It's the big one Elizabeth !
Posted on 09/24/2004 9:46:05 AM PDT by CHARLITE
The recent announcement of a deal for Israel to acquire thousands of Precision-Guided-Munitions (PGM) went largely unheralded by Elite-Media, who mostly yawned and ho-hummed the sale. One source, the Seattle Post Intelligencer did little more than the intellectually lazy approach, recycling an AP report but the numbers in the report were very telling: 3000 2000-pound laser-guided bombs, 1000 1000-pound laser-guided bombs and 500 500-pound precision-guided bombs.
The most important number noted above is the huge number of 2000-pound PGM’s – these are heavy, penetrating munitions needed to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. The PGM’s also have a satellite-targeting option allowing the attacking aircraft to ‘stand off’ great distances and lob the bombs to the general area of the target with the terminal phase of the bomb’s path being guided by satellite.
In case you haven’t realized the fact: the Iranian nuclear enrichment program will soon dramatically affect your life and the lives of countless millions in other nations. A massive showdown is coming over Iranian enrichment of used nuclear reactor fuel that will draw many more countries into the fray in the Persian Gulf. The Iranian nuclear weapons program is a huge, robust operation that gets little play in the mainstream media. It is the program of a country determined to be a major nuclear power.
There are a total of five Iranian nuclear facilities the Israelis will have to strike to assure the elimination of Iran as a nuclear threat for the future:
Tehran – Tehran is the command and coordinating center for the Iranian nuclear program, with the offices being located in a suburb to assure civilian deaths and what the media loves to tout as “collateral damage”. Precision strikes on the program offices, which include a missile program, should keep civilian deaths low. But the Iranians may cluster civilians around the suburban target if the government thinks an air strike is imminent. The facility includes a research reactor, radio-isotope production unit and multi-purpose laboratories. Arak – Heavy water production is centered in Arak. Heavy water is used to moderate nuclear fission in reactors. Large amounts of power are required to produce heavy water and the reactors supplying that power will need to be bombed. Natanz (not shown on map) – A facility containing gas centrifuges 200 miles south of Tehran and Northeast of Isfahan. Gas centrifuges separate and enrich uranium that has been gasified, resulting in a highly-enriched, bomb-grade product. This is the last step to obtain material for a nuclear weapon. Bushehr – A 1000-megawatt reactor on the Persian Gulf coast built by the Russians under contract. This reactor should have started by now. The used fuel from the Bushehr reactor will provide Uranium for many, many bombs and missiles. Isfahan – Containing a variety of reactors and Uranium conversion facilities, the Isfahan facility is a sprawling complex. Most Americans fail to realize the enormity of the Iranian weapons program due to the failings of the media, although pictures and surveillance photographs of the facilities are readily available.
Any Israeli strike will of necessity be massive, employing squadrons of F-15’s and F-16’s escorted by electronic-warfare radar-jamming aircraft to blind Iranian air defense radar. While the Israeli air strike on the Iraqi French-built Osirak reactor in 1981 was a relatively brief in-and-out affair the air strikes into Iran will be sustained and intense, with many dozens of mostly 2000-pound PGM’s being used to pulverize reactors, gas centrifuges, heavy water production and support facilities. A thorough job is required as the likelihood of catching the Iranians unaware a few years later is small. Iranian air defenses vary from good to bad to inconsequential. The biggest threat will from salvos of anti-aircraft missiles that may actually get lucky occasionally and succeed in downing an attacking aircraft.
American complicity is required for any strike to be successful; indeed, American participation may even be in the works. Israel may not possess adequate fuel tanker aircraft to refuel the strike groups returning to Israel and U.S. Air Force tankers will likely be needed. If U.S. Air Force aircraft join the assault the numbers will be adequate to systematically pulverize Iranian facilities to such an extent that resurrection of the program would not be feasible. Areas contaminated by uranium will be small and limited to the immediate sites although Iran may be willing to expend thousands of lives trying to recover nuclear material from the rubble for sale to terrorists groups for the construction of ‘dirty bombs’ for revenge.
