Err, ya I always forget the F117 is technically a fighter, even though it has never really been used as such. A Lancer would be fun to see used, just for the supersonic ass kicking coolness that is the Lancer.Reactor said:I don't know if they'll send a bomber, but a squadron of F-117's, going in NOE ......
Spooks, highly probable.
Transcend said:Err, ya I always forget the F117 is technically a fighter, even though it has never really been used as such. A Lancer would be fun to see used, just for the supersonic ass kicking coolness that is the Lancer.
Spooky/Spectres kick major ass. Talk about death from above. Airborne howitzers are a frightening thought when you are hunkered down in a hole somewhere.
lonewolfe said:I was working in Monterey, CA about 2.5 years ago and met some officers that were attending the linquistic school operated by the military there. Guess what language they were learning?
Farsi! Not only were they learning Farsi but they were being trained to be interogators. The writing has been on the wall for quite some time. There is only one country that speaks Farsi, Iran. Well, there is a very small region of Afghanistan bordering Iran that also speaks the language.
Yup, I've seen the same footage. I would presume they would use spectres and spooky's for the exact same reason as that video - personel containment.Reactor said:My apologies, by spooks I meant special operations technical personal accompanied by black suits et al. Sweep, ID, tag and demo the compound, probably using high altitude dropped ordnance. Planes could GBU-28 or GBU-1500 depending on the target or since they are going to spew uranium all over the place anyway, a B61-11 re-armed for a low altitude air burst would be quite effective, though that would become a political nightmare, unless it could be spun as a nuclear accident.
The Iranians have very little in the way of modern air defenses, but they do have a few 1970's vintage US fighters, and a few of Iraq's 1980's vintage Migs. Their Air force, such as it is would have to be suppressed before an AC-130 could be brought in. The AC-130 have a saying "When you need an ac-130, nothing else will do, when you don't need one, almost anything else is better". I've actually seen AC-130 night footage of an operation against a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan, it was damn impressive.
There was a time when American officials boasted of “turning right after we march to Baghdad” — towards Tehran. The toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq was supposed to be a warning to the remaining members of the “axis of evil”, Iran and North Korea, that nuclear proliferation was a fool’s game. Instead, Iran has been able to thumb its nose at the West while America struggles to prevent civil war in Iraq.
It is more commonly said in Washington these days that America does not have to worry about Iran because, if push comes to shove, Israel will do the dirty work needed to stop the Iranians from acquiring an “Islamic” bomb. But will it?
Some Israelis have declared themselves willing to shoulder the burden. “We should attack and we are capable of completing the job,” said General Uzi Dayan, former head of Israel’s national security council, last week. “Iran is an imminent danger to Israel.”
Before the massive stroke that left him in a coma, Sharon had declared: “Israel will not accept a nuclear weapon equipped Iran.” He had quietly ordered the Israeli Defence Forces to be ready to launch airstrikes against nuclear sites in the Islamic republic if necessary.
“The whole issue is now with the Americans,” said an Israeli defence source. “Once we get the green light, we’re ready.”
For now the light has stalled on amber. Condoleezza Rice, the American secretary of state, chastised Iran last week for its “dangerous defiance” and warned that “the president of the United States never takes any of his options off the table”. She added, however, that diplomacy was the best way to solve the crisis: “If the international community stays united, it has a chance to work.”
TEHRAN, Jan. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran said on Saturday that it will never give in under pressure to halt its recently resumed nuclear research work even if its nuclear file was referred to the UN Security Council, but called for more talks to solve the current standoff.
"Our position is very clear: we are carrying out nuclear activities according to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) regulations. Asking us to stop nuclear research is beyond such conventions," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters at a press conference earlier in the day.
"Nuclear research is our natural right and we had suspended it voluntarily. Now, we will resume them," Ahmadinejad added.
Iran on Tuesday removed seals on research facilities at three nuclear sites and resumed nuclear fuel research work suspended for more than two years under the supervision of the IAEA, incurring condemnation of the European Union, the United States and some other countries.
Meanwhile, Iran has also rejected a proposal of Russia to establish joint uranium enrichment venture on Russian soil.
In response, the EU trio of Britain, France and Germany on Thursday said that the nuclear talks with Iran had been at a dead-end, calling for an emergency session of the IAEA to vote on referring Iran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council, which could lead to sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
The United States has repeatedly expressed support to the EU call of referral but ruled out military actions on Iran.
Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad slammed the EU's call as "forcing the IAEA to adopt political resolutions on Iran", vowing that Iran "would not be bullied" even at the UN Security Council.
"The IAEA should be an undoubtedly authoritative international body dealing with nuclear issues, but what they (the EU and the U.S.) are doing will damage the credit of the IAEA," he stressed.
