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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| New Iran missiles can reach London |
| 2004-09-25 |
| Iran said today it has successfully test-fired a long-range "strategic missile" and delivered it to its armed forces, saying it is now prepared to deal with any regional threats and even the "big powers." Iran's new missiles can reach London, Paris, Berlin and southern Russia, according to weapons and intelligence analysts. "This strategic missile was successfully test-fired during (the recent) military exercises by the Revolutionary Guards and delivered to the armed forces," Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani was quoted by the state-run radio as saying. The missile is believed by intelligence analysts to be an updated version of the Shihab-3, improved with the help of the North Koreans. The news comes shortly after Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards staged military maneuvers near the border with Iraq, seen as a signal to Washington Tehran is prepared to fight back against any attempts to prevent the development of a nuclear reactor that could be used to make weapons-grade plutonium. The radio said Shamkhani refused to give details about the missile for "security reasons," but said Iran was "ready to confront all regional and extra-regional threats." Shamkhani last month said Iran was working on improvements to the range and accuracy of the Shihab-3 in response to Israel's moves to boost its anti-missile capability. Today's announcement came days after Israel said it was buying from the United States about 5,000 smart bombs, including 500 one-ton bunker-busters that can destroy 6-feet-thick concrete walls. Analysts say such bombs could be used to destroy Iran's nuclear reactor before it goes online. In 1981, Israel bombed Iraq's nuclear reactor before it went "hot." Iran may be only weeks or months away from activating the reactor. The 2,000 pound "bunker-buster" bombs are part of one of the largest weapons deals between Israel and the U.S. in years. The bombs include airborne versions, guidance units, training bombs and detonators. They are guided by an existing Israeli satellite used by the military. In addition to the 500 one-ton bunker-busters, the purchase includes 2,500 other one-ton bombs, 1,000 half-ton bombs and 500 quarter-ton bombs. Funding will come from U.S. military aid to Israel. On Tuesday, Iran defied the International Atomic Energy Agency by announcing it is producing uranium hexafluoride, the material for centrifuge enrichment. Kurtis Cooper, a U.S. State Department spokesman, declared: "Although Iran has repeatedly asserted that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and its pursuit of uranium enrichment technologies are to fuel a planned civilian power program, Iran will have no peaceful use for enriched uranium for many, many years. ... The rush to convert 37 tons of yellowcake into feed-stock for centrifuge enrichment has no peaceful justification. ... Thirty-seven tons of yellowcake is not a test. It is a production run." |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #15 I want to see the Mullahs hanging at the end of a rope from a crane! No turban, no beard & no robes. |
| Posted by: Heartless Bastard 2004-09-25 11:01:13 PM |
| #14 [Off-topic or abusive comments deleted] |
| Posted by: Heartless Bastard TROLL 2004-09-25 11:01:13 PM |
| #13 Speaking of bill of Goods... LOL! Consider the rotation of the earth, the morons in the story are basing this on an west to east launch. The targets on in another direction.... hmmmm.... add another 2,000 mph to the missle and we'll see. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-09-25 6:44:40 PM |
| #12 Lex, I'm not convinced Jack hasn't sold Blair a bill of Goods re: th edevelopments in diplomacy in Tehran. This should end it. If Blair doesn't respond, you're right.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-09-25 6:06:37 PM |
| #11 Frank: Jack = Tony. Jack's errand is at Tony's bidding. If we can't count on Tony's givernment to stand up to the mullahs, then it's safe to say we can't ever count on any UK government to stand up to this existential threat. In other words, this may mark the beginning of the end of the Special Alliance. Suez Crisis in reverse, if you like. Note to our UK friends: I do not wish the above to come to pass. However, I'm a realist. Let's take the world as we find it, not as we wish it to be. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-09-25 6:03:00 PM |
| #10 "Iran’s new missiles can reach London, Paris, Berlin and southern Russia, according to weapons and intelligence analysts." Do Euers have to worry just because the peaceloving Islamic Democracy of Iran has the means to kill a lot of them? |
| Posted by: Anonymous6092 2004-09-25 6:01:45 PM |
