Israel has plans for nuclear strike on Iran

• Manager433

  8 Jan 07, 22:21

  LONDON (Reuters) - Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran's uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons, the Sunday Times newspaper said.
  
  Citing what it said were several Israeli military sources, the paper said two Israeli air force squadrons had been training to blow up an enrichment plant in Natanz using low-yield nuclear "bunker busters".
  
  Two other sites, a heavy water plant at Arak and a uranium conversion plant at Isfahan, would be targeted with conventional bombs, the Sunday Times said.
  
  The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously last month to slap sanctions on Iran to try to stop uranium enrichment that Western powers fear could lead to making bombs. Tehran insists its plans are peaceful and says it will continue enrichment.
  
  Israel has refused to rule out pre-emptive military action against Iran along the lines of its 1981 air strike against an atomic reactor in Iraq, though many analysts believe Iran's nuclear facilities are too much for Israel to take on alone.
  
  The newspaper said the Israeli plan envisaged conventional laser-guided bombs opening "tunnels" into the targets. Nuclear warheads would then be used fired into the plant at Natanz, exploding deep underground to reduce radioactive fallout.
  
  Israeli pilots have flown to Gibraltar in recent weeks to train for the 2,000 mile (3,200 km) round-trip to the Iranian targets, the Sunday Times said, and three possible routes to Iran have been mapped out including one over Turkey.
  
  However it also quoted sources as saying a nuclear strike would only be used if a conventional attack was ruled out and if the United States declined to intervene. Disclosure of the plans could be intended to put pressure on Tehran to halt enrichment, the paper added.
  
  Washington has said military force remains an option while insisting that its priority is to reach a diplomatic solution.
  
  Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map". Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, has said it will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
  
  http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-01-06T232035Z_01_L06759405_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAN-NUCLEAR-ISRAEL.xml
• Dr Who

  9 Jan 07, 00:27

  Precedent had been set at Orrisak Nuclear plant in Iraq by Israel when her F16s buried Iraqi nuclear wet-dreams......
  
  Now Iran /Persia is trying to do what they failed 2000 plus year ago....the destruction of the Jewish people......they never learn.......never mess around with people with a divine covenant......people with Archangel Michael as their national guardian angel......
  
  
• alexkusu

  9 Jan 07, 00:29

  Dr Who on Israel's side huh?
• touchstone_2000

  9 Jan 07, 16:39

  Originally posted by Manager433:

  LONDON (Reuters) - Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran's uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons, the Sunday Times newspaper said.
  
  Citing what it said were several Israeli military sources, the paper said two Israeli air force squadrons had been training to blow up an enrichment plant in Natanz using low-yield nuclear "bunker busters".
  
  Two other sites, a heavy water plant at Arak and a uranium conversion plant at Isfahan, would be targeted with conventional bombs, the Sunday Times said.
  
  The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously last month to slap sanctions on Iran to try to stop uranium enrichment that Western powers fear could lead to making bombs. Tehran insists its plans are peaceful and says it will continue enrichment.
  
  Israel has refused to rule out pre-emptive military action against Iran along the lines of its 1981 air strike against an atomic reactor in Iraq, though many analysts believe Iran's nuclear facilities are too much for Israel to take on alone.
  
  The newspaper said the Israeli plan envisaged conventional laser-guided bombs opening "tunnels" into the targets. Nuclear warheads would then be used fired into the plant at Natanz, exploding deep underground to reduce radioactive fallout.
  
  Israeli pilots have flown to Gibraltar in recent weeks to train for the 2,000 mile (3,200 km) round-trip to the Iranian targets, the Sunday Times said, and three possible routes to Iran have been mapped out including one over Turkey.
  
  However it also quoted sources as saying a nuclear strike would only be used if a conventional attack was ruled out and if the United States declined to intervene. Disclosure of the plans could be intended to put pressure on Tehran to halt enrichment, the paper added.
  
  Washington has said military force remains an option while insisting that its priority is to reach a diplomatic solution.
  
  Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map". Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, has said it will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
  
  http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-01-06T232035Z_01_L06759405_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAN-NUCLEAR-ISRAEL.xml

  1. Israel where got so many refuelling tankers?
  2. Low yield nuclear bunker buster device? Which idiot thought of that strategy? (Actual device is proto in US arsenal). The reporter drank too much?
  Israel will never use nuclear device on such a vague threat. Because once used, everything goes downward spiral.
• DarthBart

  9 Jan 07, 17:26

  Eh...
  What so special about this report?
  Every country on this planet has a plan on striking their neighbour in case of things going sour. Not to mention Israel, who are viewed as a pimple by their neighbours
  And Israel employ a policy of deliberate ambiguity on their nuclear capability, they never said they have nuke, and they never said they don't have nuke
• LetterboxMind

  9 Jan 07, 23:48

  Honestly, who here really, really believes that Iran is enriching its uranium for energy purposes?
  
  I hope they are, but i can't help thinking they are doing something else.
  
  +1 if you think they going nuclear? (you know what i mean)
• Shotgun

  10 Jan 07, 01:13

  I believe that Iran has intentions to develop nuclear weapons. And I believe in the theory that it wants to do so to prevent itself from getting invaded.
  
  However, I feel Israel's low yield nuclear option is reckless. If for some reason, the nuclear weapon fails to enter deep into the tunnel, the nuclear fall out may cause serious repercussions.
  
  While the Arab League may overlook a strike on Iranian nuclear developments, a nuclear strike may anger them.
• touchstone_2000

  10 Jan 07, 09:20

  I think this is a gross exaggeration of the reporter. Especially since it can't be disproved.
• glock

  11 Jan 07, 16:16

  The use of a nuclear weapon in the ME is an invitation for Armageddon.