However, the hardline president did not recall a threat of stopping cooperation with the international community made by the country's Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki on Friday.
"If the case dossier is referred to the Security Council, the European countries will lose the current means (to solve the Iranian nuclear issue). The government must cease all voluntary measures of cooperation according to the law," Mottaki told the official IRNA news agency.
The Iranian Majlis (Parliament) last November approved a law which requires the government to cease all voluntary confidence-building measures if the country's nuclear case were taken to the Security Council.
Tehran defines the suspension of uranium enrichment and the implementation of the additional protocol of the NPT, which allows UN inspectors to carry out snap inspections, as voluntary measures to build confidence.
Later on Saturday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, saying that the EU "has no right to expect Iran not to go ahead with research work on utilizing nuclear energy for civilian purposes."
"It is surprising that the European states have embarked on an illogical drive against (Iran's) resumption of research studies. It is surprising that they interpret their illogical approach toward the Iranian nuclear program in a way that they are right to fabricate new charges everyday," according to the statement, cited by IRNA.
However, the statement also called for the EU to continue negotiations to solve the disputed nuclear issue.
"Iran believes that the standoff with the EU about the nuclear program should be settled by negotiations and advises the European partners to be rational in dealing with Iran and Iran's rights," it added.
Tehran and the EU were previously scheduled to hold another round of talks on Jan. 18, but the EU had said that Iran's restart of nuclear research would endanger the negotiations.
Hossein Entezami, spokesman of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was quoted by IRNA as saying on early Saturday that the bilateral nuclear talks would not touch on the Islamic Republic's nuclear research.
"Nuclear research is a totally independent subject and Iran has already informed the IAEA and Europe regarding this matter. Iran and the EU will just discuss the issue of uranium enrichment," Entezami said.
"Russia's proposal, the continuation of talks with Europe and cooperation with the IAEA were three entirely separate issues," the spokesman added.
*sigh* Simple cause and effect lesson.....Transcend said:Iran is clearly not going to bend on this. The current leader is a religious zealot, who apparently thinks he is the 12th Imam and that the apocalypse is coming.
DaveW said:*sigh* Simple cause and effect lesson.....
The Iranians are a proud strong willed people, after a few years of USA leaving them alone, they installed a liberal political head of state and a largely liberal parliment. And started moving towards a more open and free society (no it will never be an overnight change... Have some patience for a bloody change). BUT.....
Your govenment then started getting Bolshy towards them (again), result of this is that the Iranian people got their back up and installed a hardliner in a sort of "up yours matey, we will run our country how WE see fit" response to what they see as an attempt to bully them and or order them around.
Same old story, if you want something.... Try asking nicely.
But as far as ANY Nukes go i don't belive ANYONE (including you lot) should have them..... I dont trust any political type with that sort of weapon.
China is the pivot at the moment. Any links or articles outlining their position, most welcome.Europe and the United States have been trying to build support for such a move, saying more two years of acrimonious negotiations have reached a dead end. But they faced resistance from China, which warned the move could only escalate the confrontation.
Anti-US anger mounts in Pakistan after airstrikes
Leaders of Pakistan's opposition Islamic alliance the Muttahida Majlis e Amal [MMA] - were preparing on Sunday to launch a fresh campaign against president Pervez Musharraf's government, as anti-US anger mounted in the wake of US airstrikes on a remote village in the north.
The weekend attack, believed to have been carried out by a CIA-operated unmanned drone aircrafts on Friday, left at least 18 people dead including women and children. But Pakistani officials said Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's second in command believed to have been targeted by the US, was nowhere near the site of the strike.
"Innocent blood has been spilt. This would not go unanswered" shouted a protester at weekend in Bajaur, the remote mountainous region along the Afghan border, where Damadola, a small village was the target of the attack.
The attack has dealt a significant political setback to Gen Musharraf who has led his country's support to Washington's war on terror. It comes just ahead of Pakistani prime minister Shaukat Aziz's visit to Washington, due to begin on January 18 an opportunity expected to be used by Mr Aziz to woo new investments from US companies in the south Asian country.
On Saturday, Pakistan protested the attack in a rare act of official condemnation of the US. The two countries have closely worked together since Pakistan turned its back on Afghanistan's former Taliban regime following the New York terrorist attacks in New York in 2001 and extended military and political support to the US cause against terror.
Pakistan's foreign ministry said: "As a result of this act there has been loss of innocent civilian lives which we condemn". Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the information minister told a news conference in Islamabad, the government wanted "to assure the people we will not allow such incidents to reoccur" in future.
