[EternalHope]

We are fast approaching what could be one of history's defining moments. No one can say for sure until it actually happens, of course, but this one has been well publicized in advance.

The war in Israel has not gone well for the good guys, but that is merely a side show compared to what Iran hopes will come next.

None of this is tin foil stuff. I wish it were.

We've been warned. They mean it.

I have confidence in President Bush, and I'm sure we'll be as ready as we possibly can be under the circumstances.

[evets]

[Loyolas Mattman]

Not if we act TODAY. Not wait and see what happens on the 22nd. TODAY. International opinion be damned.

Maybe it won't be on the 22nd, maybe it will be on 9/11 or October 28, or whenever. But it will happen if we don't act fast.

[Calpernia]

We're planning an end of the world live thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1680521/posts
World to end on August 22

I've got REM qued up.

[ChocChipCookie]

I actually am taking the Iranian Madman seriously, but all I can think of is how messed up my plans will be for the end of the month -- a nice vacation in the mountains, back to school night with our homeschool group, etc. It's almost surreal to hear about August 22 as a sort of doomsday and look at my life right now, which is so completely normal.

[sheik yerbouty]

I believe that we must rise early, and put an end to those who destroy us all.

[Irontank]

The situation is similar to November of 1941. President Roosevelt is widely thought to have had advance intel letting him know Japan was about to do something, but chose to do nothing. It is not clear he knew where/when the attack would actually come. But regardless of what he did or did not know, the REPUBLICANS were in full isolationist mode. He could not make any significant move until his hand was stronger.

Not only might President Roosevelt have known in advance of the attack at Pearl Harbor...FDR's Administration sought for more than a year to provoke an attack to marginalize those "isolationist" Republicans you disparage. In October of 1940, Lt Cmndr McCollum of the Office of Naval Intelligence submitted a memo to two of FDR's most trusted military advisors in which he set forth an 8 step plan to provoke Japan into attacking the US. Over the course of the next 12 months, all of those steps were implemented.

It is not believed that in the present state of political opinion the United States government is capable of declaring war against Japan without more ado; and it is barely possible that vigorous action on our part might lead the Japanese to modify their attitude. Therefore, the following course of action is suggested:

A. Make an arrangement with Britain for the use of British bases in the Pacific, particularly Singapore.

B. Make an arrangement with Holland for the use of base facilities and acquisition of supplies in the Dutch East Indies.

C. Give all possible aid to the Chinese government of Chiang-Kai-Shek.

D. Send a division of long range heavy cruisers to the Orient, Philippines, or Singapore.

E. Send two divisions of submarines to the Orient.

F. Keep the main strength of the U.S. fleet now in the Pacific in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands.

G. Insist that the Dutch refuse to grant Japanese demands for undue economic concessions, particularly oil.

H. Completely embargo all U.S. trade with Japan, in collaboration with a similar embargo imposed by the British Empire.

10. If by these means Japan could be led to commit an overt act of war, so much the better. At all events we must be fully prepared to accept the threat of war.

The notion that Iran is going to nuke the US is absurd...if it even has nuclear weapons...the CIA estimates it is not even close. Of course, generating a climate of fear and paranoia is what government does...its how it perpetuates its existence.

I have confidence in President Bush, and I'm sure we'll be as ready as we possibly can be under the circumstances.

Don't. Government...even the American government...is not be trusted. In the words of Randolph Bourne, war is the health of the state.

[Redleg1963]

Iran will pop a nuke in Beriut or Damascus and blame Israel.

I'm looking for an article I read back in 1996 that predicted this. I think it was by Ralph Peters, or he wrote a forward for it.

[Hatteras]

Best scenario will include a small squadron of Israeli F-16s making an early morning wrong turn over Lebanon and wind up doing some high speed treetop flying into suburban Tehran. Ooops...

I'm actually surprised it hasn't happened already.

[Dracian]

At best, Iran could test a home grown nuke on Aug 22. If they intend to shot a missile based nuke, they are using someone other country's components. Designing a working nuke missile isn't all that easy.

Making a nuke is tough, making a small lightweight nuke is tougher still. Lots of testing needs to be done to get it right. We haven't seen nuke tests carried out in Iran that I am aware of.

[ravingnutter]

Well, if this story pans out and Hezbollah was tied to the attempted British attacks, I'd say that is what Iran had planned for the 22nd. From what I have read, the flights planned this weekend were supposed to be a dry run for the real attack, which would make that scenario plausible. But then again, there are some who say the thwarted attack resembles an al Qaeda operation and they have a tendency to strike on Tuesdays. At this point, as I said on another thread, I say we just kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out.

[ChocChipCookie]

I've been praying that there will be an Iranian, someone perhaps in ahmadnijab's inner circle, who will have a crisis of conscience and leak information about the madman's plans.

[Argus]

Well I'm scheduled to fly to Europe on 9/1, so if we're going to nuke Iran I hope we do it before then so I can factor that into my travel plans.

[claptrap]

Vanity is right, there is little to support your supposition. Since President Bush insists on using
our fighters as targets in Iraq wouldnt it be more likely
for them to take the brunt of an Iranian attack.
An attack on Jerusalem might provoke a response
that Iran might not be able to absorb.

[Brilliant]

Maybe they are planning to invade Iraq.

[wolfcreek]

It only takes one EMP weapon to ruin your whole day.

[Irene Adler]

It might be nice if we had a little something in mind for August 21st.

[toddlintown]

"Mixed in somewhere after the first hundred or so missiles have been fired is at least one missile with a nuclear warhead."

They don't have that capability. Having a nuke and having missiles does not necessarily mean having a guided missile with a nuclear warhead. You don't simply strap a nuke to the missile's cone and praise Allah.

Since the rags seem to be dealing with North Korea for missiles, the theory is far-fetched.

[Hot Tabasco]

everyone who follows the news knows Iran has something in mind for August 22nd

I'm thinking he's going to call a world wide press conference with ABC, NBC and CBS in the front row with their cameras rolling then flip the bird saying "Take that you Israeli pigs!".....

If I were an Iranian I'd be shaking my head saying "Aw Geez, not this Sh&* again!"

[blasater1960]

I am sure we will be watching in real time and if so much as the tip of a nose cone appears, we will obliterate their whole country. Same for NK.

[Boiler Plate]

I think we all need to "Mark Up" every muslim in this country the 21st and 22nd. No muslim gets a moment to be by themselves.