Iran may have crossed the West's red line - Obama must act

[Peikko 1,575]

The Times reports today that Iran has perfected the technology needed to make a nuclear bomb and could produce one a year from being given the order to by the Supreme Leader. This is yet another reminder that time is running short when it comes to stopping Iran from going nuclear. Indeed if the Times is right, then Iran has already crossed what used to be regarded as the West’s red line. To date, the Obama administration’s Iran policy has been—to put it mildly—unclear. But the New York Times today discloses that the US has been in conversation with its allies about attempting to use sanctions to prevent Iran from importing petrol, the country imports 40 percent of the gasoline it uses. The paper says that the sanctions could come into place if Tehran does not respond to Washington’s offer of talks by mid-September.

A gasoline embargo has long been thought to be one of the few things short of military action that could persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. But to be effective it would require both the cooperation of Russia and China and naval enforcement.

Worryingly, there are signs that the US is drifting towards accepting Iran as nuclear power. Note, Hillary Clinton’s recent comments about extending the US nuclear umbrella to its allies in the region. If Israel decides that the United States will not act, it may well decide to take matters into its own hands. Understandably, it is deeply opposed to the patron of two terrorists groups that attack it repeatedly acquiring nuclear weapons.

Link

[dalegg 143]

Time to draw a new line.

[Peikko 1,575]

Lines in sand?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The sky will not fall if Iran joins the nuclear club. This is much ado over nothing. The only nation on earth that stands to lose anything is Israel. It's their problem, they should take care of it.

[NickD 203]

Ziva David would have to quit the NCIS then and go back to Israel, she could single handedly take care of Iran. But then, maybe Kate would come back, but they have to bring her back from the dead, TV can do that. But if any actor like Kate or Jenny quits or the contract runs out, show manages to get them killed.

Nuclear technology has been with us for over 65 years, no new major problems to solve, just a matter of buying or stealing it. With Russia and China, could even get it for free. Major problem is to deliver the weapon accurately, if it hits the wrong country, a world wide nuclear war would break out, but no problem, will be the end of the human race, but it will come back in about a million years. Just hope you are in the center of the blast, on the outter edges can be a very long and painful death.

Can the Iranians even make a decent can opener? Maybe with luck and probability, they will end up blowing themselves to hell.

[luckytxn 2,264]

I remember Iraq was supposed to be getting close to nukes and we took them out and got crucified for it. So what if Iran gets nukes. Israel has had nukes for decades and we did nothing.

Bring our troops home from around the world now.

[Peikko 1,575]

You guys got 'crucified' because they were no where near being a threat to anyone, least of all the US. You also got 'crucified' because you didn't have a plan with how to deal with a defeated Iraq that would produce a country that would be stable and 'friendly' in the broadest sense of the word. In other words, simply wanting to get rid of things you don't like is not a 'plan'.

I do find it interesting that those who like to play war are not that keen this time around...

Edited August 3, 2009 by Madame Cleo

[luckytxn 2,264]

Us guys? I thought it was stupid to take out Iraq even if they were getting nukes. We are not the worlds policemen.

By we I meant the U.S. but of course I think of myself as American.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't....

[Peikko 1,575]

As you said 'we' took them out' and 'we got crucified' I assumed you meant the US as, brave though Texans are, I am not sure even they are capable or taking on nations singlehandedly, however, correct me if I am wrong

Edited August 3, 2009 by Madame Cleo

[mawilson 2,133]

The sky will not fall if Iran joins the nuclear club. This is much ado over nothing. The only nation on earth that stands to lose anything is Israel. It's their problem, they should take care of it.

You are wrong. A nuclear Iran would change the balance of power in the region.

Translation: right now we can do whatever we want; not so if Iran acquires nukes.

[luckytxn 2,264]

The sky will not fall if Iran joins the nuclear club. This is much ado over nothing. The only nation on earth that stands to lose anything is Israel. It's their problem, they should take care of it.

You are wrong. A nuclear Iran would change the balance of power in the region.

Translation: right now we can do whatever we want; not so if Iran acquires nukes.

We have the power there because we have a huge expensive military force there to do as we want. If it is a good idea to take out Iran if they are close to having nukes then it was a good idea to take out Iraq. We need to bring all troops worldwide back home now. Let others play over there and spend their fortunes policing the area if they choose to do so.

[NickD 203]

You guys got 'crucified' because they were no where near being a threat to anyone, least of all the US. You also got 'crucified' because you didn't have a plan with how to deal with a defeated Iraq that would produce a country that would be stable and 'friendly' in the broadest sense of the word. In other words, simply wanting to get rid of things you don't like is not a 'plan'.

I do find it interesting that those who like to play war are not that keen this time around...

Youse guys is George W. Bush and a disappointed bush at that because Iraq did not have dem weapons of mass destruction. With even more disappointment that Iraqi's were not waving American flags like the French did when we liberated them from Germany after WW II.

Iran use to be one of our closest allies prior to 1978, then something switched, they let us install long range radar to peek at what the USSR was doing. Did the people change or did the leadership change? The leaders always seem to get away with murder, it's the people that suffer. What their leaders don't know, is that they think by having nuclear weapons they are going to have power. When in fact, it's going to be just the opposite, they are going to be a much larger target.

Bush Sr. knew the major problem was Iran, but couldn't even tell that to his spoiled brat kid, and let Saddam live to help keep Iran under control.

What can we Americans do about it? Not much of anything, we don't even know what in the hell is going on, we have a government loaded with national security that rather than representing us like they are suppose to according to the constitution, are keeping us in the dark. It's amazing how less than 5% of a nation can control the other 95% of the people, they keep the weapons and the power. With Iran, the people will suffer the most with their government, seems like this is their problem more than anybody else.

But what do I know, I just listen to the BS on the news.

[alienlovechild 75]

You are wrong. A nuclear Iran would change the balance of power in the region.

You can bet other nations will see that the U.S. and her allies can't do anything to Iran. Other countries will demand a nuke umbrella from the U.S. or will develop their own bomb. Saudi Arabia and ironically Iraq will want nukes, too.

India got the bomb because the Chinese got the bomb. Pakistan got the bomb because India got the bomb. It's called an arms race.

[SMOKE 1,426]

You are wrong. A nuclear Iran would change the balance of power in the region.

You can bet other nations will see that the U.S. and her allies can't do anything to Iran. Other countries will demand a nuke umbrella from the U.S. or will develop their own bomb. Saudi Arabia and ironically Iraq will want nukes, too.

India got the bomb because the Chinese got the bomb. Pakistan got the bomb because India got the bomb. It's called an arms race.

yes & attitudes will change when every country russia & china have or had issues with have nukes.