And I'm definitely NOT a war hawk. I fully understand that you don't expend blood and treasure unless it is absolutely necessary to protect our vital interests. It's just that this is THE time in history to git 'r done, with the Soviet Union out of the way once and for all.
Georgetown has little credibility with this subject. They have been in financial straits for a few years, now. They have recently accepted millions from Prince al-Walid Bin Talal, of Saudi Arabia for the construction of a Center for Christian/Muslim Understanding. This money is from the same individual that Giuliani waved off after Sept 11. Of course the Georgetown staff would like us to "consider other options." They're beholden to the guy, now.
Yes, force should be used (if it's not already too late).
The answer of course is because they are a terrorist nation run by a madman. If he has them, he will likely use them, therefore it is a necessity that he not have them.
The genocidal rhetoric coming of Iran makes it possession of nuclear weapons absolutely unacceptable. Consider, also, that Iran and many of the other Islamic countries already claim to be in a state of war against "The Zionist Entity."
If the UN and European nations can't band together to stop this latter day Hitler by any means necessary (fat chance) then the UN and its pretensions about "international law" and "collective security" are a joke we can no longer afford to humor.
I Corrected the Title
Should preemtive force be used?
Yes, but only by Liberal War Heroes led by Kerry, Kerry & Clark.
He who watches over Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Russia: Military Weekly Sees 'Explosive Consequences' of Iran Missile Deal
Report by Aleksandr Babakin and Vladimir Ivanov:
"Bombshell for Greater Middle East? Delivery of Surface-to-Air Missile Systems to Iran Threatens To Have Explosive Consequences"
Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye
Thursday, December 15, 2005
At the end of November a contract was signed between the Russian Federation and Iran on the delivery of a major consignment of Russian Tor M-1 surface-to-air missile systems. According to some information, the deal -- which has taken four years to prepare -- totals close to $1 billion. In line with the accords reached, 29 of the Izhevsk-manufactured ZRK (surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems) will be on alert status with Iran's PVO (air defense) troops before the end of 2009.
On the face of it -- another undoubted success for the Russian defense industry complex. 's experts, however, are pointing out that the contract may provide the impetus for a new spiral of the arms race in the Greater Middle East (Bolshoy Blizhniy Vostok), as this problem region is now referred to by the head of Russia's MID (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Sergey Lavrov. And it is by no means ruled out that the former chief protagonists of the Cold War era will play a most active part in the said process.
Moscow's Position
Speaking about the sale of the SAM systems to Iran, Mikhail Kamynin, official spokesman of the Russian Federation Foreign Ministry, emphasized that "all contracts being concluded in the military-technical field are fully in accordance with international obligations -- including in the nonproliferation sphere -- as well as being fully in accordance with Russian legislation." "All this also applies to the contract with Iran, which relates exclusively to defensive armaments," the diplomat explained.
The delivery of a major consignment of state-of-the-art SAM systems to Tehran has taken all the players on the world arms market completely by surprise. The agreement had been prepared in conditions of total secrecy. By all appearances, the regrettable experience of Moscow's attempted sale of operational-tactical systems to Damascus at the start of the year was taken into account. On that occasion, under pressure from Washington and Tel Aviv, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin was compelled to ban the export of Iskander-E OTK (operational-tactical systems) to Syria.
Meanwhile, according to certain information, Tehran is also seeking to get hold of S-300 medium- and long-range air defense missile systems. In combination with the Tor systems, they have the capability to keep Iran's skies firmly closed to a likely adversary's main offensive air weapons. Admittedly, as was told by an informed source at the Federal Agency for Industry, the air defense concern is currently not in a position to ensure delivery of S-300's to Iran. The only way to satisfy a possible order is to borrow from Russian Federation Armed Forces stockpiles. In that eventuality, the S-300's are handed over to industry for subsequent modernization.
Meanwhile, Reuters news agency is citing the words of one Western diplomat who is tracking the development of relations between Moscow and Tehran. He has stated that the arms deal that has been done is causing him serious concern. As the source emphasized, "For a long time now Russia has positioned itself as a peace broker between Iran and Western countries. And suddenly Moscow quite unexpectedly drops this bombshell. This makes no sense at all."
But Sergey Ivanov, vice premier and minister of defense of the Russian Federation, after confirming the signing of the contract with Tehran on the delivery of the SAM systems, was quick to point out that "this will definitely not mean a change in the regional balance of forces." "Any arms deliveries by Russia are conducted within the legislative framework and in accordance with international obligations," the head of Russia's military department stressed.
