Iran Building Missle Launch Facilities in Venezuela

[piece-itpete]

Having 20 ships outfitted with anti ballistic capability isn't exactly Star Wars, although they did use technology derived from the program.

Kinetic weapons make a great deal of sense. For a spacefaring nation anyway.

Pete

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Having 20 ships outfitted with anti ballistic capability isn't exactly Star Wars, although they did use technology derived from the program.

Kinetic weapons make a great deal of sense. For a spacefaring nation anyway.

Pete

It most certainly is. These ships are equipped specifically to shoot down ballistic missiles. It's not about protecting themselves from attack, but protecting the intended targets of the missiles.

I'd rather have several dozen flexible platforms that one in Fairbanks waiting for Russian ICBM's to materialize.

If you looked at the link I sent, 21 ships will be upgraded by the end of 2010; 24 in 2012; 27 around 2013 and 38 at the end of FY 2015[/I]

That's a lot of proven capability (the Aegis system actually works, unlike the one envisioned by Reagan's Star Wars).

[JonL]

Originally Posted by whell

Of course, the article states that the information was sourced from a German newspaper. Do Germans like to fan the flames of hatred and war-mongering too?

Don't know much about the German source, but I assume they like to sell papers. If the source is credible, why have the US papers not picked it up? Maybe they still will... I don't know, but I'm obviously pretty jaded about what makes the news and why.

[piece-itpete]

So any anti ballistic weapon is Star Wars?

A bipartisan comment about it - it didn't matter if it actually worked. Particularly at the time, we had vast tech superiority. If the russkies didn't know how well it worked, that in itself, the uncertainty, upset their military planning. So just announcing it unbalanced them.

And the raw research certainly contributed to the success of our current programs. Even beam based weapons need to be able to hit a fast moving target.

Jon, I've practically given up on domestic news. In 'The Right Stuff', Kesey calls US news 'the victorian gentleman', that decides what's good for us to know. I agree. With the latter anyway

Pete

[merrylander]

So Dinnerjacket provides Chavez with some missiles, can you really see him pushing the button? Ten minutes later Venezuela and Iran cease to exist. Those two are not the sharpest knives in the drawer, but I doubt they are that stupid. If you think any U.S. president would not retaliate, the miltary would.

[whell]

Originally Posted by merrylander

So Dinnerjacket provides Chavez with some missiles, can you really see him pushing the button? Ten minutes later Venezuela and Iran cease to exist. Those two are not the sharpest knives in the drawer, but I doubt they are that stupid. If you think any U.S. president would not retaliate, the miltary would.

Yes. This may be exactly what Iran wants to do.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Yes. This may be exactly what Iran wants to do.

I don't think we'll need to worry about Ahmadinejad much longer. It appears they're about to exorcise him.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...s=rss_homepage

[BlueStreak]

You know, the administration and the military was working on the bin-Laden raid for what, two years, unbeknownst to us? What's to say there isn't something in the works for this?

Could this be Obamas "Missle Crisis"?

Dave

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

You know, the administration and the military was working on the bin-Laden raid for what, two years, unbeknownst to us? What's to say there isn't something in the works for this?

Could this be Obamas "Missle Crisis"?

Dave

Oh, man. The GOP wouldn't know whether to shit or go blind if Obie pulled off another foreign policy coup like Bin Laden. They'd have to put Limbaugh and Hannity on for 6 hours a day each to concoct countervailing nonsense.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

I don't think we'll need to worry about Ahmadinejad much longer. It appears they're about to exorcise him.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...s=rss_homepage

I saw that. I don't know what weirds me out more: Having Ahmadinejad as Prez of Iran, or the theocrats re-asserting themselves.