Inside the Ring-Iran Defends Nukes, Preparing for Attack

Washington Times ^ | May 10, 2002 | Bill Gertz

[Savage Beast]

"The President is being smart by leveling with the American public."

Yes, maybe you're right. He is doing a superb job.

[pgkdan]

What are they saying? Is Iran preparing defenses against an attack or are they preparing for an offensive attack?

That was my thought...are these moves offensive or defensive?

[Honcho]

That was my thought...are these moves offensive or defensive?

Unless they are complete morons this has to be a defensive move. Otherwise what might be a possable target becomes a certain target given that offensive missles are now around this facility.

[pgkdan]

Unless they are complete morons...

Precisely why I posed the question.

[colorado tanker]

LOL! I remember that "Baby Milk Factory" sign too! CNN kept showing that sign, hand painted on plywood as I recall. I broke out laughing every time I saw it!

[piasa]

Seems pretty obvious... antiaircraft missiles are defensive, not offensive weapons. The Iranians are placing the missiles around the plant to prevent it from being destroyed in an airstrike.

The reporter, and it appears to be an error on the part of the reporter, could have made it a bit more plain, though.

[piasa]

Given that Israel blew up Iraq's nuclear plant before the Gulf War, and that Iran was worried that Israel would blow up their plant before 9/11, there's a good chance that Israel will assist in taking out this plant if it is OK with us. Bubt we might not let them if we think Israel's involvement will inflame the arabs and cost us allies in any future attacks on Iraq, and so we might do it ourselves.

Hard to tell at this point but if I were Iran I would be paying close attention to everything Israel and the US is doing. Iran is ripe for a regime change, and Iran has been meddling in Afghanistan to prevent the new government from succeeding, but it has also been implicated in the shipment of arms to Arafat on the ship "Karin A."

[Joe Boucher]

Chicken no, hawk yes. I don't think any thing you do will get these arabs to alter their ways. If they get nukes they will use them on Israel and the U.S., like Israel did to Iraq when Iraq was about to go on line with a nuke plant you strike 1st. and save American boys and girls lives in any war.

[Joe Boucher]

Either you realize that we are at war or someday die. If Iran or Iraq get nukes they will use them on Israel and the U.S.. Like Israel did against the Iraqi nuke plant take out the abilities of these two countries 1st. I don't like having Americans hit by these dogs. But their objective is to bring the U.S. down.

Oh yeah, and I thought having people shut up is germanys game not Australia.

Just a little hawk here.

[Robert_Paulson2]

IT's a good idea.

[fiftymegaton]

Do these missiles the Iranians possess have the potential to shoot down incoming American cruise missiles?? Because I think if we were going to attack the nuclear power plant we would just do it with cruise missiles. That is IF they dont have any fissile material yet so there would be no chance of any kind of nuclear detonation or radiation leak.

[Poohbah]

Do these missiles the Iranians possess have the potential to shoot down incoming American cruise missiles??

The USMC retired these weapons in the 1990s because they were logistically unsupportable (contrary to what the FAS website reports). The airframe dates back to the 1950s; the IHAWK mod dates from 1970.

Tracking a cruise missile is going to be a challenge for these systems.

[fiftymegaton]

And you figure the Iranians would know this. We dont have to send in troops to blow this place to hell just a couple cruise missiles. So now the question is 'Who are they preparing to defend this power plant from?'

[Poohbah]

In the end, they're doing what they can do, which ain't much...

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...Iran is ripe for a regime change...

....and does US sabre-rattling and intimidation make that change more, or less, likely, piasa?

No wonder Castro's been around for so long; maybe, since the last time State had a fresh idea about handling these adversarial situations.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

....it reminds of that factory in Iraq during the Gulf War. A sign was placed over it in English that read, "Baby Milk" or Pharmaceuticals or something to that effect....

Iran's no nuclear threat to the US, preacher. They have no warheads and they have no delivery systems. And if they were ever able to mount a credible campaign to source them we'd have plenty of advance notice.

Forget the baby milk factory. This beat-up's got more in common with the Sudanese aspirin plant.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...either you realize that we are at war or someday die. If Iran or Iraq get nukes they will use them on Israel and the U.S..

Iran, Iraq, and America are not at war, Joe, despite the dreamy Armaggedon fantasies of some at FR (and maybe, the Pentagon.) Have you ever considered there might be a better way, of dealing with potential threats from the Middle East? Maybe, showing them the advantages of our system, our values, yes, even our religion? Your idea of 'diplomacy', where the US swaggers through the Middle East like Mike Tyson on PCP, is gonna get us absolutely nowhere.

[Joe Boucher]

Maybe you think we are not at war with Iran and or Iraq but be are. And as for gentelmenly negotiations, look at the arafat example. Wars take shape in many ways and currently there is not open hostilities but hold your breath because it is building. Yes I do believe our open culture is the best in the world. That I believe because I have traveled extensively around the world but so to do many other cultures. Like the example in Cuba though I don't want some jack booted ass with a gun telling me what and how to think.(Saddam). I think it would be wonderful if we could just negotiate but with crazies willing to line up to blow up our way of life. The last hit was our own jets used as missles to destroy landmark buildings, the next hit will be much more severe. You still gonna say lets talk and negotiate when Brisbane or perth or Sydney or N.Y. have been baporized? Or how about Telaviv? Like Saddam did to his own people, these folk are even willing to kill many many of their own to reach their goals.

[Orion78]

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