More concerns re: Iran

[Dr Mordrid]

Sounds like they may have been testing the shaped charges necessary for an implosion nuclear bomb design;

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/01/world/main1265968.shtml

Tick, tick, tick.....

Dr. Mordrid

[DukeP]

THe middle east is anything but booring, thats for sure.

~~DukeP~~

[schmosef]

There's been an almost constant barrage of news leaks covering all different angles these last few days.

Even Russian and China seem to be on board with taking this issue to the Security Council now that the Iranians seem to have rejected the idea of letting Russia do the enrichment.

I think that the various governments are strategically allowing these leaks to build public support for whatever action the SC deems necessary.

I just hope they act before it's too late.

Something I find puzzling is that since the Iranians are making such strong denials that they are working on a nuclear weapons program, how would they be able to maintain any international respect if they ever did come up with a nuke?

Sure, the middle east would be all "allah akbar" about it but the rest of the world would have to face the reality that they got snowed by the Iranians.

I'd be pretty peeved if I was a leader in the EU and I was conned by Iran and had gone to bat for them.

Maybe they'd just call their weapons "defensive" and deny any malicious intent.

There always seems to be someone willing to believe the best, even when faced with the worst.

[Umfriend]

I'd be pretty peeved if I was a leader in the EU and I was conned by Iran and had gone to bat for them.

And this makes me wonder: when was it ever clearly shown that peeving EU leaders causes retribution? I'd say it's not cause for concern and in any case, the relationship/position vis-a-vis ones neighbours may be more important anyway.

On a side note: I know Iran has at least refrained for a long time from using chemical weapons in the first gulf war (at the time saying that Islam did not allow for that). Have they ever?

[schmosef]

And this makes me wonder: when was it ever clearly shown that peeving EU leaders causes retribution? I'd say it's not cause for concern and in any case, the relationship/position vis-a-vis ones neighbours may be more important anyway.

I see your point. It's just that they're going on and on about how they are the beacon of Islam and that they are not subject to the corruption of the West, etc.

If they actually made a nuke, it would be a huge insult all around.

They'd have to justify it by saying something like "we made one only because you didn't want us to" but the problem with that is that it takes a long time to make one so they would have had to have been working on it all that time anyway.

Brian, if you are reading this... given all the new facts that have come to light in recent days about things that make investigators suspicious of Iran's true intent, do you still hold to your belief that Iran couldn't possibly be stupid enough to be trying to develop a nuke?