Posted on 02/01/2005 5:45:46 PM PST by blam
Rumsfeld backs nuclear bunker bomb to hit Iran atom sites
By Francis Harris in Washington
(Filed: 02/02/2005)
The Pentagon wants to revive a controversial programme to build nuclear warheads capable of penetrating hardened underground targets such as Iran's covert nuclear facilities.
A leaked memo from Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, to the energy department proposed funding for the scheme to begin next year. "You can count on my support for your efforts to revitalise the nuclear weapons infrastructure and to complete the RNEP (robust nuclear earth penetrator) study," Mr Rumsfeld wrote in a memo seen by the Washington Post.
The leak seems certain to trigger a major row with Congress, which eliminated the scheme from the budget last year.
That decision was made at the behest of Republican legislators angered by estimates suggesting the programme would cost more than $500 million (£265 million). The Bush administration has long emphasised that the scheme is merely a question of research and that Congress would have to approve the production of such weapons.
Democrats too were outraged, arguing that programmes to improve nuclear weapons made their use more likely and undermined US efforts to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in other countries. The Arms Control Association, a pressure group which has opposed the bunker-buster scheme, said: "The administration is missing a key opportunity to make good on the congressional decision last year... it sends the wrong signal to the international community on the US approach on non-proliferation."
The US military has been studying bunker-busting weapons with renewed vigour since the September 11 attacks.
Osama bin Laden is believed to favour underground caves as a hiding place and used the Tora Bora network in the mountains of Afghanistan when he fled US-led forces in late 2001.
At the time, the Americans used the so-called Daisy Cutter, at 15,000lb the world's largest conventional bomb but still a thousand time less powerful than the weapon used at Hiroshima.
That has turned military minds back to the nuclear options, not least because the American military may one day be asked to launch raids against Iranian facilities.
The Americans believe the Iranians are working on building nuclear warheads despite Teheran's denials. The Islamic regime is also working on medium-range missiles capable of reaching Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and US forces in the Middle East.
Other longer-range missiles capable of reaching Europe are also being developed, the Americans believe.
GO
Yep, Rummy has my backing. Parley
I reiterate... GO...
Does Britain have a newspaper that *isn't* a mere tabloid?
There is no reaspon why we shouldn't have them already
reaspon = reason
The Bush administration has long emphasised that the scheme is merely a question of research and that Congress would have to approve the production of such weapons.
Where have I heard that word before,hmmm,anybody,hmmm.
Thank God Bush didn't dump Rumsfeld. With him still here and Rice on board we can all sleep better at night.
You're absolutely right and I disappointed to hear that we don't. We're getting danger close over there and preemption seems like the best course of action.
mc
I'd like to hear of another such leak to the effect of: "We're gonna bomb the sh*t out of them if they don't comply."
What makes you think they'd read it if they they did?
Hell, just nuke Tehran.
Rummy is no dummy.
Hopefully this will lead to the resumption of nuclear tests at the NTS. Testing is the only way to ensure the safety of our stockpiles and we haven't done a nuclear test since Sept. 1992.
Hmmm...maybe some Iranian whackos may not be sleeping well at night now...nice move by Rummy...let's put these guys on tilt and keep them guessing. If it does come, my guess it will be a joint Israeli-US hit that will leave those weapon-fat whackos in Iran with something to think about other than running insurgents into Iraq...
I am getting sick of so many leaks coming out of all these different departments. Whoever is leaking these things are doing so because they want to stop them. They need to find these people and start punishing them.
You are right. We should have had them by now.
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