miles off the Gaza Strip, well within international waters.
5 June 1967, 7:45 (all times cited are local Liberty time). Israel attacks Egypt, simultaneously putting out false reports that Egypt had attacked first. Captain McGonagle asks Vice Admiral William Martin at Sixth Fleet headquarters to send a destroyer as an armed escort and auxiliary communication center, noting that Liberty's "self defense capability limited to four .50 caliber machine guns and small arms."
6 June 1967. Admiral Martin replies "Liberty is clearly marked United States ship in international waters, not a participant in the conflict and not a reasonable subject for attack by any nation . . . Request for escort denied."
7 June 1967, shortly before midnight. Office of the U.S. Defense Attaché in Tel Aviv sends coded message to U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) that Israel intends to attack the Liberty if her course is not changed.
8 June 1967:
1000: Two unmarked, rocket-armed, delta-winged jets circle Liberty three times. Liberty officers can count rockets and see the pilots, but see no identifying marks on the plane. The jets radio Israeli headquarters that the ship is flying an American flag.
1030: Israeli "flying boxcar" with Israeli markings circles Liberty at about 200 feet. Crew member Larry Weaver says, "I was actually able to wave to the co-pilot, a fellow on the right-hand side of the plane. He waved back, and actually smiled at me."
1055: Pinchas Pinchasy, naval liaison officer at Israeli air force headquarters, reports to Naval Headquarters that the ship cruising slowly off El Arish is "an electromagnetic audio-surveillance ship of the U.S. Navy, named Liberty, whose marking was GTR-5."
1100 & 1130: Israeli reconnaissance aircraft again circle Liberty.
1205: Three Israeli motor torpedo boats leave Ashdod at high speed headed toward Liberty. They are followed by Israeli air force fighters, loaded with 30mm cannon ammunition, rockets, and napalm.
1215 & 1245: Israeli reconnaissance aircraft again circle Liberty.
1341: Israeli torpedo boats spot Liberty and call for an immediate air strike.
1358: Two unmarked delta-winged Mirage jets attack Liberty. After taking out gun mounts, they target ship's antennae and bridge with heat-seeking missiles.
1405: Three unmarked Dassault Mystère IIIC jets attack with napalm and rockets. Ship tries to contact Sixth Fleet headquarters, but five of Liberty's six shore circuits are jammed. Radio operator manages to send distress signal from Captain McGonagle: "Under attack by unidentified jet aircraft, require immediate assistance." Attack lasts approximately 22 minutes, involving 30 to 35 sorties, killing nine men and wounding around 60. Israeli pilot reports to base: "Great, wonderful, she's burning, she's burning."
1409: Captain Joe Tully of the USS Saratoga acknowledges call for help, dispatches four F-4 Phantom jets, and informs Liberty that help is on the way. Within minutes U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara orders rescue jets to return: : "Tell Sixth Fleet to get those aircraft back immediately." Rear Admiral Geis relays message and tells them to re-launch jets in 90 minutes.
1424: Three French-built 62-ton Israeli motor torpedo boats approach Liberty in attack formation. Because the Israeli fighters had destroyed the American flag, Captain McGonagle orders the signalman to hoist the "holiday ensign," the largest flag the ship has.
1435: Torpedo boats launch five German-made 19-inch torpedoes at Liberty. One torpedo strikes starboard directly into NSA area, accounting for 25 of the 34 men who would be killed. Torpedo boats then circle, machine-gunning the ship with armor-piercing projectiles for another 40 minutes.
1450: Commander of Sixth Fleet orders carriers USS America and USS Saratoga to send aircraft to defend Liberty.
1500: NSA Sigint Command Center receives first notice of the attack from either the America or Saratoga: "USS Liberty has been reportedly torpedoed by unknown source in Med near 32N 33E. Request examine all communications for possible reaction/reflections and report accordingly."
1505: Message sent to Liberty from Sixth Fleet: "Sending aircraft to cover you. Surface units on the way." Liberty is off the air and does not receive the message.
1511: First "official" notice that Liberty is under attack reaches National Military Command Center in Washington.
1515: After the order to "prepare to abandon ship" comes over the loudspeaker system, the lifeboats are lowered into the water. Israeli torpedo boats move in closer and fire on them, as well as those still on deck, making them all unusable. "I watched with horror as the floating life rafts were riddled with holes," recalled Lieutenant Lloyd Painter, in charge of the evacuation. Said Petty Officer Rowley, who also witnessed the event: "They didn't want anyone to live." After destroying the life rafts, the Israeli boats departed. Next, two Israeli SA-321 Super Frelon Hornet assault helicopters carrying soldiers in battle dress circle ship several times, then depart.
