Iran Begins large-scale war games to protect nuclear sites

[Eredar Warlock]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,576195,00.html

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Sunday began large-scale air defense war games aimed at protecting its nuclear facilities from attack, state TV reported, as an air force commander boasted the country could deter any military strike by Israel.

It said the five-day drill will cover an area a third of the size of Iran and spread across the central, western and southern parts of the country.

Gen. Ahmad Mighani, head of an air force unit in charge of responding to threats to Iran's air space, said Saturday the war games would cover regions where Iran's nuclear facilities are located.

The drill involves Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, the paramilitary Basij forces affiliated with the Guard as well as army units.

The United States and its European allies accuse Iran of embarking on a nuclear weapons program. Iran denies the charge and insists the program is only for peaceful purposes.

Israel has not ruled out military action to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The commander of the Guard's air force, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, meanwhile sought on Sunday to play down the significance of Israel's threats against his country, saying they amounted to psychological warfare.

"We are sure they are not able to do anything against us since they cannot predict our reaction," Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by the Guard's official Web site, Sephahnews.

"If their fighter planes could escape from Iran's air defense system, their bases will be hit by our devastating surface-to-surface missiles before they land," he said.

Also on Sunday, Iran's defense minister, Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, said Iran planned to pursue designing and producing its own air defense missiles, according to the official IRNA news agency.

His comments were apparently in response to the delay in the delivery from Russia of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, meant to be a key component of Iran's air defense.

Iran complains that the delay is apparently the result of Israeli and U.S. pressure.

Israel and the United States have opposed the missile deal out of fear Iran could use the system to significantly boost air defenses at its nuclear sites — including its main uranium enrichment plant at Natanz.
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* Iran to Hold War Games to Protect Nuclear Sites

Commenting on this week's war games, a senior Obama administration official urged Iran to engage with the international community.

"We would prefer that the Iranian regime follow through on their offer to engage," said Ellen Tauscher, the U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security.

"It is more important for them to build confidence with the international community," she said at a news conference Sunday at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia.

It's time to quit playing nice with these people. We need to quit pussyfooting around and actually do something about this. We need real, economy-crippling sanctions and a naval blockade. If we don't do something, Israel will - and it will be far less peaceful.

 

[Misty]

Good luck. We can't even convince Germany to sanction Iran, let alone Russia or China.

 

[The Big Al]

I'm not surprised and really can't blame them. When you're being threatened by a state known for its irrational aggression (Israel), are you really going to sit around with your thumbs in your ass? Fortunately these are defensive war games, suggesting they're preparing to be attacked, not attack.

 

[Mitchman]

So its begun? Only a matter a time till someone launches the first missile now, and all that's left is hope no one does launch a missile.

 

[Stranger]

Personally, I encourage Iran to produce nuclear weapons. It will bring some much needed stability in that region.

 

[Netto Azure]

Personally, I encourage Iran to produce nuclear weapons. It will bring some much needed stability in that region.

Now that's a nice thought. :O

 

[TPJerematic]

Personally, I encourage Iran to produce nuclear weapons. It will bring some much needed stability in that region.

Er ... no it won't.

All it will do is give them the ability to launch an attack on Israel that would be hard to intercept. Israel will 100% respond with a nuclear barrage on anything in Iran they could hit and the US would be forced into assisting them due to treaties and shit.

 

[Stranger]

Er ... no it won't.

All it will do is give them the ability to launch an attack on Israel that would be hard to intercept.

Which would lead to the utter annihilation of Iran itself as well. When both countries have the means to wipe eachother off the map, neither will have the balls to make the first move. Hence, stability.

Not the most elegant solution, but it works.

 

[Big Lutz]

Which would lead to the utter annihilation of Iran itself as well. When both countries have the means to wipe eachother off the map, neither will have the balls to make the first move. Hence, stability.

Not the most elegant solution, but it works.

Unless Iran passes it off to one of the nutty terrorist groups that it supplies with all sorts of weapons. In that case Iran gets its nuclear explosion and can try to claim ignorance. Of course you also have to worry that Iran will view the destruction of Israel as God's Will, and destroying them in the ultimate suicide bomb move would be granting God's wish to kill millions of Jews.

 

[Mitchman]

Which would lead to the utter annihilation of Iran itself as well. When both countries have the means to wipe eachother off the map, neither will have the balls to make the first move. Hence, stability.

Not the most elegant solution, but it works.

You are forgetting that when 2 countries kick off the nuclear party for all the USA and Russia automatically get involved somehow. Its not going to end well and having missiles isn't solving anything.

 

[Raves]

Oh, the irony of the seventh rule of chivalry.

 

[The Big Al]

Iran getting nukes would throw the Middle East into a cold war like what we had between India and Pakistan in the 90's. I'd hardly call it stable.

 

[Eredar Warlock]

Iran getting nukes would throw the Middle East into a cold war like what we had between India and Pakistan in the 90's. I'd hardly call it stable.

Then why support them and their enrichment? They're CLEARLY not doing this fore peaceful purposes - they aren't enriching enough for that.

There is a point when push will come to shove.

 

[The Big Al]

If Bush hadn't been so cavalier in his "diplomacy" with his "bow to my demands and then we'll talk" approach, we probably could have solved this years ago. While a cold war is not stable, it is more stable than a third Middle East Conflict firing up because the Israeli government is dumber than a box of rocks. It's the lesser of two evils but still less evil.

