Something needs to be done about Iran

[Boroda]

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
The Washington treaty limited the size and number of ships in signatories navies, it did not get rid of weapons.

Well, US had to abandon some battleship projects, IIRC some of them were already in construction.

I think it's possible to find many examples of "abandoning weapon systems" even if we'll not count Gorby's treason and scrapping missile complexes that didn't fall under SU/US treaties in the 80s.

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
Who gave up nukes? Did they build the infrastructure to build the weapons and then get talked out of it, or did they find themselves suddenly independant and in posession of soviet weapons they did not want?

Ukraine was able to maintain their own nukes. They abandoned them and shipped them to RF, and they still boast it. Belorussia and Kazakhstan did the same thing but they don't boast. I think that they probably could maintain their arsenal, but i'm not sure. Ukraine definetly could.

[Holden McGroin]

Would you say that Ukraine, Belorussia, and Kasakstan were coerced into giving up the weapons or maybe they decided that more or less on their own?

My point is that it seems Iran does not want to give up their (assumed)weapons program and while presently negotiating is prudent, gut feeling says they want to have the ability to nuke some small country.

[Hangtime]

"Gorby's treason.."

ROFLMFAO!!

Gawd, whut a commie tool you are, Boroda!

Lets hear about 'Yeltsin's treason', next. hehehhehehhehhehhehehehe...

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by Hangtime
"Gorby's treason.."

ROFLMFAO!!

Gawd, whut a commie tool you are, Boroda!

Lets hear about 'Yeltsin's treason', next. hehehhehehhehhehhehehehe...

LOL I found that amusing as well.

We each even after all the reductions had enough nuclear weapons to kill off everyone on the planet several times over.
I dont think anyone gave up enough to not still be a considerable threat.
each side just got rid of some of its overkill.

[fartwinkle]

Originally posted by Toad
I'm pretty sure there won't be anyway to trace its origin with 100% certainty.

 

You dont think maybe satellite might pick it up?

[Toad]

No, because I don't think they'll use a missile.

Our borders are open; the low-tech, low risk option is to just sneak one into the country and have an Islamic martyr detonate it at an appropriate time.

Think Times Square on New Year's; the Superbowl; the next Presidential Inaugeration; the next State of the Union speech.

Lots of options to kill lots of people, all with a basically untraceable nuke.

The enriched uranium won't be traceable because it'll be from a source that's never been sampled. Think NK or Pakistan or even Iran.

They might even be able to buy a small weapon from some former world power's old inventory. Then the signature off the uranium will point in the wrong direction.

As I said, I think it'll be very, very hard to be 100% sure who did it.

So what then? Nuke 'em all? Who's "all"?

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by Toad
No, because I don't think they'll use a missile.

Our borders are open; the low-tech, low risk option is to just sneak one into the country and have an Islamic martyr detonate it at an appropriate time.

Think Times Square on New Year's; the Superbowl; the next Presidential Inaugeration; the next State of the Union speech.

Lots of options to kill lots of people, all with a basically untraceable nuke.

The enriched uranium won't be traceable because it'll be from a source that's never been sampled. Think NK or Pakistan or even Iran.

They might even be able to buy a small weapon from some former world power's old inventory. Then the signature off the uranium will point in the wrong direction.

As I said, I think it'll be very, very hard to be 100% sure who did it.

So what then? Nuke 'em all? Who's "all"?

True

[Hangtime]

Toad, of the 4 possible targets you suggested I think the last two followed up with a knee jerk retalitory flash 40 minutes later over Tehran would be, as Seagoon might put it...


.. a Trifecta.

[Seagoon]

Hi Rip,

Originally posted by Ripsnort
Since 1995, we heard "Something needs to be done about Iraq" from democrats and repubs alike after several UN violations. So when we actually did something, the left is crying.  If I were the sitting pres, I'd say "nope, we did something in Iraq like you wanted and you burned us..."

Actually we've been hearing something needs to be done about Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979, with precious little actually done about it since then.

As long as we continue to be dependent on middle-eastern oil and determined to pretend that our problems are political and regional rather than ideological, I don't have much hope that that will change.

Oh, and having this kind of thing going on at home makes it even less likely:

"Well, I'll say it right now, "You can't act, Mr. President. If you do act, Mr. President, it is clearly against our interests for you to do that. This is a nation of 70 million people, Mr. President. You already have us in deep trouble because of the incompetence of your civilian leadership, Mr. President, in Iraq. In Iraq we're a long way from being able to be victorious, Mr. President. For God's sake, don't make another stupid mistake." - Joe Biden on Hardball responding to the question what he would say in response to Bush announcing action against Iran.

So while a resolution to the situation might be nice, sans an actual attack by Iran I seriously doubt we will do anything...

- SEAGOON

[Hangtime]

I think i'll stay well clear of inaugerations and State of the Union speeches.

And keep my fingers crossed.

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by Hangtime
I think i'll stay well clear of inaugerations and State of the Union speeches.

And keep my fingers crossed.

Me too.
get a better view on TV anyway

[Mr Big]

I predict that the US will attack Iran with major airstrikes, very soon.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Toad
No, because I don't think they'll use a missile.

Our borders are open; the low-tech, low risk option is to just sneak one into the country and have an Islamic martyr detonate it at an appropriate time.

Think Times Square on New Year's; the Superbowl; the next Presidential Inaugeration; the next State of the Union speech.

Lots of options to kill lots of people, all with a basically untraceable nuke.

The enriched uranium won't be traceable because it'll be from a source that's never been sampled. Think NK or Pakistan or even Iran.

They might even be able to buy a small weapon from some former world power's old inventory. Then the signature off the uranium will point in the wrong direction.

As I said, I think it'll be very, very hard to be 100% sure who did it.

So what then? Nuke 'em all? Who's "all"?

Was just researching this and found this article, very intesting...

some nuclear explosions do leave an isotopic signature, a DNA-like fingerprint that allows forensic physicists such as Naval Postgraduate School weapons systems analyst Bob Harney to possibly determine the origin of the fissile material in the bomb. Nuclear forensics is not a precise science, Harney warns. Post-attack sites are almost certain to be contaminated with unrelated or naturally occurring radioactivity, and there are numerous, highly enriched uranium stashes in the world with unknown signatures.

http://www.alumni.berkeley.edu/Alumni/Cal_Monthly/September_2005/COVER_STORY-_Berkeleys_Big_Bang_Project_.asp

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Toad
and there's certainly no evidence Iran is working on becoming a nuclear weapon equipped state.

All is good. Peace reigns.

Hehe, if I didn't know any better, you sound just like our left wingers right prior to us going into Iraq.  What if we're wrong a second time, this time in Iran?

[Maverick]

We cannot do anything until we have absolute proof of existance and intention to use a nuclear weapon. Then we must only do something when it is absolutely proven who it was that nuked the city. The same strategy for each time a city in the US goes up in a mushroom cloud.



Mr President it is YOUR job to PROTECT us from an attack If you don't you have FAILED the American People. If you do ANYTHING before an attack is launched and do not have absolute proof of who, what, when, where, how and why the attack was launched you have FAILED the American People and should be immediately impeached!!!!!