The fact that no one can (or is willing) to talk about it probably does not bode well. Hope I am wrong, but I have a bad feeling on this
“I think your bad feelings are justified. The last threat came from Khameini, not Ahmadinejehad. That’s significant. I don’t know what they have in mind but I feel pretty certain that it isn’t all bluster.”
I think it is significant that Obama pulled out of attending the Opening ceremony at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C. very late in the game. Forty other heads of state and other high-ranking government dignitaries (like secretaries of state and cabinet members/ministers) are still slated to attend the event. Also, it is potentially significant that for the first time ever, the Opening ceremony is being conducted indoors.
Perhaps the Olympics themselves are not the “Western Powers” target, after all Vancouver is only 30 miles north of the U.S. border at Washington state. There is a large volume increase in visitors going both directions at U.S.-Canadian border stations that are proximal to Vancouver.
Perhaps of significance is the fact that the only nuclear plant in the Pacific northwest is located in Washington state. It is called the Hanford Nuclear facility. The following is some information about the Hanford Nuclear facility.
“The Hanford Nuclear Facility located in southeast Washington state was opened just after the end of World War II. The purpose of the facility was to enrich plutonium used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons and bombs. The plant was run by the government for 45 years in secrecy.”
http://www.whistleblower.org/template/page.cfm?page_id=68
The U.S. should not ignore a direct threat made by a fairly militarily capable nation especially when that nation is led by a religiously motivated vicious dictator...
True about Hanford, but I doubt they’d go for that. It’s in the middle of nowhere.
The BIG thing up in this region right now is the Olympics. Imagine that somehow an Iranian ship (or a ship flagged to another country with an Iranian crew) managed to get a good-sized nuke on board and detonated it during the Opening Ceremonies. EVERY nation participating, plus most of the IOC top brass, in addition to the leaders of 4 or 5 nations...gone in an instant, as well as most of downtown Vancouver (which is a “nuclear-free zone”, BTW). You would effectively give a message (read “piss off”) 90% of the world in one fell swoop.
Iran could CERTAINLY make a statement with something like that. Unfortunately for them, the statement would be “We’re suicidal and wish to be turned into a radioactive crater”.