 

[Snake Bandage]

I'm not surprised and really can't blame them. When you're being threatened by a state known for its irrational aggression (Israel), are you really going to sit around with your thumbs in your ass? Fortunately these are defensive war games, suggesting they're preparing to be attacked, not attack.

That's sweet, except we're probably not going to do anything as long as the Americans put their foot down about it. Contrary to popular belief, we don't like to mess with the US, especially when it comes to nuclear weapons.

 

[Big Lutz]

If Bush hadn't been so cavalier in his "diplomacy" with his "bow to my demands and then we'll talk" approach, we probably could have solved this years ago.

Yeah umm no. As we now know now, it was during the years where Bush was using his 'bow to my demands and then we'll talk' diplomacy during 2002 - 2004 that Iran actually stopped construction on it's nukes plants. Most likely out of fear of reprisal. It was only when Bush started the "Please come to the tables and we will talk, or else we will use watered down sanctions" in 2006, a plan that the Obama Administration has continued now. That Iran began to start construction of new nuclear plants again.

While a cold war is not stable, it is more stable than a third Middle East Conflict firing up because the Israeli government is dumber than a box of rocks. It's the lesser of two evils but still less evil.

Yeah damn that Israeli Government fearing a country getting nukes that actually funds and equips terrorist groups that work to destroy them day and night, as well as calling them a cancer and their destruction coming soon. Those stupid Israelis for taking such a threat seriously.

 

[Phoenicks]

I'm not surprised and really can't blame them. When you're being threatened by a state known for its irrational aggression (Israel), are you really going to sit around with your thumbs in your ass? Fortunately these are defensive war games, suggesting they're preparing to be attacked, not attack.

'Irrational aggression'? Meaning what exactly?

Personally, I encourage Iran to produce nuclear weapons. It will bring some much needed stability in that region.

Which would lead to the utter annihilation of Iran itself as well. When both countries have the means to wipe eachother off the map, neither will have the balls to make the first move. Hence, stability.

Not the most elegant solution, but it works.

Utter anhiliation and total warfare is stable now? LOLWUT

 

[The Big Al]

Yeah umm no. As we now know now, it was during the years where Bush was using his 'bow to my demands and then we'll talk' diplomacy during 2002 - 2004 that Iran actually stopped construction on it's nukes plants. Most likely out of fear of reprisal. It was only when Bush started the "Please come to the tables and we will talk, or else we will use watered down sanctions" in 2006, a plan that the Obama Administration has continued now. That Iran began to start construction of new nuclear plants again.

Fearing reprisal properly being the operative word. Actually, some cite Bush's invasion of Iraq as what reactivated the nuclear program. During '04, normal Iranian citizens said they wanted nuclear weapons because Bush invading an unarmed Iraq while leaving North Korea alone to develop nukes themselves under a similar approach Bush had taken with Iran. They started fearing reprisals for not developing nukes and being in Bush's way. Either way, Bush muffed this situation.

Yeah damn that Israeli Government fearing a country getting nukes that actually funds and equips terrorist groups that work to destroy them day and night, as well as calling them a cancer and their destruction coming soon. Those stupid Israelis for taking such a threat seriously.

And taking that threat and fanning the flames.

 

[Snake Bandage]

'Irrational aggression'? Meaning what exactly?

That the Israeli government is like an extremely paranoid elementary school bully who's prone to ridiculous temper tantrums.

I'll be the first to admit that it's true. But for whatever reason whenever he brings Israel up, Big Al gets really aggressive and talks like Israel is a country full of heartless terrorists. I dislike my country for many reasons, but even I think Al's... overdoing it.

 

[Big Lutz]

Fearing reprisal properly being the operative word. Actually, some cite Bush's invasion of Iraq as what reactivated the nuclear program. During '04, normal Iranian citizens said they wanted nuclear weapons because Bush invading an unarmed Iraq while leaving North Korea alone to develop nukes themselves under a similar approach Bush had taken with Iran. They started fearing reprisals for not developing nukes and being in Bush's way. Either way, Bush muffed this situation.

This may be news to you, but normal Iranian citizens do not make decisions in Iran. Not only that but they had already had their nuclear program activated far before the Iraq invasion. I direct you to the New York Times report on the Quom site.

In fact, it appears that the construction of the underground plant began years earlier, and the inspectors’ report noted that satellite imagery shows that tunneling work began “between 2002 and 2004,” or shortly after the revelations about the existence of Natanz, which was also built underground. That construction paused in 2004, after the Iraq war began, the report indicated, but was “resumed in 2006.”

Why Iran then resumed the construction work is unclear. But in 2006, the Bush administration indicated a greater willingness to negotiate with Iran if it first complied with three United Nations Security Council resolutions to halt enrichment activity at Natanz. Iran refused, and Monday’s report indicated it now produced about 3,900 pounds of low-enriched uranium, enough for one to two weapons if it was further enriched.

This comes straight from the report released last week by I believe the IAEA monitoring Iranian activities.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/world/middleeast/17nuke.html

And taking that threat and fanning the flames.

When a country is threatening that your time is near, while building nukes, and supplying your enemies with weapons and funds, there is not much flames that need to be fanned. Face it Al, you can't blame the Israelis for this one.