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Tehran plans a nuclear weapons test before March 20, 2006 – the Iranian New Year
DEBKAfile ^ | January 22, 2006, 9:30 AM (GMT+02:00)

Posted on 01/22/2006 2:57:22 PM PST by strategofr

Tehran plans a nuclear weapons test before March 20, 2006 – the Iranian New Year, moves Shahab-3 missiles within striking range of Israel. Reporting this, the dissident Foundation for Democracy in Iran, a US-based watch group, cites sources in the US and Iran. The FDI adds from Iran: on June 16, the high command of the Revolutionary Guards Air Force ordered Shahab-3 missile units to move mobile launchers every 24 hours instead of weekly. This is in view of a potential pre-emptive strike by the US or Israel.

Advance Shahab-3 units have been positioned in Kermanshah and Hamad within striking distance of Israel, reserve launchers moved to Esfahan and Fars.

The missile units were told to change positions “in a radius of 30-35 kilometers” and only at night.

DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources add: FDI reporting has a reputation for credibility. Western and Israeli intelligence have known for more than six months that Iran’s nuclear program has reached the capability of being able to carry out a nuclear explosion, albeit underground. It would probably be staged in a desert or mountain region and activated by a distant control center. Tehran would aim at confronting the Americans, Europeans and Israelis with an irreversible situation.

At the same time, an explosion of this sort would indicate that Iran is not yet able to produce a nuclear bomb that can be delivered by airplane or a warhead adapted to a missile. The stage Iran has reached is comparable to Pakistan’s when it conducted its first nuclear tests in the nineties and North Korea’s in 2001. All the same, an Iranian underground nuclear blast, which will most probably be attempted on March 22, would turn around the strategic position of all the parties concerned and the Middle East as whole.

The question now is: will the United States, Israel or both deliver a pre-emptive strike ahead of the Iranian underground test - or later? Or will Washington alternatively use the event to bring the UN Security Council round to economic sanctions? Tehran is already organizing to withstand economic penalties. For Israel, the timing is getting tight in view of its general election on March 28. Acting prime minister Ehud Olmert must take into account that a ruling party which allows an Iranian nuclear explosion to take place six days before the poll would draw painful punishment from the voter.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel
KEYWORDS: 4hype; airstrikes; alreadyinbreaking; debka; elections; iran; irannukes; missiles; norooz; nuclearweapon; preemption; shahab3; testing
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To: strategofr

I dont look for this to happen. If Tehran does an underground test of a nuclear device it makes them outright liars, It states in no uncertain terms that they arent looking for Nuclear energy, but nuclear war. It would send a message to all that Iran has become to dangerous to be allowed to exist as it is now.

I believe an underground explosion of a nuclear test would force the rest of the world to take Iran by force .I think even France and Germany at that point would stop waving the white flags.


21 posted on 01/22/2006 3:35:15 PM PST by sgtbono2002
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To: strategofr

Iran can't test a nuke that soon.

Won't happen.

22 posted on 01/22/2006 3:36:04 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Steveone

They already have them courtesy of Pakistan and/or North Korea.


23 posted on 01/22/2006 3:36:18 PM PST by jimbo123
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To: DainBramage

Well, that's the supposed theory for the date.


24 posted on 01/22/2006 3:37:13 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: Dog Gone

Gravy is good on hats, I've had it.


25 posted on 01/22/2006 3:41:45 PM PST by DainBramage
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To: jimbo123

Agreed!


26 posted on 01/22/2006 3:43:49 PM PST by Steveone (Liberalism is a brain tumor!)
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To: DainBramage

I hope I don't find out firsthand.


27 posted on 01/22/2006 3:44:08 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: lexington minuteman 1775

"DEBKA is not always reliable."

ROFL!

Now that Debka says it, I can rest easy knowing it WONT happen.


28 posted on 01/22/2006 4:01:15 PM PST by WOSG (http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/)
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To: sgtbono2002
I believe an underground explosion of a nuclear test would force the rest of the world to take Iran by force.

Iran's first test of Nuclear Weapon will be a "live" test over Israel....

Iran knows they have one chance to take out the bulk of Israels response. The Muslim plan is that there are more Muslims than Jews, and we already know that they consider martyrdom for "the cause" to be acceptable ... even if it isnt voluntary.

29 posted on 01/22/2006 4:08:58 PM PST by Optimist (I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here.)
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To: strategofr

Seems like we should drop a nuke on them on March 22 from about 40,000 feet and say "Holy Cow.... I can't believe they attempted an above ground detonation!"


30 posted on 01/22/2006 4:14:48 PM PST by kjam22
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To: strategofr

Well I was wondering if there might be any truth to this rumor, and was suspicious it wasn't true ( the setting of a hard date that is ).

But then I saw it in Debka.............


31 posted on 01/22/2006 4:33:23 PM PST by festus (The constitution may be flawed but its a whole lot better than what we have now.)
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To: Cobra64

;Eye red it two.

LOL. Were u edumakated in the publik skuls two ?


32 posted on 01/22/2006 4:34:44 PM PST by festus (The constitution may be flawed but its a whole lot better than what we have now.)
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To: strategofr
The question now is: will the United States, Israel or both deliver a pre-emptive strike ahead of the Iranian underground test - or later?

Is U.S. sponsored assassination still illegal?

33 posted on 01/22/2006 4:39:12 PM PST by F16Fighter
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To: strategofr

It appears that the extremist Muslim plan is to nuke Israel. If I was Israeli, it would never happen.


34 posted on 01/22/2006 4:42:45 PM PST by popdonnelly
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To: DainBramage

"But why the 20th"

Iranian new year, apparently


35 posted on 01/22/2006 4:57:53 PM PST by strategofr (Hillary stole 1000+ secret FBI files on DC movers & shakers, Hillary's Secret War, Poe, p. xiv)
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To: DainBramage

"elections?"

Israeli


36 posted on 01/22/2006 4:58:26 PM PST by strategofr (Hillary stole 1000+ secret FBI files on DC movers & shakers, Hillary's Secret War, Poe, p. xiv)
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To: F16Fighter

" Is U.S. sponsored assassination still illegal?"

no.


37 posted on 01/22/2006 4:58:53 PM PST by strategofr (Hillary stole 1000+ secret FBI files on DC movers & shakers, Hillary's Secret War, Poe, p. xiv)
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To: Optimist

"Iran's first test of Nuclear Weapon will be a "live" test over Israel...."

not practical. expertise must first be developed.


38 posted on 01/22/2006 5:00:28 PM PST by strategofr (Hillary stole 1000+ secret FBI files on DC movers & shakers, Hillary's Secret War, Poe, p. xiv)
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To: Southack

"Iran can't test a nuke that soon.

Won't happen."

How do you know?


39 posted on 01/22/2006 5:01:12 PM PST by strategofr (Hillary stole 1000+ secret FBI files on DC movers & shakers, Hillary's Secret War, Poe, p. xiv)
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To: strategofr
North Korea’s in 2001

Did I miss something?

40 posted on 01/22/2006 5:02:32 PM PST by Eagles6 (Dig deeper, more ammo.)
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