An MMA leader who asked not to be named said on Sunday that leaders of the alliance were likely to meet ahead of a parliamentary session in Islamabad on Tuesday "to discuss this very grave situation and decide a future course of action. We believe we can rally all opposition parties on a common platform. This is enough of Musharraf's support to the US".
The leader said the MMA and other parties could call for public protests on Friday - the muslim Sabbath.
Pakistan's tribal areas have been the centre of intense military activity since the US invaded Afghanistan following the New York terrorist attacks. At least 60,000 Pakistani troops are believed to be deployed in the region, mainly to block members of al Qaeda and the Taliban from fleeing US and Afghan troops pursuing them on the Afghan side of the border.
But western diplomats claim the tribal region which has remained semi autonomous since Pakistan was created in 1947 remains home to some of the most sought after militant leaders.
Mr Al Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor by training, has remained particularly elusive. The US has offered a reward of US$25m for information leading to his arrest an amount equal to the reward offered for the capture of Osama bin Laden leader of al Qaeda.
In March last year, reports of Mr Al Zawahiri being surrounded by Pakistani troops in a border region were subsequently found to be similarly incorrect.
On Saturday, the Al Arabiya satellite television said Mr Al Zawahri was alive, quoting a person it said had contact with al Qaeda. "Reports of his [Al Zawahiri's] death are wishful thinking", Al Arabiya cited this person as saying.
Copyright The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved.
Right, so now I'm american? Don't be a dip****. Shrub is a moron, but he clearly doesn't think he is the second coming of christ.DaveW said:*sigh* Simple cause and effect lesson.....
The Iranians are a proud strong willed people, after a few years of USA leaving them alone, they installed a liberal political head of state and a largely liberal parliment. And started moving towards a more open and free society (no it will never be an overnight change... Have some patience for a bloody change). BUT.....
Your govenment then started getting Bolshy towards them (again), result of this is that the Iranian people got their back up and installed a hardliner in a sort of "up yours matey, we will run our country how WE see fit" response to what they see as an attempt to bully them and or order them around.
Same old story, if you want something.... Try asking nicely.
But as far as ANY Nukes go i don't belive ANYONE (including you lot) should have them..... I dont trust any political type with that sort of weapon.
well so we have 2 religious nuts here playing with the fate of humanity... great, just fvuckin great. yeah i got a 100 bucks for another preemtive strike within the year... so is iran, camobia, or laos in the vietnam comparisson?Transcend said:Iran is clearly not going to bend on this. The current leader is a religious zealot
Seriously, 2 religious nutters running things is just bad in every way.steelewheels said:well so we have 2 religious nuts here playing with the fate of humanity... great, just fvuckin great. yeah i got a 100 bucks for another preemtive strike within the year... so is iran, camobia, or laos in the vietnam comparisson?
China will veto santions in the un to keep its oil coming. Well it was nice knowing you all. World war threee is upon us...
Mainly because of religion, apparantly. Self righteous ideas based on an irrational belief system. It's got 'bad' written all over it.Transcend said:Seriously, 2 religious nutters running things is just bad in every way.
Why can't we all just get along? :love:
DaveW said::
But as far as ANY Nukes go i don't belive ANYONE (including you lot) should have them..... I dont trust any political type with that sort of weapon.
Unfortunately, like it or not, nukes exist and will always exist. At some point, countries we don't like will probably even develop fusion bombs.Reactor said:You and me both.
Ehhh...unlikely. The Israelis will level Tehran before they manage to strap a warhead to a rocket. In the unlikely event that a large scale nuclear exchange like that were to happen, the Chinese would most definently not ally themselves with Iran. Remember, they still need the American consumer to fuel their booming economy.Changleen said:Make of this what you will - an opinion piece in the UK Telegraph:
WWIII
http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/01/15/do1502.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/01/15/ixopinion.html
Apologys for calling you an american (accidental honnest) But the rest of it stands. And I frankly dont see the current american leadership as not being Fanatics.Transcend said:Right, so now I'm american? Don't be a dip****. Shrub is a moron, but he clearly doesn't think he is the second coming of christ.
There is also much less chance of a country like the UK or USA using nukes, then a country clearly run by a fanatic, who thinks that spreading chaos and destruction will behest the return of his prophet. Read up on him/his religious views. There is a reason to be afraid of this guy.
But also, in a bit of a flip-flop, an Iranian ambassador has welcomed Russia's old offer to do the reprocessing for them in Russia, which they've rejected several times in the past:Moscow and Beijing joined the U.S. and its European allies in demanding Monday that Iran fully suspend its nuclear program, while Vladimir Putin held out hope for a compromise, saying Tehran might agree to move its uranium enrichment program to Russia.
