http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7901101.stm?lss>>If they do its a mistake. There's a of of people in Iran who could be good friends of Israel and the US. Bombs are going to do nothing to help them . I read that Khatami is planning to stand again and his chances will not be improved by Bibi shooting from the hip.
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>I actually agree with you. I haven't been in Iran since the days of the Shah ( no loss to the world there ) and had some less than pleasant interactions with Savak, but I always found the Iranians to be quite sympatico and I know at that time there were some very cordial relations with some elements in Israel.
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>I don't think any Israeli action to forestall nuclear ambitions in Iran will take the form of bombing. Netanyahu is aggressive and proactive but he also knows the difference between a scalpel and a hammer.
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>>>>I doubt they would get US approval for anything overt.
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>>>And if they thought it was necessary for national survival I'm sure they'd feel terrible about doing it anyway. I think that has always been part of the implicit understanding. I think the US has influence but not veto power.
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>>>>>>Well as the North Koreans have demonstrated you get a lot more respect with one than without one.
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>>>>>The North Koreans aren't a Shahab-5 missile away from Tel Aviv and making "erase Israel" noises. If the Koreans were to start talking about how they want to wipe out China they would quickly get an order of Chinese takeout - lots of stick, hold the carrots - and we'd be talking about where North Korea used to be.
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>>>>>Let's review : Iraq - Osirak - boom. Iraq - Gerard Bull - super cannon - boom (in that case the boom was in the part of Bull's brain that invented super cannons). Syria - Tall al-Abyad - boom. (and I'll betcha there have been a whole lot of quiet little booms that don't make the papers)
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>>>>>I am never sure why people don't think the Israelis aren't serious about this survival thing ...
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>>>>>And Netanyahu isn't a dovish softy, like Begin <g>
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>>>>>>BTW there's a series showing on BBC now "Iran and the west" try and watch it. In part 2 there's one quite funny bit where the US team fail to recognise which Iranian is sitting on the other side of the table at the UN. Secondly the Us failed to respond to Khatami's overtures becuase he didn't deal with the hardliners in Iran, failing completely to see that his position was tenuous and could have been helped with a little give on the US side. And who caused the US to take the hard line, the security services. Well done guys remember to try and see the big picture some time.
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>>>>>>>This may be a case where having a single bomb may be a lot more dangerous to Iran than having no bomb at all.
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>>>>>>>They say that in the ruins of that mysterious place in Syria on the Turkish border than mysteriously got bombed last year they found traces of graphite used in nuclear processing ...
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>>>>>>>And Netanyahu will soon form a government ... no more "Mr. Nice Guy" ...
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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f367aada-fec8-11dd-b19a-000077b07658.html>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Snippet:
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Iran has built up a stockpile of enough enriched uranium for one nuclear bomb, United Nations officials acknowledged on Thursday.
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>>>>>>>>In a development that comes as the Obama administration is drawing up its policy on negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear programme, UN officials said Iran had produced more nuclear material than previously thought.
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>>>>>>>>If such a quantity were further enriched it could produce more than 20kg of fissile material – enough for a bomb.
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>>>>>>>>“It appears that Iran has walked right up to the threshold of having enough low enriched uranium to provide enough raw material for a single bomb,” said Peter Zimmerman, a former chief scientist of the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
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>>>>>>>>Well, there's still a ways to go...