1520: Commander of Sixth Fleet announces that 12 aircraft will be launched at 1545 to arrive near Liberty at 1715.
1532: Walt Rostow, President Johnson's Special Assistant for National Security Affairs, notifies the president of the attack.
1536: Israeli torpedo boats return, then leave.
1545: USS Saragota and America launch second rescue flights.
1555: Liberty regains its transmitter; still has no receiver.
1600: Liberty transmits: "Flash, flash, flash. I pass in the blind. We are under attack by aircraft and high-speed surface craft." Deputy Director Louis Tordella is informed by Deputy Director of Joint Reconnaissance Center, Captain Vineyard, that "consideration was then being given by some unnamed Washington authorities to sink the Liberty in order that newspaper men would be unable to photograph her and thus inflame public opinion against the Israelis." Tordella makes an "impolite" comment about the idea, writes a memo of the conversation for the record, and stores it away.
1605: Liberty transmits: "Request immediate assistance. Torpedo hit starboard side."
1614: American embassy relays Israeli apology to White House, Department of State, and Sixth Fleet that an unidentified "maybe Navy" ship has been erroneously attacked.
1615: Two unidentified jets approach Liberty, then veer off.
1630: Israeli jets and three torpedo boats return, offer assistance. Captain McGonagle refuses their help. Boats leave after 12 minutes.
1639: Secretary of Defense McNamara again orders rescue planes recalled; order is confirmed by President Johnson because "we are not going to embarrass an ally." Naval Air Attaché at U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, Commander Ernest Castle, is summoned to Israeli Defense Forces headquarters.
1717: Deputy Secretary of Defense orders that all news releases on attack are to be made in Washington. Soon after, Israeli helicopter approaches Liberty and requests permission to land. McGonagle refuses. Helicopter departs.
1729: Rear Admiral Lawrence Geis, commander of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean, protests decision to recall rescue planes to Secretary of Defense McNamara. At that point President Johnson comes on the phone and says he didn't care if the ship sunk, he would not embarrass his allies. Admiral Geis tells Lt. Commander David Lewis, head of the Liberty's NSA group, of the remark, but asks him not to repeat it until after he dies. It is a promise Lewis will honor.
1915: Captain McGonagle, wounded and exhausted, dictates first report on estimated casualties: 10 dead; 15 severely wounded; 75 total wounded; undetermined missing. His estimates would prove low.
9 June 1967:
After midnight: Soviet guided missile destroyer sends flashing-light message in English: "Do you need help?" Liberty responds: "No thank you." Soviets answer: "I will stand by in case you need me."
0600: USS Navy destroyers Davis and Massey arrive.
Mid-morning: Dead and wounded are evacuated by helicopter.
1450: Israeli Lt. Col. Michael Bloch telephones Commander Castle that Liberty, because it was not flying a flag, had been mistaken for the Egyptian supply ship El Queseir. State Department assures Congress that attack was accidental.
10 June 1967: Vice Admiral McCain orders Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd to convene Navy Court of Inquiry.
11 June 1967: Admiral Kidd boards Liberty with small staff to head Navy Court of Inquiry.
14 June 1967: Liberty arrives in Malta. Total news blackout imposed. Rear Admiral Kidd warns crew: "You are never, repeat never, to discuss this with anyone, not even your wives. If you do, you will be court-martialed and will end your lives in prison or worse." Secretary of Defense McNamara informs media that, "Department of Defense will have no further comment."
15 June 1967: Secretary of State Dean Rusk tells NATO ambassadors in Luxembourg that Israel's attack was deliberate. His remark is reported in European, but not U.S. papers.
18 June 1967: Israeli Court of Inquiry exonerates Israeli government and all those involved, saying that its torpedo boats erroneously reported the Liberty's speed at 30 knots instead of 5, and that the Liberty flew no flag and had no identifying markings. Later, Israel will honor Motor Torpedo Boat 203, the one that fired the deadly torpedo at the Liberty, by putting its wheel and bell on display in its naval museum, among those maritime items of which it is most proud.
July 1967: Shortly after the burial of six Liberty crewmen in Arlington National Cemetery, a monument is erected describing the six as having "Died in the Eastern Mediterranean." Liberty survivors complain that the marking is evasive and improper.