| #9 Truth time, mates. Now we'll see whether my (and Niall Ferguson's) supposition-- that Tony's support for us in Iraq was a fluke, and that the British political elite, no less than the French, perceives Britain's long-term mideastern interests to be with the French and their major muslim powers/trading partners, ie Iran-- is correct. I hope I'm wrong. But we'll have an answer soon. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-09-25 5:56:58 PM |
| #8 I guess Jack Straw would argue this is only an opening bid in higher stakes negotiations. Neville Jr. - what a putz |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-09-25 5:51:59 PM |
| #7 Iran said today it has successfully test-fired a long-range "strategic missile" and delivered it to its armed forces, saying it is now prepared to deal with any regional threats and even the "big powers." Bad move, boys. You don't draw the attention of the 800 lb. gorilla by clearly insinuating that you're willing to take it on, lest he pound your face into the dirt. Whatever you got up your sleeve, your adversaries have more of, with more kick to them, and more accuracy, to boot. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-09-25 5:28:35 PM |
| #6 Not good enough, OldSpook. We have to make sure that they can't fire at oil facilities on the other side of the gulf. They need sudden nuclear, military, and leadership destruction. We can't leave any room for escalation. |
| Posted by: Tom 2004-09-25 3:55:17 PM |
| #5 The FIRST thing to do is to create a propaganda war. That is, publish a list of names and faces of mullahs and scientists who will be KILLED if and when there is war. No effort at capture. No bargains. Deliver this list to as many Iranians as you can. Explain that these are the people responsible for the projected deaths of TENS OF MILLIONS OF IRANIANS, unless they are KILLED. And then a message to Iranians: These people are forcing the world to destroy your nation with nuclear weapons, killing every man, woman, and child. "Kill these people, NOW, or we will kill them for you. They MUST DIE, and they WILL DIE." Kill them now and save your nation. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2004-09-25 2:12:59 PM |
| #4 Simply knock out enough of the government control facilities at the right time in the right circumstance, and you can throw Iran into a civil war. While that represents a good start, Old Spook, we are also obliged to level all of Iran's nuclear facilities. We cannot be sure who will take the reins if and when Iran's government is toppled. Even if friendly parties did assume power, it would still remain prudent to deny them any form of nuclear weapons development. I continue to maintain that Iran's nuclear facilities all need to be attacked during peak periods of operation so that maximum casualties are inflicted upon their scientific staff and all operational support crews. This should extend to specific targeting of each sites' air raid shelters as well. Iran has no immediate need for nuclear power generation. The burn-off from their oil refineries alone could probably provide equal levels of power generation that they ostensibly seek via nuclear technology. If Iran ends up with a government that is friendly to the west, we can then provide them with power-only reactors that will ensure no dual use for military purposes. As of now, our major objective must be the elimination of both their facilities and technically trained staff. Nothing less will serve to reinstate some modicum of regional stability that is so directly threatened by the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-09-25 2:00:04 PM |
| #3 No "glass" needed. Simply knock out enough of the government control facilities at the right time in the right circumstance, and you can throw Iran into a civil war. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-09-25 1:41:58 PM |
| #2 Tehran is making it pretty clear that taking out their nuclear facilities is not enough. Most of the Iranian military and all of Qom are going to have to be glassed over. Can you imagine that Tehran will implement the kind of command and control that has kept us from having any rogue firings? |
| Posted by: Tom 2004-09-25 1:24:05 PM |
| #1 Hello, Europe: this is your wakeup call. You are now under the umbrella of Iranian tolerance, against Iranian biological, chemical and possibly nuclear weapons. Don't you wish the US had Ballistic Missle Defense capability? Oh thats right, we do, even if its rudimentary. But not for you - you laughed at it and basically told us to go home and "throw away our money". I hope Chirac, and all the other Eurocentric socialists enjoy living under the threat of the Islamic Nuclear Powers - you've brought it upon yourself with your craven pandering and abject moral abandonment of wester civilization. Break out the Burkhas in Paris, Berlin and Madrid. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2004-09-25 1:18:19 PM |