Iran Standoff= U.S sends planes to SW Asia

[alicia-w]

I think we should all be mindful of the long lasting and far reaching impacts of a nuclear bomb explosion.

[canegrl04]

ITA, alicia w . I have read news articles that suggest some in the Bush admin. want to use tactical nuclear weapons on Iran. I pray that doesn't happen

[Brent]

ITA, alicia w . I have read news articles that suggest some in the Bush admin. want to use tactical nuclear weapons on Iran. I pray that doesn't happen

Not unless they attack us first...

[alicia-w]

dont delude yourself.

iraq didnt attack us and look what happened there.

ok, i'm done with that. not one more word.

[fwbbreeze]

just wanted to post one more time before this thread gets locked!!!!

fwbbreeze

[wxcrazytwo]

just wanted to post one more time before this thread gets locked!!!!

fwbbreeze

Wow, and it didn't involve me.

[x-y-no]

I'll avoid any political issue nad just make some comments on military considerations:

The idea that Israel will handle it is impractical. Israel has no long-range bombers. What they have is F-15s with ground attack capacity, and also medium range ballistic missiles. Their F-15s have nowhere near the range to make the round-trip with a full weapons load, so they would need our active assistance in the form of refueling over Iraq. If we're going to be that directly involved, we may as well do the whole job ourselves with our far greater strike capacity.

I'm not up on the accuracy of Israel's MBMs, but at any rate they're dedicated to carry nuclear payloads, so they're out of the picture for a first strike.

They allegedly have cruise missile technology as well, but if that's operational it's still likely only in a limited sense.

As for us striking Iran, we certainly have the ability to destroy any nuclear program facilities we know of. The big question is what would this do to the dynamics of the Iraq situation? We're really between a rock and a hard place there if the Shiite leadership turns actively against us.

[wxcrazytwo]

I'll avoid any political issue nad just make some comments on military considerations:

The idea that Israel will handle it is impractical. Israel has no long-range bombers. What they have is F-15s with ground attack capacity, and also medium range ballistic missiles. Their F-15s have nowhere near the range to make the round-trip with a full weapons load, so they would need our active assistance in the form of refueling over Iraq. If we're going to be that directly involved, we may as well do the whole job ourselves with our far greater strike capacity.

I'm not up on the accuracy of Israel's MBMs, but at any rate they're dedicated to carry nuclear payloads, so they're out of the picture for a first strike.

They allegedly have cruise missile technology as well, but if that's operational it's still likely only in a limited sense.

As for us striking Iran, we certainly have the ability to destroy any nuclear program facilities we know of. The big question is what would this do to the dynamics of the Iraq situation? We're really between a rock and a hard place there if the Shiite leadership turns actively against us.

x-y-no, I think you are giving the Israeli military little credit in the power. Please read this and then say they have no capabilities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Defense_Forces

I still think they should do it themselves.

[x-y-no]

x-y-no, I think you are giving the Israeli military little credit in the power. Please read this and then say they have no capabilities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Defense_Forces

I still think they should do it themselves.

Ummm ... that wiki page is somewhat incomplete and inaccurate ...

But let's accept it for the sake of argument. What capability listed there do you think would be adequate to carry out the number of strikes over the extended range that would be needed to cripple Iran's nuclear program?

[wxcrazytwo]

x-y-no, I think you are giving the Israeli military little credit in the power. Please read this and then say they have no capabilities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Defense_Forces

I still think they should do it themselves.

Ummm ... that wiki page is somewhat incomplete and inaccurate ...

But let's accept it for the sake of argument. What capability listed there do you think would be adequate to carry out the number of strikes over the extended range that would be needed to cripple Iran's nuclear program?

Look, Israel's Air Force can easily carry missiles that can target Iran and its Nuclear facilities. You don't need long range missiles. I mean it would be idea, but not necessary.

[Stratosphere747]

Wx, they would need in-flight refueling to make the trip, and unless the rumors are correct and we have sold them a few of the bunker busters, then they probably don't posses the weaponry to do the job.

[feederband]

Didn't they the isrealis at one time bomb a Iraq nuc plant...

[x-y-no]

x-y-no, I think you are giving the Israeli military little credit in the power. Please read this and then say they have no capabilities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Defense_Forces

I still think they should do it themselves.

Ummm ... that wiki page is somewhat incomplete and inaccurate ...

But let's accept it for the sake of argument. What capability listed there do you think would be adequate to carry out the number of strikes over the extended range that would be needed to cripple Iran's nuclear program?

Look, Israel's Air Force can easily carry missiles that can target Iran and its Nuclear facilities. You don't need long range missiles. I mean it would be idea, but not necessary.

The two aircraft Israel has in its inventory capable of the kind of ground attack needed are the A-4 and the F-15. Each has a ferry range of about 3400 kilometers, but armed for ground attack you can cut between 1200 to 1400 km off of that. That gets you to central Iran and about 1/3 of the way home, assuming you fly almost a straight course.

So as I said, the only way they can carry out this mission is if we give them refueling support over Iraq. And there's no way we do that in secret. So once again - if we're going to be directly and publicly involved anyway, what's the sense in leaving the job to Israel when we have many times the strike capacity they have?

[x-y-no]

Didn't they the isrealis at one time bomb a Iraq nuc plant...

Yes, they did. But the round-trip range to that target was fully 1800 kilometers less than the range to some of Iran's facilities. And Iran has multiple facilities, so an effective attack would involve multiple strikes totalling subtantially more than Israel's total strike capacity.

[cycloneye]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4602516.stm



UK Prime minister Tony Blair is threatening sending Iran to the security council for sanctions against Iran.

[wxcrazytwo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4602516.stm



UK Prime minister Tony Blair is threatening sending Iran to the security council for sanctions against Iran.

and lol.

[kevin]

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

If the nukes start flying out of Iran. Our only choice will be to stop them is to use our nukes. In if it gets that far then we went to the UN again. Yes saddam needed to go, but putting Iran up aside of Iraq I would say that Iran is more of a threat to the world.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

I think we should all be mindful of the long lasting and far reaching impacts of a nuclear bomb explosion.

You have to remember that Iran will be shooting at us. If we shoot back then its to stop them from leveling out citys.

[WindRunner]

I think we should all be mindful of the long lasting and far reaching impacts of a nuclear bomb explosion.

You have to remember that Iran will be shooting at us. If we shoot back then its to stop them from leveling out citys.

Sure, they'll be "shooting" at us, but unless they already have an ICBM program that is well developed, don't expect any Iranian missles landing in the US for at least a decade. The only way they could deploy such nuclear weapons is on their bombers, which could reach Israel, but obviously not much further.