September 1967: State Department legal adviser Carl Salans finds many discrepancies with the Israeli report. His report is classified Top Secret.
11 June 1968: Captain McGonagle is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Medal, usually presented by the President of the United States at the White House, is presented by the Secretary of the Navy during a hastily arranged ceremony at the Washington D.C. Navy Yard. Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, the Chief of Naval Operations, calls the way the Medal is presented a back-handed slap. "Everyone else received their medal at the White House," Moorer will later observe. "President Johnson must have been concerned about the reaction of the Israeli lobby."
1980: National Security Agency Director Marshall Carter tells investigative author James Bamford that, regarding the attack on the Liberty, "There was no other answer than that it was deliberate."
1981: National Security Agency review, "Attack on a Sigint Collector, the USS Liberty Incident," rejects the Israeli Court of Inquiry's "mistake" theory and accuses Israeli fighter pilots and torpedo boat crewmen and commanders of perjury.
1982: Israeli senior lead pilot approaches former Congressman Pete McCloskey and admits that he recognized the Liberty as American immediately, so informed his headquarters, and was told to ignore the American flag and continue his attack. He said he refused to do so and returned to base, where he was arrested.
6 October 1982: A new headstone for the six Liberty crew members at Arlington National Cemetery is unveiled. This one reads: "Killed USS Liberty June 8, 1967."
1986: Lt. Commander Walter H. Jacobsen writes in Naval Law Review: "To speculate on the motives of an attack group that uses unmarked planes and deprives helpless survivors of life rafts raises disturbing possibilities, including the one that the Liberty crew was not meant to survive the attack..."
6 November 1991: Columnists Evans and Novak publish interview with Dwight Porter, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon in 1967, in which Porter says that during or immediately after the attack on the Liberty the CIA station chief showed him transcripts of intercepted Israeli messages. One has Israel ordering the attack on the Liberty, another has an Israeli pilot replying it's an American ship. When the order to attack is repeated, the pilot insists he can see the American flag. The pilot is told again: "Attack it."
8 June 1997: Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, appointed Chief of Naval Operations shortly after the attack on the Liberty, tells a reunion of survivors: "I have to conclude that it was Israel's intent to sink the Liberty and leave as few survivors as possible. Israel knew perfectly well that the ship was American."
November 1998: Captain McGonagle breaks his long silence: "After many years I finally believe that the attack was deliberate. I don't think there has been an adequate investigation of the incident . . . The flag was flying prior to the attack..." McGonagle will die four months later, on March 3, 1999.
looks like a cover-up...
Awwwww c'mon guys, Yu'all no thaa the Mhoozhilllaahmz izz nutting buttz peas-ful ol yheeehaaaadissstz n' bomburzz n' munitionz x-perts n' stuff like'att. They don wanna kill yu, ... nor cuttz off yur hedds, ... unless of course, >>> yaah izz an "infidel" or sum-ting BADDD like at, yuno.
I have no clue what you are trying to say.
Hi ChopperTroy. Let me translate, I speak Jieve: denko95 said: Ladies and Gentlemen; you are aware that Mhoozhillahmz (Probably slang) is simply playing poker (i.e. playing our bluff) with war, bombs and politcial expert opinioins and "the like". They (the Irianians) have no desire for loss of life or beheadings, unless of course, we're "infidel's" (slang for idiots, morons, or lack any type of combat analysis), or possibably something worse. Know what I mean? Hope that helps...
We have a chance to kill Hitler before World War 2. Let use it this time.
Gus, I agree. Let's take out their leaders, you know, nutjob mullahs, pajama pants, etc. And most of their military while we do it.
Ahmanutjob needs to go.
So does Nutandyahoo. With both gone, things will settle down in the whole area.
hey SLQ/32, We have our own nutjobs in this country, like the tea party wackos, we should take care of them first.
Also, I don't understand why people are surprised that they don't like us...considering the history of the U.S. meddling in their affairs. it doesn't take an EW to realize they should not like us one bit, and for good reasons.
Unless you're from another planet, everyone our planet knows that the radical Islamic dictatorship controlling Iran is racing to acquire nuclear weapons in order to incinerate Israel. The regime has clearly and repeatedly stated that they desire the annihilation of Israel and the extermination of the Jewish people. But the UN pretends that they don't believe that the mullahs have evil intentions. The UN is not only worthless, they are obstructing the prevention of a world war which could result in hundreds of millions of casualties.
The upside to all this, if there could possibly be any, is that Iran would be incinerated as well, and probably instead, since the Israelis have the most sophisticated intel, missile defense and early warning systems on the planet.