Iranian protests that the nuclear program is “peaceful” and for electrical generation alone is a patently ridiculous statement for a country able to easily build many oil-fired power plants cheaply. Iran has adequate oil to run electrical plants at a far lower cost than nuclear reactors for many years. There is much information available on the Worldwide Web on this topic but mainstream media’s attention-span on the topic is practically non-existent, likely seen as a “boring” topic, those pesky descriptions of reactors and bombers etc. not suited for prime time. It will be a prime-time event, spanning days of 24/7 coverage, mostly by talking heads, who know little of the subject.
Neither the United States, Israel or many other countries intend on allowing the Iranian nuclear weapons program to succeed and will unhesitatingly widen the current war to deprive Iran of it’s imminent acquisition of nuclear weapons.
About the Writer: Chris Long is a life-long devotee of history, strategic affairs, military history, and geopolitics. He lives in Georgia and is employed as a computer systems analyst .
I wonder how many sorties they will fly against the nuclear facilities alone? 2,000 lber after 2,000 lber after 2,000 lber in the same location will eventually get the job done, regardless the bunker...
Why the heck are they doing that....
What do you think the surprise is?
I hope you're right. We need to greatly increase the 'end game' in defeating our enemies. I believe Bush will do what needs to be done, but I don't put my faith in it. The 'election' excuse will be over soon and he will be a lame duck. America is wide open for death and destruction by our enemies right now. It would be much worse if algore had won or if kerry wins...much, much, much worse.
"ISRAEL ARMING TO STRIKE IRAN"
Sometimes $h!t happens! So, who ya gonna call?
BUNKER BUSTERS!
It will be us; not Israel. They cannot afford the fallout which would come. We held them off in the first Gulf war, while Scuds were falling around them. As much as they wanted to retaliate, we would not permit them. We can count on their IDF however, and their specialf forces to help us behind the scenes.
"Buy lots of ammo, too." What kind? Whatever goes into the firearm you own, of course. I don't think ready.gov has any advice that would help us know how much ammo to buy. We can try to prepare, but beyond what we can infer from their suggestion that you "Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person," I don't know.
There is a chance that civil unrest might occur before local authorities can take charge. Most community safety training experts stress that fact. I would want to be able to defend my own home (and neighbors) for several days under those circumstances.
The question is worth raising rhetorically: what are we as individually armed citizens? Aren't we in effect deterrents against such unrest? By remaining armed as a community, we promote stability. Perhaps because we are armed, there will be no such trouble. That is my hope. I have no desire to fulfill these duties to their most grim extent. But I believe we should all be prepared. If worse comes to worst, our families and neighbors will appreciate the fact that we planned ahead.
This is what the second amendment is all about!
Your friend is likely right.
Israel will never allow such a threat to exist. They didn't in 1981 and they won't now.
I guess the question is: Which way are the Israelis gonna carry this out?
From what I've read over the years, the Israelis have many assets in Arab countries. They had people watching Osirak for months before the actual raid.
Part of me tends to believe that the Israelis would try a large-scale commando raid or would make an effort to destroy the reactors via sabotage.
A large-scale commando raid risks leaving Israelis being captured while in Iran but the risks are large enough that I think Israel would do if they had to.
Any clues to this in Bush's UN address??
But are you overlooking the fact that they suffer from a common debilitating disease, i.e., Islam?
Are you kidding? If Kerry gets in, he'll phone Tehran and tell the Mullahs exactly when the Israelis are coming!
Once a betrayer, always a betrayer.
--Boot Hill
“It is tough to play brinksmanship with those who do not recognize the brink.”
How then do you explain Israel buying.....
3000 2000-pound laser-guided bombs,
1000 1000-pound laser-guided bombs and
500 500-pound precision-guided bombs.
For $139 Million.
And as the article states...
The most important number noted above is the huge number of 2000-pound PGM’s – these are heavy, penetrating munitions needed to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.
in case you missed this article
Thanks. Weighed in at 101 and 104...
Go for it
Osama failed! He did not create the expected uprising of the Islamic front. Do the Mullahs of Iran believe that they can instigate a provocation by inviting attack?
Regardless, Israel must act, with expedient demise.
Atos
(Iraqi) WMD storage bunkers in Syria?
Thanks!
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