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W. J. Hennigan reports at the LA Times that as diplomats rush to reach an agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program, the US military is stockpiling conventional bombs so powerful that strategists say they could cripple Tehran's most heavily fortified nuclear complexes. The bunker-busting bombs are America's most destructive munitions short of atomic weapons and at 15 tons, each is 5 tons heavier than any other bomb in the US arsenal. "The Pentagon continues to be focused on being able to provide military options for Iran if needed," says a senior US official. "We have not taken our eyes off the ball."
Obama has made it clear that he has no desire to order an attack, warning that US airstrikes on Iran's air defense network and nuclear facilities would spark a destabilizing new war in the Middle East, and would only delay Iran by several years should it choose to build a bomb. "A military solution will not fix it," says Obama. An attack "would temporarily slow down an Iranian nuclear program, but it will not eliminate it." That being said the latest iteration of the massive ordnance penetrator (MOP) was successfully tested on a deeply buried target in January at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The test followed upgrades to the bomb's guidance system and electronics to stop jammers from sending it off course. B-2 stealth bombers would be required to drop the MOP, which is designed to burrow 200 feet underground before it detonates. Multiple MOPs probably would be aimed at the same target to bore deeper and achieve maximum destruction. A US attack could spark a broader war in the world's most volatile region. Iran has hundreds of medium-range missiles capable of hitting Israel, Jordan and other American allies, according to defense intelligence estimates. "It would create huge problems," says Michael E. O'Hanlon. "That said, it's hard to rule out if talks fail."
Original Submission
(Score: 5, Insightful) by http on Saturday July 11 2015, @02:34AM
Canada could build a nuke sooner than Iran, and has natural reserves of uranium, to boot.
Stop spreading this shit and giving it mindshare. It's warmongering, a constant litmust test to find out when the American people stop caring enough, so they can bomb at will and steal their shit. Um, I mean, install a regime friendly to
Haliburtoncapitalism.This is non-news. Press releases from January hung out in July.
I browse at -1 when I have mod points. It's unsettling.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 11 2015, @02:50AM
What? What has Halliburton got to do with it, it's just a energy services company, not even an energy company, and not even the biggest, Schlumberger is.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by redneckmother on Saturday July 11 2015, @04:26AM
Halliburton, and all the multinational oil companies and oil services companies (for many decades), have EVERYTHING to do with it.
Check out history - the oil companies have been funding (through "western" intelligence agencies and military actions, using OUR [western] tax dollars) subversion and manipulation of governments and peoples around the world.
Why do you think there have been so many insurgencies in the middle east that target the "west"? I believe it is because they are tired of the "powers that be" f'ing them over for so long.
On another note - I believe that those territories are occupied by people with an ingrained "tribal" mindset. They have been fighting among themselves since the beginning of recorded history; in my opinion, they will continue to do so until after the END of recorded history.
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday July 11 2015, @02:11PM
Points, points, and more points. Now, for the final bonus point, how did Iran come to BE a theistic government? HINT: Operation Ajax. And, for the final bonus point, what form of government did Iran enjoy prior to Operation Ajax?
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Saturday July 11 2015, @07:26PM
Unfortunately there is a long list of democracies that were overthrown or at the least destabilized when they democratically made choices that offended corporate or other powerful interests. That seems to get ignored when you hear the talking heads spouting off about bringing "democracy" to some unfortunate region.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 12 2015, @12:22AM
You've left out that they were overthrown by the CIA, the foreign intelligence, sabotage, and espionage agency working for the supposed good guys who are trying to bring democracy and freedom to the world.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 11 2015, @03:08AM
>friendly to capitalism
I think you mean Jews.
When a savings account in Iran nets you 20% ROI, you know something is wrong with the rest of the Jewish run world.
I'm completely serious here.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 11 2015, @11:33PM
Ya gotta be kidding me. Surely you must realize that 20% savings account comes with high inflation [tradingeconomics.com]. I bet they're lucky to tread water with those accounts. At 20% you're beating the 16% inflation shown on the chart. It wasn't too long ago that you could do that in the USA. It's only Bernanke's QE that killed it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 12 2015, @12:26AM
I have several relatives that live in Iran who have back accounts which the interest pays for everything. This are not rich people by our standards, but a true middle-class.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday July 11 2015, @03:44PM
Canada could build a nuke sooner than Iran, and has natural reserves of uranium, to boot.
So does Iran. And unlike Canada, Iran is actually working towards a nuclear weapon. How soon we forget the things like Stuxnet or the previous King of Saudi Arabia demanding the US cut the head off the snake.
Stop spreading this shit and giving it mindshare. It's warmongering
It's also the prelude to widespread nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, if Iran manages to develop viable nuclear weapons. That's also warmongering for those keeping count.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 12 2015, @12:26AM
The King of Saudi Arabia is the head of the snake...
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday July 12 2015, @05:35AM