Since the whack-jobs running Iran surely know this, perhaps it will be enough to deter them from pursuing a totally insane and suicidal course of action, at least for awhile. For all their talk about martyrdom, in actual fact most of Iran's leaders are more pragmatic. They would much prefer to stick around and reap the benefits of power, rather than letting themselves be blown to bits on the off chance they might actually get to heaven.
Let them have at it. Thousands of years of war between the various tribal primitives of the mideast using rocks, spears, swords and arrows haven't tipped the balance - maybe now that they have real weapons there can be a final winner.
Gee Dougi, I guess you are wrong. Read this commentary of experts in the field. You are just a Israeli propagandist, spewing you're anti Iran venom and mis information, much like the neocons did prior to the war in Iraq. Zionists love to cry wolf. There was no wolf in Iraq and Americans found out the hard way. No more wars for Israel.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2012/0216/Threats-to-US-Pentagon-officials-drop-three-surprises/Doubts-about-Iran-s-nuclear-ambitions
Doubts about Iran's nuclear ambitions
Despite the hype surrounding Iran’s pursuit of nuclear technology, the country's leaders are “not likely” to develop weapons unless attacked, the panel said.
The same goes for plans to close the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway, according to General Burgess. Though Iran can close the strait (“at least temporarily”), launch missiles, and even tap terrorist surrogates worldwide “if attacked,” military-intelligence officials assess that it is “unlikely to initiate or unintentionally provoke a conflict.”
What’s more, senior intelligence officials expressed some doubt that Iranian officials are actively interested in developing a nuclear weapon.
Said James Clapper, director of national intelligence (DNI): “There are certain things that they have not yet done and have not done for some time.”
On this point, the panel was robustly challenged by some lawmakers. “I’m very convinced that they’re going down the road to developing a nuclear weapon,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina.
Still, the Pentagon officials stuck to their analysis. Though Iran has enough highly enriched uranium to build a weapon “if political leaders chose to do so,” Burgess explained, he said that the prospect of stepped-up sanctions is frightening to Iranian officials. “I don’t think they want a nuclear weapon at any price.”
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=235&sid=18866897 - Then there is this today.
The paragraphs below are from your article. So what? Iran , as the signer of the NPT, has the right to enrich uranium for nuclear power and for medical isotopes. They are under inspection and have not exceeded the 20% enrichment, reqired for bomb grade material. Therefore, they are still within their rights. You cannot build a nuclear bomb with 20% enriched uranium. As long as the inspectors are there doing their job, we will know that Iran cannot construct a bomb.
Adding up verified figures and Iranian estimates, the report said that Tehran has to date produced about 110 kilograms (more than 240 pounds) of higher-level uranium enriched to 20 percent. That is about half of what it would need to arm a nuclear warhead. (the article fails to mention the 20% enriched uranium, would have to be further enriched to around 90% in order to build a bomb) And it has increased its 20-percent production capability by adding hundreds of centrifuges to a facility dug into a mountain since the last IAEA report in November, the agency said. That structure may be impervious to any bunker-busting bombs Israel has at its disposal.
Wow, wouldn't it be too bad if Israel attacked and could not penetrate the mountain, while losing planes and pilots? Don't worry, Israel will not attack. They only attack small relatively unarmed countries, unless of course, it is a false flag attack.
They did do a sneak attack in 1967 on Egypt, but that was when they had the advantage of total surprise and a Jewish/American president (Lyndon Johnson) waiting to back them. They even got away with the attack on the USS Liberty, because of Johnson.
The Iranians lying? No! It can't be! What a freaking surprise!
So let the UN take care of it.
Unfortunately, sanctions only hurt the poor masses, not the rich. Sanctions are doing nothing to stop Iran but does everything to fuel the hatred for the United States. I say let the Isrealis loose on them and us stay out of it. The world hates us more and more each day for meddling in other societies with different beliefs than ours. Let the world take care of itself..... Let the U.S. take care of its own homegrown problems like corrupt politicians, energy independence, a failing economy, no real healthcare system, and the general welfare of our citizens and infrastructure.
Go ahead and let the bombs and missiles fly. We all know that this is leading to war. Everyone is on the precipice with a gun. May as well get the show on the road and get it over with, already.
I have no love of war or violence. The thing is, when you have two people in each other's faces, and neither is willing to back down, it will come to blows. So quit all the talk, and lets rock.
Then after the dust settles maybe all us normal people can get back to living life.
