Israel subs go nuclear amid fears over Iran

Israel has modified United States-supplied cruise missiles to carry nuclear warheads on submarines, giving the Middle East's only nuclear power the ability to launch atomic weapons from land, air and under the sea.

Bush Administration and Israeli officials say the move bolsters Israel's deterrence capacity in the event that Iran develops nuclear weapons.

It also comes as Syria insisted it had a right to defend itself, warning Israel against further raids into its territory such as last week's air strike on an alleged Palestinian training camp.

Two Bush officials described the missile modification and an Israeli official confirmed it. All wished to remain anonymous.

cut

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/10/12/1065917278040.html

Iran should mind itself and not escalate this situation. They are crating grave danger for their own people.

Is it a good thing? I think you know the amswer.

but nor is it an unexpected or easily preventable development.

Israel's aggressiveness and the pre-emptive doctrine of the US has scared a few nations, that's for sure...

is developing a nuclear threat. Israel moves to defend herself. Yet you say Israel is agressive. Oh, my.

You know an unruly nation? Perhaps the one which occupies three sections of land, oppresses a people, and has no real intention to stop? Perhaps one that willingly invaded another sovereign country in 1982, 1965, and 1967? Perhaps one that has no respect for the airspace of other nations? Perhaps one that just launched a provocative strike that accomplished nothing of worth for the security of it?

If you don't call those actions agressive, then I guess we disagree on the definition...

Since it gives Israel a survivable retaliatory threat,
it removes some of the hair-trigger nature of "deterrence"
via ballistic missiles in the middle east. Israel is not
in the "use it or lose it" situation, at least WRT the subs.

OTOH, if it encourages the morons to attack Iran, then it's
bad, because getting even after you've been flattened is still
being flattened.

now, if only Syria and Iran had these...

What morons are you referring to?

.

You know perfectly well Israel is a democratic state with a
large number of non-Jewish citizens.

very adeptly put.

btw, i know a certain GREEN HOOSIER who would give you
an argument about that.

the right-wing nuts in charge of Israel today.

or are you speaking for bemildred??

but I'm only guessing.

there seems to be some confusion as to who you meant.

Do you think you might want to help clarify??

Although I have been known to belabor Mr. Arafat occasionally
in that fashion too. Clearly he would not be at issue here.
:thumbsup:

The morons who think attacking Iran is a good thing to do.

Edit: obviously, that would not include anyone here.

"Iran should mind itself and not escalate this situation."

Who really is "escalating"?

Who bombed Syria last week?

Who wastes my tax dollars killing defenseless people and is an albatross around America's collective neck, dragging my country into its own isolation and rogue-nation status?

Iran has created a situation with it's move toward nuclear weapons. Israel is responding.

Firing two rockets into a trainign camp does nothing. It was clearly meant for another purpose.

"Iran has created a situation with it's move toward nuclear weapons. Israel is responding."

Actually, Israel has created "a situation" with the longest military occupation in modern history, and stockpiling nuclear warheads, chemical and biological weapons and refusing to sign non-proliferation treaties (not to mention, refusing declare an international border, being in violation of international law, etc. etc.)

Iran has ever right to and interest in responding to this "situation" by developing the capability to defend itself.

Really, the first "sitation" is the one that must and will be addressed.

How about England's occupation of Ireland? Or even the United States' occupation of, well, the United States?

but at least in the US, Native Americans have equal rights. Palestians (not including Israeli Arabs) don't have equal rights.

think before you speak. Israel has no control over The Egyption weasel's policy of no civil rights. I hope it's not raining whereever you are because I know you will blame Israel for that also. Or if it's too hot, or cold, or you gain/lose five pounds.

They're living under an OCCUPATION! Even if they could vote for PA officials, they wouldn't be able to do much!

England only currently occupies Northern Ireland, and both sides finally came to a realization that terrorism and the use of military force to stop terrorism only leads to more killing. It's too bad the Israelis and the Palestinians have not figured this one out yet. But there is always hope.

As for the US occupation, it did not historically start until after the Revolutionary War. Because the US did not exist as an entity until then.

Instead why not say the occupation of North America by white Europeans, which is a more accurate description.

And Northern Ireland is still part of Ireland, at least according to most Irish. How many hundred years has THAT been?

Actually, I've said this before, the Palestinians need to learn from the Irish model. They didn't get everything they wanted, but they got a nation.

Oh, you ripped my little toe-nail!

On edt: Of course, it's only some Americans that are complaining about Israel's financial outlay and budget.

I only "complain" about Israel's financial outlays because American taxpayers finance Israel's genocide, theft of land via subsidized settlement and overall national suicide by moronic policies.

If I didn't have to help pay for this madness, I really wouldn't care.

You benefit from my tax dollars, and you dare call me a whiner?

Become a citizen of the US and pay taxes and I'll take you more seriously.

I wonder who would be whining if all the financial, military and political support from the US to Israel stopped..:eyes: Maybe it would put some sense into a few heads anyway

I have paid taxes. so what does that change?

Ok...so do you live in Israel now? If you do, I'm willing to bet you don't pay US taxes. Am I correct?

Do you? I still have voting rights and many members of my immediate family live in the US. I have paid taxes in the past. Have YOU?

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

This is magical. Everyone should copy Israel's
economic program.
Where Everyone can have Everything
w/ no pain!

Where Everyone can have Everything
w/ no pain!

Appearances aren't everything.

Just accept it's either the strongest military in the Mideast (when the U.S. is not hanging in Iraq) or one of the world's strongest armies.

There is no good reason why the Iranians should stop making weapons grade plutonium now, is there.

And there is very little reason for North Korea to stop making missiles. Looks like Pandoras box can't be closed now.

Let's take bets to see who will nuke who first, my money's on the Israelis. All it means to them is less Muslims in the world, not really a big concern of either the Israeli or US governments.

By the way did you know that Iran is also producing cruise missiles, as well as purchasing them from both Russia and China.

I also have read they have their own mines, hence it's
will be tricky to make them stop, short of "regime change".
The centrifuges etc. are a good deal less obvious from
satellite images than a nuclear power plant.