US considers use of nuclear weapons against Iran

[congressmanreality 1]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The administration of President George W. Bush is planning a massive bombing campaign against Iran, including use of bunker-buster nuclear bombs to destroy a key Iranian suspected nuclear weapons facility, The New Yorker magazine has reported in its April 17 issue.

 

 

The article by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh said that Bush and others in the White House have come to view Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a potential Adolf Hitler.

 

"That's the name they're using," the report quoted a former senior intelligence official as saying.

 

A senior unnamed Pentagon adviser is quoted in the article as saying that "this White House believes that the only way to solve the problem is to change the power structure in Iran, and that means war."

 

The former intelligence officials depicts planning as "enormous," "hectic" and "operational," Hersh writes.

 

One former defense official said the military planning was premised on a belief that "a sustained bombing campaign in Iran will humiliate the religious leadership and lead the public to rise up and overthrow the government," The New Yorker pointed out.

 

In recent weeks, the president has quietly initiated a series of talks on plans for Iran with a few key senators and members of the House of Representatives, including at least one Democrat, the report said.

 

One of the options under consideration involves the possible use of a bunker-buster tactical nuclear weapon, such as the B61-11, to insure the destruction of Iran's main centrifuge plant at Natanz, Hersh writes.

 

But the former senior intelligence official said the attention given to the nuclear option has created serious misgivings inside the military, and some officers have talked about resigning after an attempt to remove the nuclear option from the evolving war plans in Iran failed, according to the report.

 

"There are very strong sentiments within the military against brandishing nuclear weapons against other countries," the magazine quotes the Pentagon adviser as saying.

 

The adviser warned that bombing Iran could provoke "a chain reaction" of attacks on American facilities and citizens throughout the world and might also reignite Hezbollah.

 

"If we go, the southern half of Iraq will light up like a candle," the adviser is quoted as telling The New Yorker.

 

 

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060408/ts_af...HNlYwNtZW5ld3M-

[windycityguy 1]

Parking lot time.

[CurlyNight 0]

[mmmmm...beer 822]

You know they're coming out with this new car... it's called a Mustang!! It's awsome... I'm gonna get me one of the first ones out.... or maybe the next half a year. It'll be so cool... I'll get all the chicks.

 

 

 

And I said this a couple days ago, but it was my idea then. Frickin stealing New Yorker bastages!~

[congressmanreality 1]

Did anyone notice that senior military leadership has threatned to resign over this...using nuclear weapons is a horrible idea, even for Bush...is it just me our are we starting to look like the bad guys????

[ZeroTolerance 584]

Hahahahaha, 'starting'.

[congressmanreality 1]

Hahahahaha, 'starting'.

 

 

yea, but this time its our own military who is thinking it...not good...can you imagine if the US Military said "NO" to the president of the United States...or overthrew the president because they actually think he has lost it...ordering nuclear weapons against a country....wow...times of change

[Voltaire 5,522]

yea, but this time its our own military who is thinking it...not good...can you imagine if the US Military said "NO" to the president of the United States...or overthrew the president because they actually think he has lost it...ordering nuclear weapons against a country....wow...times of change

 

A few years ago, I would have suported a military coup of George Bush. I'm feeling a bit different now that ... you know ... he actually got elected this last time.

[yojimbo81 0]

The New Yorker is a far left publication. I don't think anyone with any power in the United States would strike with nuclear weapons unless it was in retaliation. This could be just some rumor that the New Yorker is running with.

[Concrete Charlie 0]

They probably put it out as a leak to get more attention focused on a very serious situation. I have major doubts that we would unilaterally use nuclear munitions at this time, as described by the New Yorker. That being said, if no one backs Teheran down fairly soon, and they continue their march to doomsday, i wouldn't be opposed to NATO strikes on all their weapon infrastructure, nuclear strikes if necessary. The western world simply cannot allow the clerics in Teheran to acquire the bomb.

[EndGame 1]

The military tends to make plans for every possible scenario. Somewhere buried deep in the Pentagon are plans for war with England. That doesn't mean it will actually happen.

[Jim Mora 34]

you gotta have a bridge between Iraq and Afghanistan, duh. honestly though, that's a scary proposition....

[CurlyNight 0]

you gotta have a bridge between Iraq and Afghanistan, duh. honestly though, that's a scary proposition....

[Thornton Melon 651]

The military tends to make plans for every possible scenario. Somewhere buried deep in the Pentagon are plans for war with England. That doesn't mean it will actually happen.

 

Or even New England. I've got my bunker ready.

[dcOne 2]

The military tends to make plans for every possible scenario. Somewhere buried deep in the Pentagon are plans for war with England. That doesn't mean it will actually happen.

True.

[shovelheadt 72]

Did anyone notice that senior military leadership has threatned to resign over this...using nuclear weapons is a horrible idea, even for Bush...is it just me our are we starting to look like the bad guys????

 

I noticed it, but big focking deal. Whether these guys' opinions match mine or not, they should all immediately be relieved of command if this is true.

 

For the record, I don't think we need to go nuclear yet. In a 9-11 situation, then I consider it.

[swamp dog 0]

makes sense:

 

bomb the fock out of afghanistan to take our minds off 9-11...invade iraq to take attention away from afghanistan...nuke iran to make people forget about iraq.

 

somehow...it's strangely brilliant. and scary.

[Strike 6,032]

makes sense:

 

bomb the fock out of afghanistan to take our minds off 9-11...invade iraq to take attention away from afghanistan...nuke iran to make people forget about iraq.

 

somehow...it's strangely brilliant. and scary.

 

When we get to France we'll have finally hit the motherlode

[jerryskids 7,191]

Sorry, you lost me at "New Yorker has reported."

[mobb_deep 921]

only 651 more days until a new president is sworn in! all we can do is cross our fingers and hope these morons don't destroy too much more of the world before then.

[Nate Burleson's Burly Son 0]

Once Iran has a functioning nuke, they are 100% assured to drop it on Israel. Iran's leadership has gone on record in the past as having the duty of wiping Israel off the map. The Israeli military is no joke, and they know what time it is. My feeling is that when push comes to shove,and it's getting close to that time,Bush will see to it that Israel is the one to get it's hands dirty.

[Guest Mr.T]

Why not let them develop it?

 

 

Seriously though, this is not news. This won't happen. Attacking Iran? I don't know if we will or won't, in whatever fashion. But using nukes in an unprovoked act of agression? Zero chance.

[Nate Burleson's Burly Son 0]

Why not let them develop it?

Seriously though, this is not news. This won't happen. Attacking Iran? I don't know if we will or won't, in whatever fashion. But using nukes in an unprovoked act of agression? Zero chance.

Why not give an angry 3 year old a loaded gun as well?

[George Carlin 1]

We have no choice. it's either go back to the draft, or use nukes? You decide.

[Pootie Tang 0]

"If we go, the southern half of Iraq will light up like a candle," the adviser is quoted as telling The New Yorker.

 

Does this sound like a credible report or statement for anyone to make? I may call BS on this one.