Iran is a full-blown theocracy, not a true republic. Their "elections" are fraud.
I'm sure Israel will be dealing with this very, very quickly. I'm surprised they haven't bombed the hell out of Iran by now. I'm betting within 2 weeks it's going to happen.
Because if they attacked Iran, they'd have to fly over 1000 miles to hit multiple targets, and all they could look forward to upon returning is their country being devastated by retaliatory strikes. Duh...
It's time for war. Nuke them, nuke them now.
What's to say Iran does not already have a NUKE? Isreal will not say one way or another they have them...When asked, Isreal says I can't tell you if we have them and I can't tell you we do, this cat and mouse game is about to come to an end, some peice of land will be a glass covered parking lot, which one or both is the question......Would someone just do something so we can get on with our lives.
Iran wants a war - that is clear. But they don't want to be the first one to fire. They want to blame that on somebody else. The whole world needs to wake up and shut down this country soon unless you want Armageddon upon all of us. Unfortunately, it may already be too late. Jesus, come soon.....and God protect us all.
This is going to be the number one topic at the very next lobster banquet the UN convenes.
Are the equally concerned about Israel's 100-200 already existing nukes that they've never been allowed to inspect?
You do have a point. However, we are talking about nukes in the hands of reasonably cautious leaders versus in the hands of extremist wackos. For example, unlike Iran, Israel has never threatened to wipe Iran off the face of the earth. This is a mess, but it is clear who the threat to peace is in the Middle East and it is not Israel.
I wouldn't call Israel's leaders cautious. All signs point toward them signing off on terrorist attacks on Iranian civilians, and that is a very frightening realization.
This doesn't bode well for Israel...They are gonna do their thing if they keep hearing reports like this. Of course Iran wants nukes....the denial is such a joke......Israel knows that the countries leaders are unstable and they would use them.....the only thing is Israel doesn't want to be hit first... man it appears inevitable that they are gonna strike....
Yep, and this time an "errant" bomb should hit not only the nuke sites, but the clerics houses too.
Fire up the F-16s Israel!
The US is behind you.
(Oh, and don't worry about Obama, he doesn't run this country anyway)
Well maybe he does, but "into the ground" is not where most of us want to be.
You're an idiot...bonafied, certified, card carrying idiot!
President Obama supports Israel and has run this country more than adequately!
How to you type if you are blind?
Time to put an end to it now before it becomes a bigger problem. Nuke 'em now or nuke 'em later those are the options.
We should give all of ours up as a sign of good faith.
It is difficult to tell what the true intentions of the Iranians are, but one has to suppose that they are intelligent people with specific goals they wish to attain and that somehow this all are means to those ends.
But this is a very very difficult situation to unravel. All Iran has to do is to stockpile all the enriched uranium (above 80%) they can make. They don't even have to have a working bomb or the means to deliver it. Just having the uranium is sufficient to use it for blackmail.
This is because an atomic bomb that is equivalent to the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombs could be built by a reasonably competent high school student. The materails needed are only stainless steel pipe, some C4, three strobe flash units and a lotta lead. But the secret ingredient is the fissile material which is a lot more difficult to come by. Ghadaffi, Assad, Sadaam Hussein all knew that it isn't having the bomb somuch as getting the UN instructors to spread the possibility. And, if you have enough of the fissile material on hand, you could make a bomb pretty easily in a couple of weeks. It wouldn't be pretty, but it could be expected to do as well as the first three that were used --- three completely different designs and each of them worked.
Israel would find it very difficult to get to Iran to bomb it without flying over Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey. Any one of those countries would immediately warn Iran. Israel only has very limited in-air refueling capability. And on top of all that the sites are dispersed, hardened, and probably guarded by the very sophisticated S-400 system with SA-21 missiles and other weapons along the possible lines of attack. It would take a Herculean effort for the Israelis to do much damage to the enrichment facilities. And it would probably require the intervention of the US and possibly Saudi Arabia. The IDF just doesn't have the legs.
Israel would have some very poor choices --- use missiles, possibly with nukes, to do the job. Or possibly do something like attack Iran's oil expoort and domestic refinery facilities instead. A few tomahawk missiles could destroy those facilities pretty easily. And Israel would probably deny involvement, leaving the world to speculate that the US did it.
I ran has only one refining facility.
They outsource because they know they would be targets.
You only do this if you think you are not safe while you are doing monkey business.
Israel has air refueling capability, and all the other tools needed, (they have done it before).