Certain of our own military experts totally disagree with the minister's opinion, believing that the delivery of such a large weapons consignment to the Greater Middle East region will inevitably entail an imbalance in the military potentials of states that are hostilely disposed toward one another. They maintain that, beyond any doubt, the United States and Israel will respond to this action by deploying additional combat weaponry. Tel Aviv and Washington will hardly resign themselves to the notion that Iran will be able to reliably ensure its own protection and remain unpunished if it attempts to undertake any hostile actions against Israel or other countries within the sphere of American interests.
Washington's Anger
People in the US capital have reacted extremely negatively to the Russian-Iranian contract. Thus, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli stated at a briefing that the sale of SAM missiles to Tehran does not meet Washington's interests in the Middle East. The official from America's foreign policy department specially emphasized that "Iran is a state that sponsors terrorism. It is involved in actions that we deem to be hostile and harmful," and the United States "views the proposed deal in precisely that context." That is why at this moment the United States is continuing "discussion of this topic with Russia."
Washington's anger, however, is explained not only by the above-cited reasons. The White House, it would appear, is furious that the Kremlin has twisted it around its little finger. The point is that US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, who visited Moscow 2 December, has declared that the issue of arms sales to Iran was raised at the Russian Foreign Ministry. By all appearances, however, the transatlantic guest knew nothing about the Tors. Furthermore, in an interview for the Ekho Moskvy radio station he noted the proximity of Washington's and Moscow's positions on Tehran's nuclear program. The fact of major arms sales to Iran that has now come to light is capable of giving a new twist to the tension in relations between the United States and Russia. Because, as Burns put it, "for the last 25 years Iran has been giving support to terrorists in the Middle East and in the United States." "For this reason our relations with that country are very bad," Condoleezza Rice's deputy stated. "You can understand why we do not support the sale of weapons to such a country," he emphasized.
Of course, one may recall here that in 2000 Russia left a secret agreement with the United States on restricting arms deliveries to Tehran. It had undertaken not to conclude contracts connected with the export of weapons and military hardware to Iran. In its turn, Washington promised Moscow assistance in gaining access to world markets for military technologies. But the sides failed to make good on their promises, and the treaty, known as the "Gore-Chernomyrdin protocol," was canceled.
At the same time, let us not forget either how the American Administration welcomed the "fruitful actions" by Russia during the discussion of Tehran's nuclear program. As Ereli expressed it, there is "good news concerning Russia's being a part of the international efforts aimed at bringing Iran into line with the wishes of the international community." And now -- like a bolt from the blue -- we have Russia's decision to sell SAM missiles to Iran...
Tel Aviv Is Furious
Immediately following the appearance in the press of the announcement of the Russian-Iranian contract on the SAM missile sale, the leadership of the Jewish state flew into a rage in the full meaning of the word. As the Israeli newspaper writes, the country's Foreign Ministry "damned this deal." Mark Regev, spokesman for Israel's foreign policy department, declared that "the Iranian regime is an extreme regime, it supports radical terrorist groupings and only recently declared its opposition to the establishment of peace and reconciliation in the Middle East." "When a certain country seeks to boost Iran's military potential, it is helping to reinforce the most negative forces in this region," the diplomat stressed.
Indeed, for Tel Aviv, Tehran is now Public Enemy No. 1. Speaking 1 December at an annual meeting of publishers at the Sokolov Center, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that Iran "represents a threat for Israel, for the countries of the Middle East, and for many other of the world's states." "This is why," Sharon pointed out, "other free countries that realize the existence of such a terrible danger must join with the United States, which is leading the efforts to resolve this problem."
He voiced the gloomy assessments of a specialist whom he described as "an anonymous intelligence source." The leader of the Israeli Government announced that, in the agent's opinion, Iran is a few months away from the point of no return with regard to its nuclear project (Iran nakhoditsya v neskolkikh mesyatsakh ot nevozmozhnosti vernutsya k svoyemu yadernomu proyektu). He stressed that neither Israel nor other countries can accept the prospect of the appearance of nuclear weapons in Tehran's hands and that Tel Aviv is prepared to use force. In the prime minister's words, Iran's enemies possess all the requisite "potential" for the use of force to halt Tehran's nuclear preparations, and he added: "Before resorting to force, however, everything possible must be done to compel Iran to halt this activity."
Sharon's words echoed an earlier statement by the chief of Israel's military intelligence, Major-General Aharon Zeevi. Maybe it was his opinion that was heard in the Israeli premier's speech. Addressing members of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the leader of the special service allowed himself to voice the following conclusion: "If by the end of 2006 (as published) the international community fails to ensure by diplomatic means the blocking of Iran's work to create a nuclear bomb, then there will subsequently be no grounds for continuing the efforts in this direction. And it will be possible to say that the international attempts to halt this have failed."
