At least Israel puts its weaponry where its mouth is.

Why would anyone believe that a country, openly looking to make nukes, would diplomatically stop from trying to make nukes? That's like trying to convince Col Gene that Bush does what he does out of concern for the little people.

At least Israel puts its weaponry where its mouth is.

Really? I thought the Isreali nuclear arsenal was still the worst-kept secret in international politics? Or has that changed in the last year or so?

If I was an Iranian dictator there is no way I would halt a nuclear weapons program. It'd be the only possible way to get the US off my back and make sure that Israeli aggression wouldn't be a major threat. I'd also rig the powerplants so they blew up apocalyptically if damaged and then leak it to the press, so everyone would know who to blame if the Israelis did something clever.

Of course I'm not an Iranian dictator, so the thought of them having nukes doesn't really thrill me. But frankly the Middle East is a mess as it is. I probably wouldn't lose a great deal of sleep if all those psychotic nations in the area wiped each other out. The people as individuals are fine but their nations are crazy.

I'd also rig the powerplants so they blew up apocalyptically if damaged and then leak it to the press, so everyone would know who to blame if the Israelis did something clever.

1. Rigging the plants like that would probably be very unsafe, and
2. I understand that the world would blame Israel in a case like that, but who really is responsible in that case? "If you storm my compound, it will trigger the explosives that will kill all the children within it... but if you don't, I'll keep abusing the kids and there's nothing you can do about it!"

I'd also rig the powerplants so they blew up apocalyptically if damaged and then leak it to the press, so everyone would know who to blame if the Israelis did something clever.

1. Rigging the plants like that would probably be very unsafe, and 2. I understand that the world would blame Israel in a case like that, but who really is responsible in that case? "If you storm my compound, it will trigger the explosives that will kill all the children within it... but if you don't, I'll keep abusing the kids and there's nothing you can do about it!"

3. You wouldn't rig the powerplant and NOT leak it to the press. There is no deterrent if the deterrent isn't known by the enemy. Why do you think the Soviet ambassador told Pres. Muffley about the Doomsday Device in the War Room? (Name that film!)
4. Blame the Israelis for triggering a device the Iranians had assembled? Please. We know exactly who would be to blame for the artificial meltdown happening in the first place. Very irresponsible.

Frankly I wouldn't be terribly unhappy if Israel used it's arsenal to simply dig a large radioactive moat about 300 miles wide all around the nation turning it into something of an island. But then again I am a fascist asshole.

Frankly I wouldn't be terribly unhappy if Israel used it's arsenal to simply dig a large radioactive moat about 300 miles wide all around the nation turning it into something of an island.

That sounds like quite a lot of firepower. I don't think Israel has that kind of cojones, but the US could always step in and help its ally...

(Name that film!)

Dr Strangelove. Or How I learned to stop worrying and learned to love "Day After Tommorow".....i mean the bomb.

So what's the alternative? Iran's testing is 75+ feet underground. Its facilities are well-protected due to Israel's previous action against Iraq. Stuck between a rock and hard place when it comes to Iran.

The purpose of having the bomb if you're Iran, of course, is to blackmail the "West" into getting it's collective nose out of the Middle East's business. In other words, "All Western troops out of the Middle East, and no more support for Israel, or Chicago gets it!" Thusly will Iranian Islamo-psychotics try to wipe Israel from the map and try, once again, to export radical Islam to the rest of the world. They got as far as Vienna last time, didn't they? Or at least nearly. The trouble with international politics is that much like in chess you have to look down the road a few moves. The Iranians don't appear to be doing that. Lets suppose they get their Nuke. Will we be cowed? I think not. Lets say they come through on their threat and we lose Chicago. The enraged fury of 290 million Americans will make Julius Caesar look like a schoolyard bully. I'm all for one world government, so long as the capital is Washington...

The purpose of having the bomb if you're Iran, of course, is to blackmail the "West"

Goes without saying, to wit, North Korea successful blackmail.

Goes without saying, to wit, North Korea successful blackmail.

The difference being that North Korea is truly isolationist. The only expansionism they could possibly entertain is that of taking South Korea. Despite the egomaniacal psychosis of Kim Jong Il, North Korea has not tried to force us out of the region with said blackmail. Perhaps they play a better game of chess...

I hope we have moved forward with the nuclear bunker busting bomb even though we can not test is without violating our treaties. If we EVER get into a position where we need to attack targets in Iran or else ware that are buried, we no not, at the present time, have the ability to destroy hardened targets like we believe Iran has built.

If Bush was bent on attacking a Moslem country he should have attacked Iran as opposed to Iraq. Iran was and is a MUCH bigger threat to both the U S and Israel then Iraq was in 2003!

I am not a go-to-war-over-any-little-thing kind of guy, but I do believe that it is appropriate to simply slap hands when people are committing dangerous or heinous acts. The League of Nations sat on its duff and continued to scold Hitler. Even conquering other nations "to unite the German people" was not enough to convince them that he was a menace. It took some massive war to shake them up. Now the League's child, the U.N. follows in the same footsteps. We have to actually stand up and say no. It doesn't necessarily mean go to war, but the willingness to do whatever it takes can be a massive deterrant to those who have evil intentions at heart.