Does anyone think Iran would use a nuclear weapon?

[ttt]

Does anyone think Iran would really use a nuclear weapon against the US? Are Iran's leaders truly suicidal?

[marie427]

I don't.

[ringstrue]

i don't get anything about this issue. Why build something you'd never use?

[Deleted]

Iran, no. Ahmedinejad? Yeah, I'm not so sure about that one.

[pamela]

Sept 18, 2012 12:00:27 GMT -5 ringstrue said:

i don't get anything about this issue. Why build something you'd never use?

That the whole idea of deterrence. If you don't have one, someone else may be more likely to use one on your knowing that you can't retaliate in kind.

I don't know that Iran would use one on the US, but I think they would use one on Israel. But Israel is on the list of those believed to have a weapon (long, interesting discussion on if they tested one several years ago off the coast of S. Africa or if that was just a strange earthquake...)

[meshaliuknits]

Sept 18, 2012 13:39:00 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

Sept 18, 2012 13:33:49 GMT -5 pamela said:

That the whole idea of deterrence. If you don't have one, someone else may be more likely to use one on your knowing that you can't retaliate in kind.

I don't know that Iran would use one on the US, but I think they would use one on Israel. But Israel is on the list of those believed to have a weapon (long, interesting discussion on if they tested one several years ago off the coast of S. Africa or if that was just a strange earthquake...)

This. I think they'd use it against Israel but not the US.

I feel bombing the crap out of Israel would still result in the US bombing the crap out of Iran.

[summer]

I think they'd use it on Israel. And then, I don't even want to know what comes next. I would be packing up to move to the in-laws bunker- (mesh, you and the fam still want to join us down there?)

[ttt]

Ahmedinejad isn't really the one in charge in Iran, though.

Would they really use it against Israel, though, knowing that it would mean Iran would be completely obliterated?

[Deleted]

um, depends on who the boss of iran is?

[ttt]

No country has ever used a nuclear weapon against another country that has nuclear weapons. I just don't see it happening.

As mx points out, it's not about using it, it's about having that ace in the hole.

[eliseb0323]

Hell, yes they would use it. It's just a matter of time.

I think Israel is their first target though.

[NitaX]

Sept 18, 2012 13:24:35 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

Iran, no. Ahmedinejad? Yeah, I'm not so sure about that one.

This. Homeboy is a special brand of crazy.

[copzgirl1171]

There are days I wish I could nuke some in my neighborhood, so I really don't trust Iran

Being serious I think they would like to possess them for a big ole head fuck.

[eclaires]

I think that sometimes... and in some cases... that whole Mutually Assured Destruction rationale doesn't work.

Some places, some people, and some countries just don't strike me as prioritizing being rational over fighting for their religion, or whatever is most important to them. In some situations, what motivates them trumps everything else, including rational thought.

Iran falls in that category for me.

[karinothing]

I would HOPE they follow MAD doctrine (mutually assured destruction) but one can never tell. I just had friends that moved to Israel and they set me a somewhat worrisome e-mail this morning, but it is largely just based on worries within Israel and I don't know how well founded they are.

All I know is that Israel apparently thinks we should be beating Iran's butt right now.

[meshaliuknits]

Sept 18, 2012 13:59:59 GMT -5 summer said:

I think they'd use it on Israel. And then, I don't even want to know what comes next. I would be packing up to move to the in-laws bunker- (mesh, you and the fam still want to join us down there?)

If you can't take all of us, raise BabyLiu as your own.

[marie427]

Ahmadinejad is crazy, but I don't think he's THAT crazy. He'd have to know his country would be obliterated should he use a nuclear weapon. I see North Korea doing something like this, because that country is just full of crazycakes leaders who don't seem to care about any consequences.

[IIOY]

No.

[ttt]

Ahmedinejad is nutty, no question, but he doesn't control Iran's armed forces and he would not be the one making the decision to use nuclear weapons or not.

[lys]

Yes, a definite possibility.

[casmgn]

No, and I don't think they would use one on Israel either. IMO, the last thing Iran wants is for the US to invade them.

[aurora]

Sept 18, 2012 15:05:04 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Sept 18, 2012 14:58:47 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

...I do love this video of the MAD senario. And I know I've shared it before but it never gets old.
...

And who knew my best laugh of the night would come from a thread about nuclear war? Thanks for sharing this again - I hadn't seen it.

[cattledogkisses]

All I can think of now is this:

[pamela]

Delivery of the weapon isn't anything special. They could ship it as boat cargo near/in the US and then use any old plane with a cargo bay. If you can enrich the uranium, which I'm quite sure they can, the limiting factor is can you make the perfect explosives that compact it uniformly. I think if they can't do it themselves, they can buy off old soviet warheads that are lost all over Asia.