Israel launches attack on Iran | US bombs Iran nuke sites

[dukeman92]

We are the only ones who can take out Fordow from the air. Only US pilots can fly US-owned B-2s needed to drop US-owned MOABs.

Israel should have considered that before starting a war.

 

[gregh1]

Terrorists are very resourceful.

Again, what is to keep them from being destructive to America even if Iran's own facilities are incapacitated. We know they're somewhat advanced in cyber-warfare. 9/11 showed us that it doesn't take much to inflict harm.

What's the end game after we're done dropping bombs and shooting missiles (however long that takes)? We tried regime change in Iraq and that gave us Isis. We're still in Iraq. We basically stalemated with the Taliban in Afghanistan and Iran is TWICE as large as Afghanistan.

 

[gregh1]

This is a well-reasoned post and it's a logical conclusion not to bomb, even if I disagree with said conclusion. It is not an easy call, made more difficult because I do not have faith in the current US or Israeli governments to make the right decisions going forward.

Please permit me to respond with my own pros and cons list:

Pros:
- Kick the can down the road 5 to 10 years
- Make the costs of reinstituting the nuclear program high enough so that the Iranian mullahs don't reinvest. They have other bigger problems right now.
- Create a precedent to provide a disincentive for other countries contemplating their own nuclear weapons programs
- I believe that Fordow is not in a populated area and we can therefore minimize civilian deaths, but I don't know that for a fact.
- Bring the current military action and suffering to a conclusion. If there's no nuclear program, there is no reason for Israel to bomb.

Regarding this one, i think it's a stretch:
"Bring the current military action and suffering to a conclusion. If there's no nuclear program, there is no reason for Israel to bomb."
I don't trust Israel to stop. Hell, our intel suggests there isn't much nuke threat right now. So Israel could simply be attacking for non-nuke reasons (regime change, to keep a certain party in power, etc). We don't know why they're doing what they're doing.

Regarding this one:
"Make the costs of reinstituting the nuclear program high enough so that the Iranian mullahs don't reinvest. They have other bigger problems right now."

This doesn't mean they won't still sponsor terrorism. It takes nukes off the table, but there are millions of other terror threats which we wouldn't alter via a big bomb alone - cyberwarfare, mines in the Straits of Hormuz, embassies to attack. Iran is a huge country, we don't want to piss them off long-term.

 

[hedge]

We tried regime change in Iraq and that gave us Isis.

I guess the hope is that the relatively youthful population of Iran is tired of fundamentalist Islamic rule and will be receptive to regime change and maybe helpful in making it happen. At least that's what I recall hearing about for some time now...

 

[Kingpin]

The world? The world had Iran's program contained. TRUMP should never have let Iran get this far, though in truth there's no way to prevent them from getting a nuke one way or another.

I could envision a scenario where North Korea or Russia gives Iran a single nuke for the purpose of controlled detonation and then Iran announcing to the world “we have a nuke and more where that came from so fuck off”. And then they just sit back secure in the knowledge that world thinks it has nukes, but really does not.

 

[Huh?]

Israel should have considered that before starting a war.

Israel did consider that. They have undoubtedly tried to bring us into this action. The question now is whether the spectacular success of their operation has changed the landscape so that is in the strategic interests of the US to take out Fordow.

You can disapprove of Israel's intentions while at the same time taking advantage of the opportunity now presented.

 

[dukeman92]

the spectacular success of their operation

Spectacular success... so successful that they need us to finish it. No thanks.

 

[1moretimeagain]

Chuck Todd (on CNN) said his sources have indicated Trump is waiting on assurances that a US bomb attack would be successful.

 

[hedge]

Spectacular success... so successful that they need us to finish it. No thanks.

I'll give Israel this: If they came to Trump with a proposal that if they crippled Hezbollah, got rid of Assad, and took out Iran's senior military leadership, will you (Trump) drop a couple of bunker busters on their nuclear facility, I'd say they delivered on their side of the bargain...

 

[theel4life]

Chuck Todd (on CNN) said his sources have indicated Trump is waiting on assurances that a US bomb attack would be successful.

He will not bomb Iran. Putin won’t allow it.

 

[heelslegup]

Saw interview today on CNN with Barak Ravid of Axios erc who said it has become a race of what holds up longer: Israel's supply of intervept missiles vs Irtanian launders and ballistic missiles. He saeem ed to suggest that the outcome is up in air and Isreal could potentially run out and be defgenseless.
I think both sides need a 2 week ceasfire. In Israel's case it would allow them to replenish their intercecp missile supply and allow time for more US military assets to get into region and thus can help more with intercepts as welll. When this happened last year, US had more miitary asssets in the region so fewer missiles got rhough.

 

[4thgenheel]

They might not shoot down that plane, but if the US gets involved, it will put all our troops that are in based in the Middle East in danger.

and it would put the entire western world, america in particular, at a heightened risk of retaliatory terror attacks.

 

[Callatoroy]

Then Israel can march their asses in there and do it if they want to.

You are on the wrong side of this. We have a moral obligation to keep the largest sponsor of terror in the world from getting a nuke. It’s really that simple. How we go about that is the hard part but we have to act in some manner

 

[ChapelHillSooner]

We are the only ones who can take out Fordow from the air. Only US pilots can fly US-owned B-2s needed to drop US-owned MOABs.

I think you are confusing MOAB with a bunker buster type bomb.

MOAB is an air blast thermobaric weapon. It would be completely useless against that facility.

 

[Callatoroy]

They might not shoot down that plane, but if the US gets involved, it will put all our troops that are in based in the Middle East in danger.

They are already in danger and if Iran got a nuke that danger goes up 100 times.

 

[Machinehead]

 

[Callatoroy]

and it would put the entire western world, america in particular, at a heightened risk of retaliatory terror attacks.

Good thing Biden isn’t in control of the border now. Of course Iranian terrorists could have easily come into this country over the last 4 years.

 

[4thgenheel]

Good thing Biden isn’t in control of the border now. Of course Iranian terrorists could have easily come into this country over the last 4 years.

lmao. i've got news for you, captain room temperature IQ - iranian terrorists can still easily get into this country.

 

[hedge]

Saw interview today on CNN with Barak Ravid of Axios erc who said it has become a race of what holds up longer: Israel's supply of intervept missiles vs Irtanian launders and ballistic missiles. He saeem ed to suggest that the outcome is up in air and Isreal could potentially run out and be defgenseless.

Started a little early today, eh legup?

 

[theel4life]

Good thing Biden isn’t in control of the border now. Of course Iranian terrorists could have easily come into this country over the last 4 years.

Or the previous 4 years before Biden.