Posted on 10/04/2005 3:12:52 PM PDT by Flavius
Damascus: Iran's parliament speaker on Sunday warned
Damascus: Iran's parliament speaker on Sunday warned Israel against any attempt to attack its nuclear facilities, and promised to "teach it a lesson" if it did.
"If Israel does something stupid and attacks our nuclear facilities like it did in Iraq, we promise to teach it a lesson it will never forget," Gholam Ali Hadad-Adel said after talks with his Syrian counterpart in Damascus.
He was referring to a 1981 strike by Israel against the Osiraq nuclear reactor in Iraq, which the Jewish state suspected of developing atomic weapons.
"We will not give in," Hadad Adel said, citing the "right" of all countries to use nuclear energy for civilian energy purposes under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In an escalating crisis over Iran's nuclear ambitions, Tehran has rejected proposals that it abandon fuel cycle technology in return for incentives and has resumed uranium conversion work in defiance of a suspension agreement with Britain, France and Germany.
Iran insists its activities are peaceful but faces accusations it is developing nuclear energy as a cover for a weapons programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency last month adopted a resolution that found Iran in "non-compliance" with nuclear proliferation safeguards -- an automatic trigger for taking the matter to the Security Council.
Iran threatened Tuesday to retaliate by blocking tough inspections of its nuclear sites and resuming uranium enrichment activities.
Israel, which has long warned against Iran's nuclear ambitions, has not signed the NPT and is believed to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East, though it neither confirms nor denies reports that it has about 200 nuclear warheads.
Since Saddam Hussein's regime was ousted from Iraq in April 2003, Israel has viewed Iran as it prime enemy in the region.
They are more apt to learn a lesson and be overthrown by the people!!!
I wonder if they have any idea how funny they are?
Almost sounds like a double-dare :-)
Lets see, what is the name of their new reactors? Osiraq II? Or maybe Osiran. Its just too bad that the guy who took out Osiraq was aboard the Columbia, it would be too neat to watch him light up another.
If we step back from all the left wing clatter there isn't much oposition left in teh Middle east except Iran and Syria. I'm not saying it will be easy, but finish the job. Iran is buying time to go nuclear and they will share the technology and radicalize the other countries of the region.
Sounds like the Iraq war started twenty years before 9/11.
This is nothing to joke about. Israel could stop them, sure. But then Iran would REALLY start funding and arming the Palestinian terrorists, give Hezbollah a go-ahead for more attacks, and maybe even lobbing a few missiles. Plus, Shiites around the world will be even more steamed and hateful towards Israel, if possible. And most Sunnis in the region will use any excuse to beat or insult Israel.
Great situation.
Ideally, Germany or France could take care of this and prove they aren't useless, wankers and that all they do is talk. It would help out the world, prove America isn't always in the wrong, that they aren't little pussies, and build Western solidarity. Realistically, all they are going to do is talk about. And write letters about how 'disappointed' and 'concerned' they are with Iran.
And Israel has the military capability to stop all that cold. It's we who are restraining them. That's the only thing in the way of them from putting a stop to all this nonsense.
Iran has sworn to wipe Israel off the planet, but if Israel tries to prevent it, Iran will "teach it (Israel) a lesson."
" But then Iran would REALLY start funding and arming the Palestinian terrorists, give Hezbollah a go-ahead for more attacks, ..."
Which proves a truth, to wit: Shrink from giving the war-like what they so desire and you NEVER stop having to deal with them. This world is so long overdue for a good, cathartic war that it isn't even funny.
And it WILL come. THEY will see to that.
At that point though it won't be on OUR terms.
And that would be fundamentally-different from the situation between 1947 and now how?
Ideally, Germany or France could take care of this and prove they aren't useless, wankers and that all they do is talk. It would help out the world, prove America isn't always in the wrong, that they aren't little pussies, and build Western solidarity. Realistically, all they are going to do is talk about. And write letters about how 'disappointed' and 'concerned' they are with Iran.
I posit that Iran getting the Bomb is exactly what France and Germany want. They just hope that they're the last sheep standing.
In the last 12 months Israel has used her "military aid" package from the USA to acquire approximately 500 of our most advanced (guided) "bunker buster" bombs - and given the price tag I truly doubt that the Israeli govt' or Air Force plans to use them as mere dust collectors or paper weights.
Think in terms of geopolitics, and realpolitik.
In the first, Israel is a relatively distant target (given Iranian capabilities). Even though Iran is relatively technologically advanced for the region (at least militarily), it does not have what could be called a cutting edge military. By this I mean, it's long, and even medium range military projection capabilities are extremely limited.
Assume that I'm right, for the sake of argument. Why is this important? Iran's economy is not particularly advanced, beside its oil. And its production capabilities for cutting edge weaponry (I'm thinking mainly here in terms of missiles, and to a lesser extent jet fighter/bombers) are limited, though far-from non-existent. This in turn means that a serious open attack on Israel would be a huge, and visible economic burden. Plus, it is known that Israel is a military power, and though due to its size has a limited production capability, its economy is amongst the most cutting edge in the world (in fact Israel has one of the most important high-tech industries in the world).
Given that, it would be an investment (if you can call it that) of vast amounts of miliitary and financial capital if Iran were to attack Israel openly. And indirectly, political capital as well. That money could have gone to other places. Plus, if Iran attacks first, very few people, even other Arab or Muslim countries, could openly side with it.
