Posted on 04/08/2015 12:06:51 PM PDT by balch3
Taking out their nuclear program could be done from the air, and that’s probably the right way to do it. The right day to do it was six years ago, after the antisemitic socialist was declared winner of the 2008 presidential election and before that druggie took power. Still, better late than never.
Contamination of the environment will cause exodus of western specialists. A non-nuclear explosion at Chernobyl contaminated the whole Europe. A nuclear explosion will be felt all over the world - but the fallout in the region will be significant.
However we should consider (such as be sure) that Iran, being under attack, will destroy oil wells of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and whoever else is in the area. They can use missiles, but it's more likely that they will send special operations forces.
Politically, an unprovoked nuclear strike on Iran will turn the USA from the world's banker to the world's madman. Want to count how many countries will be happy to punish the USA in the UN? How about all of them, maybe except the UK? Trade embargoes will destroy the US economy; not that it is in such a great shape today.
Unfortunately, any draconian measures taken - - either by the US, Israel, or anyone else - - would result in the elimination of a great number of Iranians, most of whom overwhelmingly hate their oppressors and are friendly towards the US.
Not going to happen. Blocked for 72 hours maybe, and then cleared. After that it would require convoying ships through, but the Iranians simply couldn't blockade it for much longer than 3 days. Their air force would be gone, their navy would be gone, and their coastal missiles would be shot down (they don't have great ASCMs).
After that they are down to throwing free floating mines in the water and attempting suicide runs with small boats. A hundred attack helicopters would effectively take the small boat threat off the table and the floating mines are manageable. Not to mention that when Iran closes the SOH, they also choke their own throat and have the honor of being on the receiving end of an extremely effective naval blockade.
The world has set off over 1600 nukes since 1945.
How much area is off limits due to those?
The Iranian facilities are underground, calling for an underground detonation. Using a deep penetrator, not much radioactivity should escape.
Nope.
With exception of Japan (which was also the target of very successful unrestricted submarine warfare) no nation has ever been subdued by air power alone. And we used nukes on Japan. And they almost didn’t surrender.
I seriously doubt that we could take out the Iranian nuclear production without sending troops in. Mostly we’d make lots noise, and some very expensive craters, but, when it was all over, most of their refining capacity would still be functional.
Bombs alone won’t do it. And I don’t trust this administration to lead our troops.
Sorry but I do not trust ANY mission with Osama as commander in chief. He will send our pilots deliberately towards SAM sites.
The last thing our best fighters will hear on their comms system will be their own commander saying “Allahu Akhbar!”
Too bad Gen Curtis E. LeMay is no longer with us. I’m sure he’d have a plan that would ensure Iran was not a threat for the next 1000 years, if then.
Again, precisely correct. And I thought that was the plan!
We had 80,000+ mean on each of Iran's borders, the ESSENTIAL ENEMY of civilization in the world today, and we didn't have the will to pull the trigger.
SHAME ON YOU GW BUSH.
Israel did Osirak in 40 minutes. We have more assets and Gulf Arab bases. The objective isn't to conquer Iran - it's to demolish their nuclear facilities, which are somewhat concentrated, because it's inefficient to have scientists spend most of the workday traveling.
Agreed.
If the USA only intends to obliterate the nuclear facilities in Iran, they don’t need ground troops or occupation. The time frame would be longer than a couple of days, though. It would probably be more like a few weeks and not days. After the destruction of the nuclear sites was done, then we just leave.
Yeah, it’s more like weeks ... :-) ...
I said it would be weeks instead of days, so 8 weeks would be about two months ... :-) ...
What ground occupation? The point is to destroy the nuke facilities, the way the Israelis did to Osirak in 40 minutes. Except we have more planes and Gulf Arab bases, and we can enlist their air forces in some of the blocking and tackling.
The Israelis took out Osirak in 40 minutes. If it's gonna take us weeks from Gulf Arab bases, the Israelis have no non-nuclear military option. Somehow, I doubt that.
It’s a good Idea. You know what type of vacuum that would? That whole stripe of land from Lebenon through Syria, into Iraq and over to Iran. I can already see Turkey and Pakistan smacking their lips.
Yeah, he’s talking nonsense...Iran is a huge, well-developed country, and it would take several months of bombing to identify and wipe out its nuclear facilities.
Oh I’m am pretty sure that Israel can point out all the specific locations..............
With 40 or less (nuke) targets (after complete Air Supremacy), flying 80 sorties a day with heavy bombers (easy for us), one has to ask how many bombs do you want to drop into the same hole?
Each heavy bomber can carry TWO, 30,000lb MOPs.
Or, 150,000lbs of conventional bombs.
That nuclear plant wasn’t buried deep inside rocks. With that you want to be sure you obliterate the workings deep inside and not just the openings to the surface, where they can easily create alternate ones. And, Iran has so many sites, too.
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