The Saudis would not warn them. (they would cheer them on)
And they have other routes.
The Saudis will not warn Iran. There has been indications that they may let the IDF refuel there. They hate Iran. The sale of the S-300 missile system was halted by UN resolution. They have no S-400 system. That is new to the Russians. Tomahawks will not take out hardened facilities. 55 of the latest bunker-busters were transferred to Israel in 2009 by Obama. The Israelis will use them to take out the sites.
@Viewer,
Actually Iran has 9 oil refineries. Only one is modern and large, but 5 of the others are good-sized. Together they produce about 40% of Iran's gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosese, etc. The rest of Iran's refinery products come from bartering crude oil for refinery products. They are not outsourcing, they are building more refineries so that they are not at the mercy of imported oil products.
The IDF does have some in-air refueling capability, but it could service only a small number of aircraft. The main issue with air refueling is that there is a period of extreme vulnerability for both the refueling aircraft and those being refueled. Normally you want to refuel over friendly territory or over terriroty over which you have absolute air superiority. There is no friendly territory between Israel and Iran. In fact there is not an inch of the trip that would not be covered by various anti-air missile systems along the way. This is how operations get out of hand --- not not only do you have fighter bombers and refueling aircraft that have to be protected, but the distance is so great that you must do it twice to make the roundtrip. It is a little more than twice as far as the strike on the Iraqi reactor. And it is a great deal harder to hit a hardened, well-defended site than it is to hit a commercial reactor site that you have arranged to make sure the defensive systems were switched off.
And don't kid yourself. The Saudi's would definitely warn Iran for fear that Iran would close the Straits of Hormuz. The Iraqis would warn them because they now have a Shiite majority government and Iran is the only other majority Shiite country in the world. Jordan would warn them because they warned Iraq on that raid. Syria would warn them because they need allies desparately. Turkey would warn them because urkey now has a more hardline religious leadership and Turkey's relations with Israel have gone from warm to extremely frosty in the last couple of years.
Iran has only ONE modern facility for refining crude to fuel.
The others are jokes.
AND by the time anyone was warned if fighters were in flight, it would all be over.
And Chris, while I can saee you are very knowledgeable, we both should know this,
the US will support Israel and give them anything they need (covertly) to make a strike if needed.
They did the same thing in the Faulkland war for the Brits.
@ Chris
You are severely ignorant on these issues, even though you act like you know something.
The cards are already in place for Israel to hit the go button. SA, would NOT EVER warn IRAN, they HATE IRAN, and will need to develop nukes to counter IRAN if they get them. Everything is in SA best interest to take out IRAN. IRAN has stated they will attack SA, because they know SA will probably be involved in the attack more then just allowing Israel to fly through thier territory.
Isreal would need to offensively take out IRAN missile sites as a pre-req to any attack, they are not just going to rely on their new missile defenses to halt the certain attack by IRAN to ISRAEL.
Also we have seen that russian missile systems thwarted by Isreal previously, I doubt that those systems will pose a serious risk to Isreal.
Using low yeild nukes along with MOPS might be the only way to do it, but if it has to be done then so be it.
Please excuse my poor spelling, I had a keyboard slip and MSN went down on my end before I could correct my last post.
Shaun is correct also.
SA will not warn Iran, in fact they will probably arrange facilities for their planes to land, refuel etc.
And the weapon of choice for this mission will probably be both bunker busters, and FAE.
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/faeanim.gif
@Viewer_Ready
Israel does not have the military capability to launch a sustained bombing raid on Iran (see link below). If they do, they would have done this a long time ago. The fact that Israel has publicly threatened Iran with strikes yet hasn't deliver on its threats is a dead giveaway that Israel's threats are nothing more than a bluff and from a military perspective, that's a militarily unsound tactic. You don't telegraph your intentions to your enemy because by doing that, you lose the element of surprise which is an essential component to carrying out a successful mission. That's how Israel succeed in eliminating the Iraqi and Syrian reactors.
Israel ruled out Iran strike in 2005
They will not be telegraphed.
The threat is there and will be addressed not broadcast.
You are right Chris, but since Iran's enrichment is under IAEA inspection, they will not be able to produce the fissile material, unless they first throw out the IAEA inspectors. That would be a violation of the NPT. It would give the world community plenty of time and a reason to act. Until or unless that happens, Iran cannot lawfully be attacked by any nation.
We have to be wary of false flag attacks. I am quite sure the world and the intelligence communities are well aware of Israel's propensity to commit such acts.