Some Israeli parliamentarians have perceived Gen. Zeevi's demarche as a hint that by April of next year the "Iran problem" may require a military solution. Yuval Steinitz, chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, has declared: "The comments by the head of military intelligence paint a grim, alarming, and somber picture." And he added: "Iran intends to become a nuclear power in its region, and the world is powerless to prevent this."
Incidentally, Israel conducted successful tests 2 December of the Arrow SAM missile system, which official spokesmen of the national Defense Ministry describe as "the answer to the growing threat of ballistic missile strikes in this region." A modernization program for the antimissiles is being implemented jointly by Israel and the United States. According to Israeli Defense Minister (as published) Yaakov Toran, "the tests carried out will permit a substantial increase in the TTKh (tactical-technical specifications) of this system and it will be able to resist any aerial threat."
The specifications of a mock-up of an enemy ballistic missile that was successfully destroyed by an antimissile launched from an Israeli air base located in the center of the country corresponded to the tactical-technical specifications of Iran's Shahab-3 missile, which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The mock-up was launched from a military airplane flying over the Mediterranean Sea.
Tehran's Responses
Commenting on the conclusion of the agreement to deliver Russian SAM systems to his country, Hamid-Reza Asefi, official spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Iran, pointed out, in particular: "Iran's cooperation with Russia in this sphere is fully in accordance with international legislation and world practice." He also ruled out the possibility of separate Iranian-American negotiations on the nuclear program and spoke about the undesirability of Washington's participation in the discussion of the said issue at the European Union level.
In all probability, the Iranian military had long ago already determined which installations Tehran is planning to protect using the Russian Tor systems. In light, however, of the statement by Ali al-Din Burujardi, the chairman of the Islamic Republic's Majles Committee for External Affairs and Defense, on the proposed construction of 20 nuclear reactors, which has been approved by the national Atomic Energy Agency, it is not ruled out that these will first of all be protected by Iran's air defense troops. The conclusion of the contract with Moscow becomes even more logical in light of the threats directed at Tehran by Tel Aviv.
And Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, announced 4 December in an interview for AFP that "Iran's patience is almost at an end" and work to enrich uranium at the Natanz nuclear facility may be resumed within a few months. In the secretary's words, "the forthcoming topic of negotiations with the Europeans on Iran's nuclear program will be the creation in Iran of nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes and nothing further will be discussed." At the same time, Ali Larijani emphasized that "Iran is not seeking to possess nuclear weapons," but it has the legitimate right to develop nuclear energy.
From the Files
The Tor M-1 surface-to-air missile system is manufactured by the Izhevskiy Elektromekhanicheskiy Zavod Kupol (Izhevsk Kupol Electrical Engineering Plant) FGUP (Federal State Unitary Enterprise). It is capable of the simultaneous detection and identification of up to 48 targets and of tracking and attacking two targets at once flying at altitudes of from 20 to 6,000 meters at a radius of from 1 to 12 km. The system is designed to protect important administrative, economic, and military installations and the forward echelons of ground formations against strikes by antiradar and cruise missiles, remotely piloted vehicles, glide bombs, and aircraft and helicopters, including those employing stealth technology.
The S-300 surface-to-air systems are manufactured by the Kontsern PVO Almaz-Antey (Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern). They can engage up to six targets and hit aircraft and helicopters at distances of from 3 to 200 km. Ballistic missiles can be destroyed at a radius of from 5 to 40 km.
(Description of Source: Moscow Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye in Russian -- Weekly independent military newspaper published by Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
First, we need to give some very heavy duty aid to the Iranian opposition.
If that doesn't work, we may have to nuke 'em.
Should Force be used. YES!
This is insane. These effete cretins think that the appropriate, civilized, sensible course of action would be to delay any military response against Iran until it is almost too late. They want to PLAY CHICKEN WITH ARMAGEDDON.
We have a very brief window of opportunity to limit the supply of nuclear weapons that will be available to future terrorists. Neither North Korea nor Iran should be permitted to realize their nuclear ambitions. Either we destroy some buildings now, or we will watch millions of people be destroyed in the future.
I would say yes, Military force should be overtly threatened by Europe and carried out if the Mullahs do not respond. We should let Europe lead the way and we should clear the way with air power. I don't think (politically or militarily) we are ready to take on another ground offensive.
24 empty missile tubes it's miller time
Yes.
Yes.