The Nuclear Frontier...

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

I don't know if this is an opinion which has already been expressed, but I haven't heard it so forgive me if I am repeating something you've heard before.

It's looking scarily likely that George W. Bush will be re-elected as President. However much the Democrats are romanticising about the future for America, for some reason the polls show Bush is still ahead. If this happens, I think th world's first nuclear bomb attack will take place.

For some reason, the news here doesn't broadcast it much, but Iran has built up an arsenal capable of doing damage to Israel. Add to that, in a recent arsenal parade, their nuclear bomb (or nucular bomb as Dubya likes to say) was draped with a sign that read , "Wipe Israel Off The Map".

I strongly believe that if Bush continues, and thus the policy to the Israel-Palestine situation continues, then Iran will strike on Israel. Should Kerry come to power, Middle East policy will change and surely dialogue with Iran will be more constructive.

Does anyone agree? It may sound far-fetched, but if you've been reading worlwide news from different agencies other than the mainstream, you'll know about Iran. I read an Arabic paper every week and it is massive in the Middle East. Iran is talked about regularly on the front pages and they aren't sure that the Iranians are afradit to use their weapons against Israel.

[Funky Monk]

Well, If Iran attacks Israel they would be demonstrating a complete lack of intelligence and morality. Personally i hope that they wouldn't, if they did i think a nuclear retaliation would be garunteed.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

It would be stupid and it would be met with a retaliation, but the extremists in the Iranian ruling elite would support it.

They have the means to rouse the public into supporting it too. Although, the means aren't very hard to find. Just showing them the treatment Palestinians are subject to would get them going.

[Funky Monk]

The question is: where would these extremists be when America would drop the retaliation? Would they welcome it as a chance to die for Allah or would they flee "to continue the fight"?

Perhaps its just a bluff to try to make Israel cool down their policies. Hmmm reckon if this get widely publicised the US might try to get their retaliation in first, although that would be purely with conventional weaponry.

[pedro san pedro]

i'm yet to see actual evidence of a nuclear device in iran - by evidence i dont mean usa scare tactics. do you have anything concrete to back up that claim?

it widely accepted that irseal has nuclear weapons - although they dont actually admit to it - surely they will retaliate if iran were to attack? mutally assured destruction should be enough of a disinsentive even for the most fanatical?

[refuse_resist]

Should Kerry come to power, Middle East policy will change and surely dialogue with Iran will be more constructive.
If Kerry comes to power, Middle East policy will be nearly the same as it is under Bush.


If this happens, I think th world's first nuclear bomb attack will take place.
The first nuclear bomb attack? :blink:

I doubt Iran would try to start anything, especially since they've been surrounded by the U.S. and it's in a militarily strategic position to launch an invasion if it wanted to. No matter who's president, neither one of them would hesitate to start a draft.

[Socialsmo o Muerte]

do you have anything concrete to back up that claim?

The widespread revealing of the Shahab-3 is the evidence. It's not just US scare tactics. Iran has openly admitted to having the Shahab-3 and paraded it, like I said, with the threatening banner. The foreign minister Kamel Kharazzi has openly expressed his wish for war on Israel and if you read any independant press, not just the mainstream press, then you'll hear him speaking of it often. Although Khatami is keeping tight-lipped on the issue, his ministers are not. He makes frequent condemnation of terrorism but, somewhat rightly, doesn't class any action against Israeli agression as terrorism. Deep down, it is clear he would support a war should the Israelis become more and more isolated from the EU and America and it is cetainly beginning to be isolated by the EU and the UN.

Iran has rejected any proposal to pult a halt to it's uranium enrichment activities citing it as their right to have a nuclear fuel cycle and the IAEA have their hands pretty much tied as the US still hold it's nuclear programmes for various things.

I'm not saying it definately will happen, but it is a major possibility and I wouldn't bet against it. We are entering an age where extremism is so fuelled by hatred throughout the world that political prudence may go out of the window.

[Funky Monk]

Its the first because the other ones were merely atomic, a picnic in comparison.

[gaf]

it, may be agood idea to go in business,building and selling anti nuke shelter...after all
business don't need morals, just fear and morons.

[Funky Monk]

You could make shit loads selling dodgy nuke shelters, i mean no-one is going to complain if they go wrong. I think its all just a bit of bragging on the part of the Iranians.

[dso79]

If there's going to be a war between Israel and Iran, which is possible, it will be Israel that strikes first. They've already threatened to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran has no interest in a war with Israel, since the IDF is far too strong, though they might retaliate if they're attacked.

The Shahab-3 is not a nuclear weapon, it has a conventional warhead. I don't think it will be very effective against Israel, which has advanced anti-missile missiles.


If Kerry comes to power, Middle East policy will be nearly the same as it is under Bush.

I'm afraid that's true.

[gaf]

Originally posted by [email protected] 25 2004, 11:59 AM
If there's going to be a war between Israel and Iran, which is possible, it will be Israel that strikes first.


I'm afraid that's true.
they already did.

[h&s]

Don't worry, we can always rely on good 'ole Israel to blast to smithereens anything that looks remotly like a nuclear warhead in Iran. They did the same to Iraq when they bombed one of their nuclear power stations back in the 80's. I don't think any conflict between Israel and Iran will ever get as far as a nuclear war.