Iran - Bush - Your Views

[Keltoi]

I think some people are vastly overestimating Iran's military capability. You have to remember that when the U.S., U.K., and Australia get together, there isn't much any army can do to win. The technological and training advantages are simply too great. It would probably take a matter of days to completely demolish any serious Iranian military threat. We aren't talking occupation here, with soldiers standing around at checkpoints and driving around neighborhoods. We would be talking conventional vs. conventional. Not good odds for old Iran.

That being said, nobody wants it. The U.S. doesn't want it, Israel doesn't want it, the U.K. doesn't want it. The question is what does Iran want?

 

[Pygoscelis]

It really depends on if any other party intervenes. Imagine if China came onside at the very last moment. That'd be interesting. Perhaps unlikely, but interesting.

 

[Woodrow]

It really depends on if any other party intervenes. Imagine if China came onside at the very last moment. That'd be interesting. Perhaps unlikely, but interesting.

China and Iran are reportedly close to signing a multibillion-dollar agreement to develop the big Yadavaran oilfield in southern Iran. The semiofficial magazine "Caijing" reports that a senior Chinese delegation from the National Development and Reform Commission could arrive in Tehran to finalize the deal as early as March. Word of the move comes amid the intensifying row between Iran and the international community over the aims of Iran's nuclear program. Does it indicate that China will do "business as usual" with Iran despite concern that Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear arms?

Source: http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/02/e4e2b10c-95f0-4b9c-826b-0c68922bfff5.html

 

[Cognescenti]

Source: http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/02/e4e2b10c-95f0-4b9c-826b-0c68922bfff5.html

Ugggh. That is not a good sign. Guess what else China has that might be of interst to Iran......Reliable, proven, intercontinental ballistic missiles.

 

[Woodrow]

All through these debates about the Mid east I have been holding the posistion that oil was not a factor for the US. I still believe the US has no need for mid-eastern oil. But the light bulb just lit up. Maybe the US does not need the mid-eastern oil, but China does. I do not think we would see a good oil source for China as being in the best interest of the US.

So oil is a factor, not because we want it, but because we want to block China from getting it.

 

[AvarAllahNoor]

What is the exclamation point for? You sound like you are looking forward to it. It would indeed be a frightening event. Every country with a US or Israeli embassy or an US or Israeli business would have something to worry about. And there would likely be worldwide economic repercussions. Iran would shortly have no air defence system, no electrical grid, no power plants, no hydroelectric dams, no working oil infrastructure, no navy, no air force. Yeah..it sounds like a blast.

This does bring an interesting theological question. Do you really mean to say that Allah would, in some fashion, command the Israeli PM to order an attack?

After all, he most certainly qualifies as an infidel, no?

No such things as infidel in Sikhism....

As for me ''looking forward to it'' no, not at all. - Last thing on my mind.
Peace is best, but the right to defend is also to be actioned.

 

[AvarAllahNoor]

Iran: No retreat on nuclear plans


Tehran has brushed off the threat of sanctions over its nuclear programme [EPA]

Iran's president has refused to bow to western threats to freeze his country's nuclear activities.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that Iran has "no reverse gear" on its programme to develop nuclear technology.


The fresh defiance was echoed by an Iranian official who said Tehran was ready for any possible scenario "even for war".

The comments come as officials from the Security Council plus Germany are due to meet in London in the coming days to examine chances of drafting a new resolution on Tehran.


The United States insists it wants a diplomatic solution to the row but has not ruled out military action.

Dick Cheney, the US vice president, said on Saturday Washington and its allies must curb Iran's atomic ambitions.

War scenario

But Ahmadinejad was quoted by Iran's student news agency ISNA as saying: "Iran has obtained the technology to produce nuclear fuel and Iran's move is like a train ... which has no brake and no reverse gear".

"We dismantled the rear gear and brakes of the train and threw them away sometime ago," Ahmadinejad was quoted as telling a gathering of Islamic clerics.

An Iranian deputy foreign minister echoed Ahmadinejad, saying the Islamic Republic, which is accused by the West of trying to build nuclear weapons, was ready for any possible scenario "even for war".

Manouchehr Mohammadi, one of the deputies to the foreign minister, was quoted by ISNA as saying at a conference in the central city of Isfahan:

"We have prepared ourselves for any situation, even for war."

Mohammadi said that if the UN Security Council adopted a second resolution imposing sanctions over Iran's controversial nuclear programme, Tehran would press on with its atomic drive.

"If they issue a second resolution, Iran will not respond and will continue its nuclear activities," he said.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. Tehran denies the charges, insisting its atomic programme is peaceful in nature