Posted on 09/25/2004 10:44:12 AM PDT by justme346
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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: 1.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. 2.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. 3.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. 4.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. 5.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. Chris Long |
Talk to Colin Powell...he's writing the checks to Yasser Issafat and condemning Israel the most...
BTTT
The rest will show their hand, take civil disobedience beyond acceptable limits and yes, meet their Waterloo. Both enemies without and within need be very worried...
Scary stuff, but less scary than Iranian mullahs and terrorists with workable nukes.
The mad mullahs are gambling on US-Israeli weakness, compassion and sensitivity.
They think we won't have the guts to commit mass murder of Iranian civilians to get rid of the Iranian nukes. I hope they are wrong.
Our virtue will no longer be allowed to be used against us. We aren't going to respect those that don't deserve it anymore...
Iran is pressing business. We may not have the luxury of time. Whatever. GW will do what has to be done.
How many boomers are in the vicinity? Surely one or two.
Israel has already warned the US they won't wait until that point, and our game plan until now has been to do what's necessary to keep Israel's hands clean. Besides, it's necessary that they know exactly whose boot is on their neck.
Iraqi elections are slated for January 20. Might be wrong, but I've seen that date mentioned. If we strike Iran before the election here, will we still have three debates? Hmmm.
Lock and load!!
Apologies, I was thinking about Afghanistan on another thread. January is correct...Iran will not have nuclear facilities to play with by the time of the Iraqi elections....the message to Iraqis will be clear and their comfort more complete. Dropping Iran like a bad habit will be the best thing that region and the world will appreciate us for since...beginning the liberation of Iraq!
I just do not think that there is the polictical will to strike Iran, the chances of igniting a world war by doing so is just to great. At best the resistance in the middle east would grow to more then the US could manage. A strike on Iran might very well result in a US defeat in the middle east. Far to risky until Iraq is a stable and pro west state.
Just an idea...
Is it possible the Israelis would try either sabotage or a large-scale commando raid?
I'm not sure of the latter because the Israelis probably won't wanna risk any of the soldiers getting captured.
OTOH, Israel is a country with its back againstb the wall and it will have to act. Maybe a large-scale commando raid would do the trick.
Opinions anyone?
Iran knows this, which is why Iran (and N.K) is going all out to develop nukes now. US planners, never thought Iraq would require such a large troop commitment. Thank G*d, the USN is not heavily engaged in Iraq and still free to preserve the peace in the Pacific.
Yes....but perhaps not without pause, I fear.
1. November election would be a factor.
2. Perceived U.S. intelligence 'failure' RE WMD in Iraq makes any Iran nuke claims more problimatic.
3. Enemies foreign & domestic will use item 2 to raise hell: "No proof of Iranian aggression..." "Iran has promised only peaceful use..."
Tough call for the President. Perhaps he has the discloseable intel to make the choice crystal clear.
I agree.
I believe Israel will deal with Iran, and the US will deal with North Korea.
Who has the link to the thread on the war gaming done RE taking out Iran nuke facilities? Things like Iran attempting to close Strait of Hormuz, disrupt world oil supply were duscussed.
I'll search for it too.
I am concerned that Iran has buried/hardened their key facilities so that only "burrowing" nukes will take them out with 100% reliability. I have no knowledge--just that little worry...
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