Secondly, too tough an attack (say a biological or chemical attack, which is certainly within Iranian capabilities), and you pretty much guarantee a fullout attack from Israel in retaliation, if not the U.S., Britain and likely even European countries.
Therefore, in order to make an open attack (like a missile attack) realistic, they would need a provocation. Don't they they don't want to do it, but they aren't stupid. An attack by Israel on the nuclear reactors (which they probably knew they weren't going to get away with anyways) would be a perfect excuse.
Secondly, it would give them an open hand to join with the Sunnis openly. They can't do that now, because it would invalidate their own religious position, and that is unacceptable in the current circumstances, given that they are a Shiite theocracy and unacceptable to Sunni, esp. Sunni fundamentalists, for similar reasons. BUT, and this is a big but, if Israel attacks them, and they were going to (wink wink nudge nudge) of course give all their Muslim brothers the gift of nuclear power, then that is an honorable out. Then the fundamentalist Muslims can join together, ignore that they are massacring each other in Iraq, and launch a holy religious-political total war jyhad against Israel.
And in this conflict, everything would be acceptable. "We were making such progress, but Israel, dastardly villains that they are, held us back. Waaaah! Waaah! Death to Israel! Every dead Allah is a dead infidel is a dead enemy of Allah! We will drive them into the sea! [insert passages from the Koran about massacring Jews here].
This being the case, they can freely offer good arms to the Palestinian terrorists (rather than selling as they have done in the past). After all, the Palestinian terrorists will do the dying for them. Hell, maybe they send an agent or two to train or direct them and make them more effective. Secondly, since it's a total war, and the terrorists have a free hand since they are terrorists and operate with no constraints, Iran could slip them WMDs. Bingoo bango, no way Europeans or the U.N. (yeah, right) could respond against Iran in force.
Plus, all the Muslim countries would then offer declarations of solidarity, provided they did not have to do anything but act obnoxious, and since America is busy elsewhere, short of a huge (thousands dead) single attack, their hands would be tied by Iraq, and the liberals and dealing the U.N. and domestic issues, etc. etc.
See?
Bad situation. Entirely plausible, though.
Think in terms of geopolitics, and realpolitik.
In the first, Israel is a relatively distant target (given Iranian capabilities). Even though Iran is relatively technologically advanced for the region (at least militarily), it does not have what could be called a cutting edge military. By this I mean, it's long, and even medium range military projection capabilities are extremely limited.
Assume that I'm right, for the sake of argument. Why is this important? Iran's economy is not particularly advanced, beside its oil. And its production capabilities for cutting edge weaponry (I'm thinking mainly here in terms of missiles, and to a lesser extent jet fighter/bombers) are limited, though far-from non-existent. This in turn means that a serious open attack on Israel would be a huge, and visible economic burden. Plus, it is known that Israel is a military power, and though due to its size has a limited production capability, its economy is amongst the most cutting edge in the world (in fact Israel has one of the most important high-tech industries in the world).
Given that, it would be an investment (if you can call it that) of vast amounts of miliitary and financial capital if Iran were to attack Israel openly. And indirectly, political capital as well. That money could have gone to other places. Plus, if Iran attacks first, very few people, even other Arab or Muslim countries, could openly side with it.
Secondly, too tough an attack (say a biological or chemical attack, which is certainly within Iranian capabilities), and you pretty much guarantee a fullout attack from Israel in retaliation, if not the U.S., Britain and likely even European countries.
Therefore, in order to make an open attack (like a missile attack) realistic, they would need a provocation. Don't they they don't want to do it, but they aren't stupid. An attack by Israel on the nuclear reactors (which they probably knew they weren't going to get away with anyways) would be a perfect excuse.
Secondly, it would give them an open hand to join with the Sunnis openly. They can't do that now, because it would invalidate their own religious position, and that is unacceptable in the current circumstances, given that they are a Shiite theocracy and unacceptable to Sunni, esp. Sunni fundamentalists, for similar reasons. BUT, and this is a big but, if Israel attacks them, and they were going to (wink wink nudge nudge) of course give all their Muslim brothers the gift of nuclear power, then that is an honorable out. Then the fundamentalist Muslims can join together, ignore that they are massacring each other in Iraq, and launch a holy religious-political total war jyhad against Israel.
And in this conflict, everything would be acceptable. "We were making such progress, but Israel, dastardly villains that they are, held us back. Waaaah! Waaah! Death to Israel! Every dead Allah is a dead infidel is a dead enemy of Allah! We will drive them into the sea! [insert passages from the Koran about massacring Jews here].
This being the case, they can freely offer good arms to the Palestinian terrorists (rather than selling as they have done in the past). After all, the Palestinian terrorists will do the dying for them. Hell, maybe they send an agent or two to train or direct them and make them more effective. Secondly, since it's a total war, and the terrorists have a free hand since they are terrorists and operate with no constraints, Iran could slip them WMDs. Bingoo bango, no way Europeans or the U.N. (yeah, right) could respond against Iran in force.
Plus, all the Muslim countries would then offer declarations of solidarity, provided they did not have to do anything but act obnoxious, and since America is busy elsewhere, short of a huge (thousands dead) single attack, their hands would be tied by Iraq, and the liberals and dealing the U.N. and domestic issues, etc. etc.
See?
Bad situation. Entirely plausible, though.
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