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"I don't think that Israel bought hundreds of bunker busters from us just to start a bunker buster collection."

They've got some capabilities. But having 60 or 70 fighter-bombers that can reach Iran is likely not sufficient for the job at hand. The pesky thing about bunkers is that you can't see through them so even if you can bust your way in there, you have no idea whether there are actual weapons there or decoys.

They could, however, easily take out the nuclear reactor at Beshehr, thereby greatly hindering if not eliminating Iran's plutonium enrichment program. But I'm not at all optimistic about their ability to do the same with regard to their uranium enrichment program- thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges that could be spread out who knows where don't exactly make an easy target.

They need to add military C-and-C and the heads of the Iranian government to the target list. If they pick off Al-Muhahaha or whatever his name is, and half the Supremely Crazy Cleric Council, it could cut the head off the snake and make future Islamic governments think twice about f-ing with Israel. And we owe them one as well - so I personally hope there will be a trilateral attack, with the US, UK, and Israel flying side-by-side.

I would assume that an attack by Israel would be as a last resort, and for national survival. Their military is intelligent and top rate. I would assume that every asset, from commandos to F-16s to missiles would be used. I really believe that they would succeed, because they will be deadly serious, and failure is not an option. Plus both of our militaries have ties in many ways, and if Israel were to pull off an operation like this, I believe we will be opening some doors for them.

Not long ago they had over 600 fixed wing combat aircraft, they can hit harder than you imagine. They also have significant midair refueling capability (and we will add to that one night soon). I agree that the centrifuges are dispersed, going after the entire program is their only real shot at slowing/stopping the program. They will be hitting dozens of targets all across Iran, we will stay at a distance, as will any other western countries, in order to avoid an Arab oil embargo. I'm guessing that followup strikes will be required down the road, perhaps repeatedly. Iran my become as isolated as was Saddam 5 years ago. Hopefully after an initial rally behind the government, the good people of Iran will slit a million or so throats and get rid of the Mullahs permanently.

Altair333 writes:
They've got some capabilities. But having 60 or 70 fighter-bombers that can reach Iran is likely not sufficient for the job at hand. The pesky thing about bunkers is that you can't see through them so even if you can bust your way in there, you have no idea whether there are actual weapons there or decoys.
They could, however, easily take out the nuclear reactor at Beshehr, thereby greatly hindering if not eliminating Iran's plutonium enrichment program. But I'm not at all optimistic about their ability to do the same with regard to their uranium enrichment program- thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges that could be spread out who knows where don't exactly make an easy target.

Bombing a few targets _is not_ going to clean up the problem in Iran. It may slow them down in achieving their objectives, _if_ we take out all the _right_ targets, and _if_ they don't have secret duplicate facilities.

The only solution is to go in with boots on the ground, and clean that place up once and for all: depose the mullahs, search-and-destroy ALL of their nuclear infrastructure, and impose a democracy, Iraq-style.

Anything less than that, and it will only a matter of time before their nuke program is restarted, with a vengeance.

- John

But I'm not at all optimistic about their ability to do the same with regard to their uranium enrichment program- thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges that could be spread out who knows where don't exactly make an easy target.

From what I've read [no link] they've built underground bunkers for their enrichment program in highly populated areas.