Iran Has Gas
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Foreign Policy, The War On TerrorismNuclear gas that is.
And what that means is scary. Apparently, Iran can make 10 bombs from the gas they now supposedly possess.
From Drudge:
US ambassador Gregory Schulte told the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors that Iran had failed on every count to meet the watchdog’s call for it to suspend uranium enrichment.Uranium is enriched so it can be used as fuel in a nuclear power reactor or, if enriched further, to make an atomic weapon.
Schlulte said Iran had 85 tons of the uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gas and said this was enough to make 10 atom bombs, the diplomat reported.
He said there now should be special inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
And we’re definitely posturing to take action. In fact, John Bolton said the following to the AP, “Their threats show why leaving a country like that with a nuclear weapon is so dangerous.”
True, it is dangerous for Iran to have nukes…there’s no doubt about that. But what action are we going to take? That’s the 87 billion dollar question.
Then again, maybe we won’t have to play World Police on this one…
BERLIN (Reuters) - If the U.N. Security Council is incapable of taking action to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Israel will have no choice but to defend itself, Israel’s defense minister said on Wednesday.Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz was asked whether Israel was ready to use military action if the Security Council proved unable to act against what Israel and the West believe is a covert Iranian nuclear weapons program.
“My answer to this question is that the state of Israel has the right give all the security that is needed to the people in Israel. We have to defend ourselves,” Mofaz told Reuters after a meeting with his German counterpart Franz Josef Jung.
Frankly, Israel has always been remarkably good at handling themselves in the Middle East…why not just let them handle this? I’m not saying they go it alone, but letting them be the lead might be a good strategic position to take.
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March 8th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
I think I suggested this a month or so ago, though I’m not really sure. I know I was thinking it. In all honesty, it wouldn’t surprise me even slightly if we have secret deals with Israel along these lines. Israel has everything to lose if Iran doesn’t get dealt with, and if we have conditional foreign aid to them riding on such things, they also have everything to gain by making the attack. Judging by the way they did things at Osirak, I think it’s highly likely. They already know that the rest of the world is just going to go “Boo Hiss” (the US too, for the sake of keeping up appearances) at the next UN meeting and that will be the end of that.
March 8th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
All we need to do is lend Israel some planes.
Apparently, they have the willingness and capability to “take care of Iran,” except that their aircraft cannot get them over there, do the mission, and get home. I read this somewhere - I can’t find the link to it anymore - I apologize.
March 8th, 2006 at 4:51 pm
And Iran will take care of Israel. They have the means to do it.
March 8th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
What do you mean Cyrus? That comment is so vague it could be read that you want Iran to take out Israel. Or, you could mean that Iran already has nukes. Please explain.
March 8th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
What he means is simply what you were saying Israel can do. Why assume negative thigns about Iranian intentions? He is merely saying that if Israel wants to fight, Iran can easily wipe them out, and they have every mean if it goes to that level to make those who want harm to feel harm themselves. Iran will surely win this war, unless they cheat and use nukes, then froever the inernational community will see both the US and Israel as the culprits of humanity if they are so senseless as to nuke Iran.
March 8th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
i think cyrus is saying that if israel attacks Iran, Iran will not just sit by, there will probably be a proportional response, and why shouldnt there be? Every nation has a right to defend itself. I just hope that no American lives are put in harms way for israel’s defence.
March 8th, 2006 at 6:27 pm
if the US doesnt take its orders from the israelis, then why isnt the IAEA in Israel? is there any other country that has violated more UN resolutions than israel? NOT EVEN IRAQ!!
March 8th, 2006 at 6:51 pm
iran will eat israel alive
March 8th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
also, there is no “conditional” foreign aid to israel. The only condition is that it be in dollars.
March 8th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
the nuclear technology is one of the things iranians are united on.
our technological advancment is our natural right,and it is not for the iranian goverment to decide weather we should pursue it or not,the iranian ppl decide! and we wont accept being bullied into giving up our nuclear ambitions.
As for israel,i dont think israelis are stupid enough to attack iran,as any millitary strategist knows that iranian influence in palestine and lebenon is strong specialy with syrian border being at our disposal. the iraniand millitary and air force armed with shahab-3 are faar more powerfull than many nato countrys,let alone israel. And i dont think america wants iran to complicate things in iraq. we will continue what we are doing and there isnt a damn thing u can do about it.. call us terrorists and cammel jockeys all u like. viva iran.
March 8th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
The moot that Israel could attack Iran in some form of pre-emptive strike and the support for that moot here, is exactly why so many people put down Israel as the greatest threat to world peace…
Not you understand on the simple basis of this one moot but because of the position Israel holds in so many ways…
March 8th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
“Cyrus” and his friend “Darius” have assumed the names of great Persian kings. Cyrus, who was victorious, was a great friend of the Jews and permitted them to return from Babylon to Israel in the 6th century BCE. Darius, I seem to recall, got walloped. Iran, if it does not recognize and make peace with Israel, will be a big-time loser.
March 8th, 2006 at 11:08 pm
In the war everybody will loose. Do not mix Iran and Iranians with their current government. As far as I know, almost all Iranians respect the right of Israel as a nation. Iran has the highest number of Jews in middle east after Israel and they are living there peacefully.
March 9th, 2006 at 12:26 am
Your source is Drudge?
Besides, the presence of enriched uranium is not the issue. The problem for Iran is generating enough of it through centrifuges in order to make a bomb. Most serious analyses put Iran at at least 5 years away - probably 10 years.
March 9th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
Just some random thoughts …. Cheney publicly shastises and threatens Iran … Drudge starts to make the case that Iran has Nuke Gas and can make the bomb now …. let the pissing contest begin …. THAT will certainly take the focus off of what is wrong with the Iraq debacle …. before you know it next we will have inspectors crawling all over Iran, and reports from experts that “We can’t find the Gas” (Oh, right .. Gas is invisible) …. Just hit backspace folks (remove tht q and drop in that n) and we will have another major intelligence gaff … no thanks, I’d rather go hunting with Cheney.
On the serious side, isn’t it about time that we get a grip on foreign policy? We give the “good child the candy” (India, against every prior policy) and threaten the “bad kid” with a spanking specifically so the world can hear the spurs on his boots jangle as he rides across the other side of the river? It’s bullshit … and to borrow the header from Ambivablog … We have found a fork in the road, and we seem to be taking it.