China, Russia, France, the United States, Germany, and Britain expressed "serious concerns" about Iran's resumption of small-scale uranium enrichment, Britain's Foreign Office said.
The powers stopped short of referring the issue to the U.N. Security Council, which could impose sanctions, instead calling for an emergency board meeting of the International Atomic Energy on Feb. 2-3 to discuss the issue. The 35-nation IAEA board could itself refer the issue to the Security Council.
That quote from ElBD is sure to appear on Fox.Story in full A POTENTIAL breakthrough in the nuclear stand-off with Iran came last night when the Iranian ambassador in Moscow praised a proposal to move Tehran's uranium enrichment programme to Russia.
As Britain, the United States, Russia, France and China met in London yesterday to discuss how to handle Iran's illegal nuclear development, the country was facing the growing certainty that it would be referred to the UN Security Council.
While China remained resolutely silent on the possibility of sanctions - a move which it has the power to veto - Russia made significant moves towards the western stance on Iran's nuclear programme.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said last night that his position is "very close" to that of the United States and Britain. And it appeared that he could hold the key to a resolution when Iran's ambassador to Russia, Gholamreza Ansari, welcomed an offer to move the Iranian uranium enrichment programme to Russia.
Such a move would mean Iran, which is developing a missile which could reach Israel, could not acquire enough material for a bomb.
"As far as Russia's proposal is concerned, we consider it constructive and are carefully studying it. This is a good initiative to resolve the situation. We believe that Iran and Russia should find a way out of this jointly," said Mr Ansari.
Mr Putin emerged from separate talks with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, saying he was treating the situation with caution - but he in no way condoned Iran's decision to break the seals from its uranium enhancement plants a fortnight ago.
"We need to move very carefully in this area. I personally do not allow myself a single careless announcement and do not allow the foreign ministry to make a single uncertain step," he said. "We must work on the Iranian problem very carefully, not allowing abrupt, erroneous steps."
Mr Putin's words were welcomed by diplomats, who feared he was seeking to forge an alliance with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's firebrand president elected five months ago.
While Russia drew European Union condemnation for selling surface-to-air missiles to Iran, it has drawn the line at Mr Ahmadinejad resuming conversion of uranium at the Isfahan facility.
Following the meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council yesterday Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said he would not "rush" into any action and expressed hope that Iran would stop its nuclear research after realising the strength of world opinion.
"There are plenty of examples where a matter is referred to the Security Council and the Security Council takes action and that action is followed without sanction," he said at a conference in London.
He said he was also encouraged by Iran's threat to withhold gas from world markets if such action was taken.
"The fact that Iran is so concerned not to see it referred to the Security Council underlines the strength of the UN," he said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - the UN's nuclear watchdog - was last night preparing a draft document saying it can make no more progress amid Iran's intransigence and asks the UN Security Council to take a decision.
Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the IAEA, said in a magazine interview that Iran could acquire a nuclear weapon later this year.
"If they have the nuclear material and they have a parallel weaponisation programme along the way, they are really not very far - a few months - from a weapon," he told Newsweek.
ohio said:Unfortunately, like it or not, nukes exist and will always exist. At some point, countries we don't like will probably even develop fusion bombs.
So we need to figure out another way to create a safe planet, even with weapons of the most terrible kind floating around. Not an easy problem, eh?
Funny you should say that Reactor.Reactor said:We as a planet have no choice but to address the problem.
Good article actually - see it here:One can foresee all too easily a situation in which the rest of the world, unable to agree how to proceed against this menace, leaves Israel, as the stated target, feeling vulnerable. And anyone who thinks that Israel is going to allow another avowedly hostile state to build a nuclear arsenal to use against it has not been paying attention these past few decades.
I feel the same way about it really. IS can take care of itself, at lease as well as IR can if not better. They are also on their toes since IR basically called for them to be wiped off the map. If IR starts making nukes then I bet IS waits about 10 minutes for the US to do something, and when we dont (dont phucking do it Bush, stay out of this one you tool) before they launch atomic spit wads, nuclear dune buggies, and malnourished semiautomatic suicide camels in a full out S&A ass kicking in Iran.blue said:Ehhh...unlikely. The Israelis will level Tehran before they manage to strap a warhead to a rocket. In the unlikely event that a large scale nuclear exchange like that were to happen, the Chinese would most definently not ally themselves with Iran. Remember, they still need the American consumer to fuel their booming economy.
Steady on there chief. We're still a way away from Israel laying the samck down to Iran and even if we were close to it, it's probably something I wouldn't take glee in having predicted. If it comes to pass it'll be the worst crisis since '62 and probably since WW2. Something I'd prefer to be wrong about, if I were you.Dog Welder said:Did I call it or did I call it? The Smack down's a' comin.