miditek wrote:
I wouldn't say that not a country in the world wouldn't speak against it. With the exception of the United States, Israel has very few friends in the world. Most countries hate Israel, and what friends does she have in the Middle East?
I'd argue more countries hate America. How many countries rejoiced the attacks of 9/11? I think Saddam Hussein was the only one. Even Iran condemned the attacks (true, Khatami was in power then, but you get what I mean). I remember that day clearly, and I must say I have never felt such gloom and depression throughout the whole country. I think everyone on this board can say the same about their own countries. No, aside from the usual array of extremists, people would not rejoice in the event of a nuclear attack.
NeonVomit wrote:Do you think the Iranian leadership (because Iran is not simply under the control of one man, despite what one may believe) would willingly lead Iran to total destruction in exchange for one city? I think not.
Ahmandinejad is the mouthpiece for the mullahs- even if they condemn him publicly, I am sure that they praise him privately. He is in power because they permitted him to assume power. He remains in power at their pleasure and discretion.[/quote]
Many people supporting the 'GWB is a puppet' theory would say exactly the same thing about that situation.
Would they sacrifice all of Iran for a single city?
Who says that a single city is what they actually have in mind? Also, do you not think that another conventional war, along with an accompanying invasion of Israel by her enemies is not possible?
I think most countries would rather get on with their own business than invade Israel. And by "total destruction", I mean the
whole of Iran's forces, population and ability to function would be demolished. I don't see them in a position to launch any sort of conventional attack after having their cities and infrastructure obliterated, military blown to dust, and population decimated. Imagine 200 Hiroshimas, in one country, but with advanced, efficient nuclear weapons, specifically targeted by MIRVs to an accuracy of within 10 meters.
I don't think that country would be in any shape to do anything remotely resembling a large-scale conventional attack. They probably wouldn't be in a shape to issue tax returns. Or send a birthday card.
They know this. They are fully aware that this could happen to them, and there is no doubt in their minds that this is the course events would take if they attempted to attack another nation, especially Israel, with nuclear weapons. They know if they cross that line, it will mean the end of Iran.
NeonVomit wrote:However, again... I do not live with this direct threat (real or imagined) constantly above my head, perhaps I'm looking at it in too disjointed a manner. Shurik is the only one here who really has a right to feel threatened.
Shurik is certainly more at an immediate risk than most of the rest of the members here. I cannot dispute that, and will not attempt to do so. However, I still firmly believe that more attacks upon the west are imminent. These could include nuclear attacks.[/quote]
Yes, this is true. As we know, the UK loves Islamic extremists and terrorists so much so that's why they foiled the attacks that were supposedly planned on airliners this summer using liquid-based explosives (even though the very idea of that is exceedingly unlikely, anyone with even a casual familiarity with chemistry will tell you how unstable and impractical something like that would be... there's a reason all military-grade explosives are solid... but I digress).
Everyone is vigilant about the terrorist threat here, you'd probably be surprised to learn. Having to deal with the IRA for 40 years, for Spain to have ETA to worry about for almost as long, France having to be concerned about Algerian extremists since the 50's, Germany having to handle the Red Army Faction for the entire duration of the Cold War as well as Neo-Nazi extremists, Greece having headaches about the November 17th organisation... direct terrorist threats are nothing new here in Europe. People have learnt to put up with them, take the appropriate measures, and go on living their lives. Even Russia has its own very real worries about terrorism and I must say perhaps Russia is the country which deals with terrorists in the harshest way... read up about the Moscow Theatre incident for example. Would any Western country have the will and cold-heartedness to do that, with the singular aim of destroying their enemies?
However, direct terrorist threats are a very new thing for the USA, correct?
Face it, nobody here likes terrorism, even though you still seem to want to believe that.
If, as you stated, that no one would be stupid enough to use their own uranium or plutonium to attack the US or Israel, have you not considered the possibility of a terror group would not attempt to purchase either uranium, plutonium, or a fully functional weapon on the black market?
If Russian military officers will trade conventional weapons to South American revolutionaries in exchange for large amounts of cocaine (for resale) or for cash, don't you think that it is highly possible that a group of rogue officers wouldn't trade small scale nuclear devices as well?
It is very unlikely, when the former USSR had tens of thousands of warheads of all types, that an inventory check would reveal the exact whereabouts of each and every one. In a country where anything can be stolen, I am certain that many of these weapons are now loose on the black market, just as is the technical expertise needed to operate these weapons as well.
Then why are you getting so worried about
Iran's own nuclear abilities? Why would they bother creating nuclear weapons when they can just buy them from Russia? If that's the case, then they're probably not even remotely interested in trying to create their own nukes, when they could simply get them for a fraction of the cost and hassle from the former USSR... so this whole thread is about something pointless...
Why hasn't North Korea bought nukes from Russia if it's that easy?
You still seem to think that the entire Muslim world would rise up and try to crush Israel with Iran as a leader and Ahmedinejad as a figurehead... you see it as a singular entity, when it is anything but.
Oh, really? 
