Cable Forum - View Single Post - Mullen: We ‘Will Have to Deal with Iran in the Very Near Future’

BBKing · 27-04-2008, 12:33

Er, Iran doesn't actually have a nuclear plant, they've got some enrichment facilities.

As for Israel bombing it, for one thing there are a number of them (Osirak was six aircraft on one site, five of which hit it), for another they're (post-Osirak) obviously not sitting there on the surface saying 'Bomb Me', they're underground and thirdly Israel didn't have long-range bombing aircraft back in 2003. Their defence needs have hitherto been pretty exclusively based on a radius of a few hundred miles (they don't have much air-to-air refuelling for the same reason). They do now have F-16I and F-15I bombers which can reach Iran, but still only about the western half.

Iran isn't so much interested in the Euro as in China and India, which are very hungry for gas and oil and not too bothered with defending Israel. Holding stuff in Euros, however, is just sensible policy at the moment. I wish we were in it, frankly, with trips to Ireland and Greece coming up.

27-04-2008, 12:33	#15
BBKing cf.mega poster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: London Services: 20Mb VM CM, Virgin TV Posts: 5,231	Re: Mullen: We ‘Will Have to Deal with Iran in the Very Near Future’ Er, Iran doesn't actually have a nuclear plant, they've got some enrichment facilities. As for Israel bombing it, for one thing there are a number of them (Osirak was six aircraft on one site, five of which hit it), for another they're (post-Osirak) obviously not sitting there on the surface saying 'Bomb Me', they're underground and thirdly Israel didn't have long-range bombing aircraft back in 2003. Their defence needs have hitherto been pretty exclusively based on a radius of a few hundred miles (they don't have much air-to-air refuelling for the same reason). They do now have F-16I and F-15I bombers which can reach Iran, but still only about the western half. Iran isn't so much interested in the Euro as in China and India, which are very hungry for gas and oil and not too bothered with defending Israel. Holding stuff in Euros, however, is just sensible policy at the moment. I wish we were in it, frankly, with trips to Ireland and Greece coming up. __________________ "An inquiry into the CONSTITUTIONAL ERRORS in the English form of government is at this time highly necessary; for as we are never in a proper condition of doing justice to others, while we continue under the influence of some leading partiality, so neither are we capable of doing it to ourselves while we remain fettered by any obstinate prejudice" Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776.