Getting folks ready for those bunker busters

[Owlet]

"Letting an Islamist, extremist state like Iran have nuclear weapons is like giving an arsonist access to a gallon of gasoline and a match. As a last resort Israel should launch a pre-emptive strike against all of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile sites. Jeruselam should act now before it is too late.
Elizabeth Stanley, Sheffield, United Kingdom

I am afraid Israel will have no other choice but to strike first, with American acquaintance. I suppose the different strikes will be clean, effective and successful, based on reliable intelligence. The world, i.e. mainly the Arabs and Europeans will protest a lot; how sad they do not understand what is at stake.
Jose Bendayan, Madrid, Spain

..and on and on.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ArticleNews.jhtml?itemNo=481095&contrassID=13&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0"

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

1. If * wins, get ready for a "pre-emptive" nuke lobbed on Iran

After all, he said he considered a nuclear bomb as just another weapon in the inventory. That puts it into the same category as a hand grenade. Before *, nukes were "weapons of last resort"; now, they can be used in pre-emptive strikes.

And all you have to do is demonstrate your willingness to use just one nuke against another country to force every other country in the world to fall in line. It's like the schoolyard bully who pulverizes a classmate with a baseball bat. After that, all he has to do is walk around carrying that bat and all the other students will kow-tow to him. "Yes, sir. Whatever you want, sir. Just don't nuke me."

And as we well know, * is a bully.

[punpirate]

4. And...

... what happens then?

Truthfully, I don't they have nukes in mind--that's part of the reason why there was fairly prominent distribution of the news that the U.S. was selling (actually giving--U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill) conventional bunker busters (a lot of them) to Israel.

The Israelis have a track record with this--after bombing Iraq's reactor in 1981 and getting away with it without a retaliatory attack of significance, they probably think they can get away with it again--especially if Iranian aircraft have to fly over Iraq now to retaliate. And, I'm not sure if Iran's missile program is far enough along to retaliate with those.

If there's an attack on Iran, though, be assured that Iraq goes nuts, and that there will be a sudden surge of nationalism in Iran, which will delay any ascension of moderates there.

Still, the oversized elephant in this living room is Israel's huge nuclear inventory. In the Middle East, they occupy the same position we do in the world. The implicit threat is daunting, and with the rhetoric coming from Israel these days, egging the U.S. on in Iraq, for example, I can see why Iran is nervous--especially considering that a former Ba'athist with a nasty reputation is now running the country.

It's all got the potential to become a real mess. *sigh*

[DrWeird]

5. Not to mention Syria.

I doubt they'd sit around while the US and Israel wipe out Iran and Iraq.

[punpirate]

6. I dunno about that...

... they've been laying low lately (I recall, too, that there has been some removal of troops from Lebanon, but don't know how extensive).

At this point, I doubt that Syria is strong enough to act alone and would need Egypt to join the fray, and that's not likely to happen unless it coincided with a military coup in Egypt. Assad, as well (contrary to what the moron press has repeating on behalf of the WH), is trying hard to create back channel co-operation with the U.S. He doesn't want the rest of the Arab public to know, but it's still happening. My guess is that Syria would stay put and wait it out.

Cheers.

[whistle]

2. So, let me see if I have this right, Israeli intelligence now claims....

...with a high degree of certainty that Iran will have the capability within six months to build nuclear bombs. Israel has warned the world community to stop Iran before this happens or Israel will stop Iran. To back up this warned Israel had borrowed 500 bunker buster bombs/missiles from the U.S. military. Now, the world community is actually us, the United States as no one else has the weapons necessary to to this except Israel who got their weapons from us. So Israel is now in a position to dictate aggressive military policy to the United States or they will take unilateral action which will still involve the U.S. because they will use restricted weapons we supplied to them. May I suggest that Israel has now become a rogue state making demands that could plunge the world into war and using nuclear blackmail to accomplish their demands. (Bunker buster bombs are hardened with depleted uranium).

The real question that should be put on the table is what does the world intend to do about Israel's nuclear program? How about the United Nations take away all of the WMD's in the middle east from all of the nations there including Israel? None of these countries have any sense of responsibility and compromise.

[democratreformed]

8. May I be the first to agree with you?

Yes, I believe that I would consider Israel a rogue state and one who dictates military policy to the good old US of A.

[DrWeird]

3. Iraq all over again.

Fucking savages.

[LeftyLarry]

7. So naturally,

we invaded Iraq.

[Dying Eagle]

9. WW3

They will start WW3 if they strick Iran!!