Should the 'west' make a pre-emptive strike in Iran?

[Rum]

Serious one this. The Iranians are playing 'war games' and practising what they would do if their nuclear sites were attacked. Their response includes sending missiles to Israel. It does seem almost certain they are trying to make nuclear weapons but in reality they are probably currently far weaker than Israel let alone the combined forces of the west.

At what point should the rest of us say 'enough' - we can't risk a nuclear Iran?...and if they won't come quietly, which they won't..attack them?

Or is there a totally different strategy?

[FedUpWithFaith]

Rum,

You need to learn to stop worrying and love the bomb.

[klr]

All together now ...

[Rum]

Rum,

You need to learn to stop worrying and love the bomb.

You assume I'm worried. Not so. Fascinated by the future and wish I had a bit more of it to live through than I probably do! 'What next' has always been a biggy for me!

What happens next!??!?!?

[Don't Panic]

Serious one this. The Iranians are playing 'war games' and practising what they would do if their nuclear sites were attacked. Their response includes sending missiles to Israel. It does seem almost certain they are trying to make nuclear weapons but in reality they are probably currently far weaker than Israel let alone the combined forces of the west.

At what point should the rest of us say 'enough' - we can't risk a nuclear Iran?...and if they won't come quietly, which they won't..attack them?

Or is there a totally different strategy?

Moot point, as soon as the Israelis confirm that Iran is anywhere close to developing a nuclear weapon they will act unilaterally and 'remove' those facilities.
This will enable the rest of the western World to publicly condemn their actions as being detrimental to the process of negotiated settlement of the issue while behind the scenes they'll replace the weapons the Israelis expended in removing the problem.

[klr]

Serious one this. The Iranians are playing 'war games' and practising what they would do if their nuclear sites were attacked. Their response includes sending missiles to Israel. It does seem almost certain they are trying to make nuclear weapons but in reality they are probably currently far weaker than Israel let alone the combined forces of the west.

At what point should the rest of us say 'enough' - we can't risk a nuclear Iran?...and if they won't come quietly, which they won't..attack them?

Or is there a totally different strategy?

Moot point, as soon as the Israelis confirm that Iran is anywhere close to developing a nuclear weapon they will act unilaterally and 'remove' those facilities.
This will enable the rest of the western World to publicly condemn their actions as being detrimental to the process of negotiated settlement of the issue while behind the scenes they'll replace the weapons the Israelis expended in removing the problem.

Hello, 1981.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Opera

[Don't Panic]

Serious one this. The Iranians are playing 'war games' and practising what they would do if their nuclear sites were attacked. Their response includes sending missiles to Israel. It does seem almost certain they are trying to make nuclear weapons but in reality they are probably currently far weaker than Israel let alone the combined forces of the west.

At what point should the rest of us say 'enough' - we can't risk a nuclear Iran?...and if they won't come quietly, which they won't..attack them?

Or is there a totally different strategy?

Moot point, as soon as the Israelis confirm that Iran is anywhere close to developing a nuclear weapon they will act unilaterally and 'remove' those facilities.
This will enable the rest of the western World to publicly condemn their actions as being detrimental to the process of negotiated settlement of the issue while behind the scenes they'll replace the weapons the Israelis expended in removing the problem.

Hello, 1981.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Opera

That was the precedent I was thinking of.

[klr]

Serious one this. The Iranians are playing 'war games' and practising what they would do if their nuclear sites were attacked. Their response includes sending missiles to Israel. It does seem almost certain they are trying to make nuclear weapons but in reality they are probably currently far weaker than Israel let alone the combined forces of the west.

At what point should the rest of us say 'enough' - we can't risk a nuclear Iran?...and if they won't come quietly, which they won't..attack them?

Or is there a totally different strategy?

Moot point, as soon as the Israelis confirm that Iran is anywhere close to developing a nuclear weapon they will act unilaterally and 'remove' those facilities.
This will enable the rest of the western World to publicly condemn their actions as being detrimental to the process of negotiated settlement of the issue while behind the scenes they'll replace the weapons the Israelis expended in removing the problem.

Hello, 1981.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Opera

That was the precedent I was thinking of.

I'm old enough to remember it very well. The US withheld delivery of a sizeable batch of F-16s, but only for a short while.

[Don't Panic]

Serious one this. The Iranians are playing 'war games' and practising what they would do if their nuclear sites were attacked. Their response includes sending missiles to Israel. It does seem almost certain they are trying to make nuclear weapons but in reality they are probably currently far weaker than Israel let alone the combined forces of the west.

At what point should the rest of us say 'enough' - we can't risk a nuclear Iran?...and if they won't come quietly, which they won't..attack them?

Or is there a totally different strategy?

Moot point, as soon as the Israelis confirm that Iran is anywhere close to developing a nuclear weapon they will act unilaterally and 'remove' those facilities.
This will enable the rest of the western World to publicly condemn their actions as being detrimental to the process of negotiated settlement of the issue while behind the scenes they'll replace the weapons the Israelis expended in removing the problem.

Hello, 1981.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Opera

That was the precedent I was thinking of.

I'm old enough to remember it very well. The US withheld delivery of a sizeable batch of F-16s, but only for a short while.

Yeah, "Bad Israel, no new planes for you... for now."

[klr]

...
I'm old enough to remember it very well. The US withheld delivery of a sizeable batch of F-16s, but only for a short while.

Yeah, "Bad Israel, no new planes for you... for now."

They certainly had enough for the turkey shoot over the Bekaa Valley the following year.

The only question is: How does the Israeli Air Force get to Iran?

[Arse]

How does the Israeli Air Force get to Iran?

They would have to cross Iraqi air space to get there, which would openly implicate another government in the affair.

[klr]

How does the Israeli Air Force get to Iran?

They would have to cross Iraqi air space to get there, which would openly implicate another government in the affair.

In 1981, they crossed Jordanian space (briefly) and then went over Saudi Arabia. The Saudis can't have been too distressed by the Iraqi nuclear program being stopped (although they backed Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war IIRC). But there's no evidence they colluded with the Israelis. The Israelis wouldn't find it so easy to get through Saudi air space this time though, and the Iranian defences wouldn't be asleep the way the Iraqis were even if the Saudis let them through.

[Arse]

Its probably no good depending on Israel to solve a global problem this time then. The rest of the world will have to step up, instead of leaving it to Israel to sort out, and then hypocritically pretending to condemn it.

[klr]

Its probably no good depending on Israel to solve a global problem this time then. The rest of the world will have to step up, instead of leaving it to Israel to sort out, and then hypocritically pretending to condemn it.

My thoughts exactly. They might just do that, because ultimately it's in none of the major power's interests to have a nuclear-armed Iran.

[charlou]

Rum,

You need to learn to stop worrying and love the bomb.

You assume I'm worried. Not so. Fascinated by the future and wish I had a bit more of it to live through than I probably do! 'What next' has always been a biggy for me!

What happens next!??!?!?

I have five children. I'm worried about the future ... theirs.