Posted on 11/25/2011 2:29:38 PM PST by nuconvert
November 21, 2011: South Korean intelligence has revealed that there are several hundred North Korean scientists, engineers and technicians working in Iran's nuclear weapons program. The North Koreans work at ten locations, and are regularly rotated back to North Korea and replaced. Such a North Korean presence has long been known, but was believed to be for the ballistic missile program. Now, there are accusations of extensive North Korean help with Iran's nuclear weapons program.
Earlier this month, the UN IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) issued a report that accused Iran of having a nuclear weapons program. The report provided lots of details. Russia, China and other Iran allies tried to block release of the report, but without much success. The report describes a nuclear weapons research facility outside Tehran, and the use of computer simulation to guide the nuclear weapon design process. IAEA believes Iran now has enough enriched (to weapons grade) uranium for three nuclear weapons, but is still encountering technical problems in producing a workable weapon.
North Korea has been supplying Iran with weapons and weapons technology since the 1980s. In the beginning, it was SCUD ballistic missiles to fire at Iraq. Then came technical assistance to modify the SCUDs. This led to several North Korean long range missile designs showing up in Iran. Both Iran and North Korea have long played down this relationship, but the evidence keeps piling up to document it, and the subsequent assistance for the nuclear weapons effort.
North Korea needs cash and weapons, and weapons technology has long been a major export. But the North Koreans drive a hard bargain. Despite the fact that North Korea has tested two nuclear weapons (in 2006 and 2009), they have not given this tech to Iran, but, for a fee, are helping the Iranians re-invent it.
When do you think the israelis are going to hit them?
And the lefties laughed when “Booooooosh” gave the “Axis of Evil” speech. Bush was more right than he knew, I suspect.
“When do you think the Israelis are going to hit them?”
Given the distances, the logistics and the regional politics, there is little chance of that Israel can sustain the level of air campaign that taking out or even delaying the nuclear program would take. Cruise missiles will not seriously damage the bomb program as they will only kill surface targets. Israel might make ballistic missile attacks but I’m not aware they have the kind of capability and the quantity of weapons that would be required.
As I see it the Israeli options are:
1. Lobby somebody else to make the required bombing effort.
2. Destabilize the regime.
3. Use espionage to slow the program down.
4. Hit Iran’s oil production facilities with cruse missiles and wait for the regime to collapse.
No matter what Israel does it will suffer the world’s combined weight for whatever Iran does in retaliation. If they select Option 4 the world will immediately suffer a financial meltdown as Iran supplies 20% of the world’s oil. Eighty percent of the world’s oil flows past the Straights of Hormuz, which Iran can control with mines and artillery.
I know Freepers will say, “Oh, our Navy can clear the straights and take out the guns.” That would require a presidential order.
Iran doubtless feeds them better stuff than the tree bark they’d get back home.
Somebody hit them a very good lick just last week.
We should be wondering how many NORKOs were killed along with the Iranian Generals.
Only a choice by Saudi Arabia to cooperate would make it possible. And with their Sunni disposition, they dearly loathe the Shiite in next door Iran (and the feeling’s mutual, though somehow Saudi Arabia manages to let them come and pilgrimage to Mecca without serious incident). Would the Saudis do the unthinkable and tell Israel “Ok you Jewish dogs, you got 48 hours, come on and sock it to Iran”???
“Would the Saudis do the unthinkable and tell Israel “Ok you Jewish dogs, you got 48 hours, come on and sock it to Iran”???”
The bomb project is widely dispersed and very hardened. It will take a lot longer than 48 hours.
Also, I’d suspect the Saudis of letting Israel do the work and then knocking out the planes while they are returning or refueling. Just cooperating with Israel would give the House of Saud severe internal political problems; perhaps fatal ones. Cooperating and then betraying would be cause for celebration and would enhance the Saudi ruling family’s position and power.
This is why I think the Iranian oil facilities would be a better bet. No risk to men or planes. The job can be done by subs already on station in the Persian Gulf.
During the last presidential election cycle, I had the opportunity to talk to Ron Paul on a talk show the day before the Iowa Caucuses. Of course, he got high praise for the defense of our Constitution. Then I asked a foreign policy question. I asked him that if N. Korea was sending nuclear missiles to Iran, would he board and seize or sink the ship? His answer was not surprising and why many people believe he would be an unthinkable commander in chief. He told me and the talk show audience — (paraphrasing) “Why would we do that? It’s none of our business.”
He’s a Nut
When the IAF bombers penetrate Iranian air pace, they will be following Saudi and Qatari pilots tasked with taking out defenses and radar.
The whole shebang will be directed by joint commanders in a Saudi AWACS flying out over the Gulf
JQP seems always to forget that Iran is about as big as all of Western Europe, has ample mountainous terrain in which you could hide all of Ford's old River Rouge plant underground, and no matter how effective a first, or first 25 weeks of strikes might be, it would not take a whole lot of nuclear missile power (maybe 3) to turn Israel's major towns into toast. Israel being the size of CT means that even if you were trying to take out Hartford and missed, New Haven is gone.
Although I would personally love to put a 2,000-lb JDAM down the Imam's Holy Well, ain't nobody bombin' nobody. What's "Plan B?"
That Saudi co-op scenario is about as realistic as the Pope marrying Lindsay Lohan.
You gotta know those missiles would have our name on them. Even if Ron Paul completely bowed America out of foreign skirmishes for 4 to 8 years, the Axis of Evil knows that somebody else is going to be president after that, and that person might be super hawkish to make up for what Ron Paul lacked.
We don’t have 4 to 8 years. Iran has to be stopped.
This is supposedly what Israel’s Iron Dome (kinetic anti-missile missiles) is about. Thinning Iran’s capability enough makes it plausible that Iron Dome would take care of the rest — and I could hardly blame, say, Saudi Arabia if they wanted to create their own Iron Dome.
That’s why I’m saying it would be stupid of Ron Paul to insinuate that America ignoring this is a viable policy.
I mean, that it IS stupid...
...there are several hundred North Korean scientists, engineers and technicians working in Iran's nuclear weapons program.
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