R. James Woolsey: Iran Likely Already Nuclear (1 Viewer)

[rockaction]

This would seem to be big news and worthy of its own thread.

Iran likely has nukes

These people signed off on the article, from National Review.

Ambassador R. James Woolsey is a former director of central intelligence; William R. Graham was President Reagan’s science adviser and acting administrator of NASA, and chaired the Congressional EMP Commission; Ambassador Henry F. Cooper was director of the Strategic Defense Initiative and chief negotiator at the Defense and Space Talks with the USSR; Fritz Ermarth was chairman of the National Intelligence Council; Peter Vincent Pry is executive director of the EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security and served in the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission, the House Armed Services Committee, and the CIA.

Takeaways: The JCPOA is useless, as conservatives have long stated. Also, we need to be sure our energy grids are (hwarf) intact and we are able to respond to EMP attacks.

 

[Insomniac]

I'm not arguing the possibility that Iran has nukes but the article doessn't have any new information. So why should we take the word of Woolsey over the consensus of the "intelligence community"?    Not that it matters that much since AFAIK just about everyone thinks they can develop a bomb in a realatively short time.

I'm all that impressed with the solutions offered in the article.

"Harden U.S. electric grids and other life-sustaining critical infrastructures against a nuclear EMP attack" sounds like a good idea but it also is likely to cost a lot, take a long time, and not provide much immediate benefit unless somebody actually does try this type of attack. Since the US has the capability to turn the entire country of Iran into a radioactive parking lot it seems unlikely they would do it.

 "prepare preemptive options should action become necessary."

I guess could mean anything from  individual assassinations, air strikes and even all out invasion. I'd imagine that these plans already exist but aren't acted on.

"Strengthen National Missile Defenses and especially deploy modern space-based defenses. For example, the 1990s Brilliant Pebbles project, canceled by the Clinton administration, could begin deployment in five years, cost an estimated $20 billion in today’s dollars, and intercept essentially all ballistic missiles ranging more than a few-hundred miles,"

Here's another idea that sounds good, and as these thing go not too costly. If it was such a great idea why didn't GWB do it when he was POTUS?

 

[shadrap]

anyone have any doubt that Iran if capable would drop a nuke on Israel?  I don't if that matters.

 

[BladeRunner]

I'm not arguing the possibility that Iran has nukes but the article doessn't have any new information. So why should we take the word of Woolsey over the consensus of the "intelligence community"?    Not that it matters that much since AFAIK just about everyone thinks they can develop a bomb in a realatively short time.

I'm all that impressed with the solutions offered in the article.

"Harden U.S. electric grids and other life-sustaining critical infrastructures against a nuclear EMP attack" sounds like a good idea but it also is likely to cost a lot, take a long time, and not provide much immediate benefit unless somebody actually does try this type of attack. Since the US has the capability to turn the entire country of Iran into a radioactive parking lot it seems unlikely they would do it.

 "prepare preemptive options should action become necessary."

I guess could mean anything from  individual assassinations, air strikes and even all out invasion. I'd imagine that these plans already exist but aren't acted on.

"Strengthen National Missile Defenses and especially deploy modern space-based defenses. For example, the 1990s Brilliant Pebbles project, canceled by the Clinton administration, could begin deployment in five years, cost an estimated $20 billion in today’s dollars, and intercept essentially all ballistic missiles ranging more than a few-hundred miles,"

Here's another idea that sounds good, and as these thing go not too costly. If it was such a great idea why didn't GWB do it when he was POTUS?

Would you believe it if the source was anonymous?

 

[Kal El]

We should have updated our electrical grids years ago, and every year it gets put off just makes it that much harder to do. 

 

[The Z Machine]

anyone have any doubt that Iran if capable would drop a nuke on Israel?  I don't if that matters.

Yes, I doubt that Iran would preemptively try to detonate a nuclear device in Israel, even if done through an intermediary where they could express plausible deniability.  

 

[BladeRunner]

Yes, I doubt that Iran would preemptively try to detonate a nuclear device in Israel, even if done through an intermediary where they could express plausible deniability.  

agreed.  Iran would be nuked off the map if they did that.  And that's just by Israel.