Posted on 06/25/2006 8:35:14 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
What an ignorant answer. One step away as in, 2 years? 5 years? George Bush attacked Iraq and Afghanistan. He is playing the diplomacy angle to make the rest of the world happy. Not necessarily because it is what he wants to do.
A country in shambles from 10 years of fighing and they are laughing in a superpowers face. What? Your answer baffles me. You are either a liberal that is narow minded or you are begging for an argument. I am sitting in a class in Baghdad and would love to debate this with you, but we only have 10 minutes breaks.
The entire world would love to see Bush jump the gun which would be a huge mistake right now.
You are wrong.
And here's another little piece of information that might give perspective to us all...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655519/posts
Iran and China chatting ...
You're gambling on your personal intuitions regarding Iran's nuclear bomb capabilities and I gave an ignorant answer? The world's best experts are saying that Iran is anywhere from MONTHS to a couple years away at most. Some say they may already have the bomb because of Pakistani and Russian help. No matter whose guess is closest to factual, they're WAY too close to having the bomb for comfort. And waiting around for that 'perfect time' to do something about it just might turn out to be another major miscalculation by the Bush White House.
Was it you who said Iran is still recovering from their ten years war? That ended over 16 years ago, and they have since become wealthy from their oil sales and have spent billions and billions on their military. But their real leverage is their oil, and the Straits of Hormuz, and their ability to damage the economies of the West if a war is started. Which is exactly why they have to be dealt with swiftly and decisively, as in bombing their nuclear facilities to ashes. The longer Bush delays, the worse it gets. Just as he delays in closing our borders because he's a weak kneed liberal, he's dallying around with Iran.
That statement doesn't make much sense. Airstrikes on their nuclear facilities would surely start a war that would endanger shipping in the strait and oil production facilities throughout the gulf. Airstrikes will only be used as a last resort if all efforts at a diplomatic solution fail.
I haven't seen any statements by nuclear experts that Iran is months away from building nuclear weapons. All the expert analysis I've read indicates Iran is at least two years away from buidling nuclear weapons and probably more like 3-5 years away. The "one little step" that you mention (uranium enrichment to weapons grade) is the main challenge in building nuclear weapons and it requires very large processing facilities with thousands of centrifuges. Iran doesn't have such a large processing plant yet and they're not close. But it's critical that Iran doesn't build this kind of facility and you can be assured that the US will bomb this kind of facility (into rubble) as a last restort if necessary.
I've been hearing this "3 - 5 years away" projection for several years now. Iran has already produced enriched uranium, they have at least 164 centrifuges and claim they will have 3,000 before year's end. They say their goal is to have 54,000 centrifuges by 2008, and not many experts are denying this possibility.
I don't know about you, but for me 2 years is nothing, it will fly by and 2008 will be here before we know it. Then what? Why should we delay action while they produce more centrifuges, and get closer and closer to the bomb every day? And what's to guarantee that our intelligence is accurate? What if they have more centrifuges than they say and are even closer than we think? The scenario of an atomic Iran is far too dangerous a development to place our hopes on "negotiations". Waiting and debating until the last minute could prove to be disastrous.
OK...but now we have the little bastard starving his people in NK.....setting off missiles like soe crazy guy!! Of course he is crazy......he fell in love with madeline albright.
Sorry to disappoint you.
It would be lovely if you're right. Time will show us the answer.
I think they could just pay their social security tax and go home and get a job with good retirement benefits,if it's not too late. And only they would really know if it's already too late.
Does anyone know if anyone or any group is working on that?
little did we know last week(before the middle east blow up) that our conversation would become the conversation of many in this the century. sorry i bugged out. ISRAEL has every right to blow up their enemies in Lebanon.
...sorry that I don't recall the conversation, but yes. Israel doesn't have any other good choices that I know of. Israelis have to do something to stop from being attacked from two sides, and more bargaining in the Muslim bazaar ("land for peace" and the like) isn't the answer.
Ah...I see, after having reviewed the thread. Learning is one of the most respectable things that a person can do. If I've learned more in a day than the day before, I've had a good day.
To analyze the general situation regarding current movements and likely scenarios overseas, it helps to take frequent looks at a map of the Middle East and surrounding areas with friendly and enemy positions (with most of those available from the news) in mind. Steps of an overall plan have been carried out over th past few years. The plan becomes very apparent after a look at the map and an awareness of those positions (friendly positions in Iraq, Afghanistan, former Soviet states and other places, for a few examples). Possible near-future events (in Iran and Syria, for example) don't look as difficult after having that look, IMO.
"For a while it appeared that Iran was next on our dance card. However, North Korea and Venezuela have barged to the head of the line and demanded our attention. "
Iran is working very closely with N. Korea and Venezuela. My sense is that Iran wants it's allies to run interference for them while they finish their nuke development.
I can only imagine that N. Korea ios getting cheap oil for thier efforts and Hugo tha baboon wants a nuke or two.
"Bush will be remembered in history as one of the worst Presidents..because he did not stand up to the true source of terror in this world: Iran, "
I didn't hear the fat lady sing yet. Bush will be judged by what he did during his tenure, which I believe is still under way.
Condi is a big lib in case no one has noticed.
"I believe that if we mass our forces against them in a dramatic and awesome showdown then they will back down immediately and comply with the world's demands. "
I believe that we can demolish the government and military infrastructure of Iran in 48 to 72 hours with Naval and Air Force resources that are not currently being used in Iraq.
We don't need to bomb and rebuild. We just need to destroy this epicenter of terrorism.
Iran will not back down in a massive showdown becaues they know that they have the full support of the left wing (5th column) element, which includes most of the media, in every western country. They know this and they will use it as an opportunity to make leaders like President Bush look weak.
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