Should Israel destroy Iran's nuclear reactor like she did with Iraq?

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john_galt0

Well, somebody has to do the dirty deed.
Seriously, given the leadership of Iran and the current political climate in the Middle East it would be a lesser loss of life by destroying the nuclear facilities now rather than later. I see some will disagree and point out that Iran has not attacked Israel. That is not true however. Iran has attacked Israel by proxy using Hamas and Hezballah. Those with faint hearts have to answer the question would you rather have a thousand dead now or 10 million dead in five years. I think that is the question.
A U.S. legal point; if a person makes a viable threat against your person that is called assault. If that person physically touches you that is called battery, hence the term assault and battery. Most courts hold with the idea that once assualt has been committed a person is allowed self defense prior to the battery. It is called self defense.

tonalc1

Having a nuclear reactor is not the same as having the ability for an imminent nuclear strike.

If Israel did do that, however, it would have to be with US assistance; and both countries would have to deal with the dire consequences.

Add: Amazing the amount of people who don't know the history of the region, and about the 1981 attack.

Rossonero NorCal SFECU

Unfortunately, Iran's learned from Iraq's mistake and has everything spread out around the country. It won't be a matter of just bombing one site. The best solution would be helping the Iranian people overthrow the mullahs, an attack by Israel or the US would just get the populace behind them. But unfortunately, there might not be enough time to wait for that to happen. It's a tough situation, but something definitely has to be done. The whole world should see the problem with Ahmedinejad adn the mullahs having nukes.

EDIT: I have to disagree with Jim below on this point:

"Not even a loon like Ahmadinejad would bring that sort of armageddon on his own people. "

Ahmedinejad thinks world chaos is what will bring the Mahdi out of hiding, and I really believe that in his mind a few million martyrs will be a worthwhile trade for making this happen.

jimiffondu

For those that don't know, yes Israel attacked Iraq's Osirak facility in 1981 - It was a 40 MW light-water nuclear materials testing reactor (MTR) in Iraq, 11 miles south-east of Baghdad - designed by the French and monitored by the IAEA. The 1981 attack (Operation Opera) completely crippled the facility, and it was completely destroyed during the 1991 Gulf War by American aerial bombing...

Iran had previously attacked the same facility, in September 1980, shortly after the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war.

As a piece of trivia, one of the Israeli pilots to have flown the Osirak mission was Ilan Ramon, who later became Israel's first astronaut, and who was killed in the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003...

Anyway - on to your question...

No.

Iran is attempting to enrich uranium, ostensibly for developing nuclear power. It's still at least some 10 years away from this objective, according to CIA reports - it's certainly not yet "an imminent threat".

Even if it could be proven that the Iranians were developing nuclear weapons, then the answer remains a no. Justifying a pre-emptive attack on Iran allows for the same ethical logic to say that, with all the warmongering going on toward Iran, it would be justified in launching a pre-emptive attack against the US, or against Israel, who constantly threaten military action against Iran.

If something is wrong for one person, it is wrong for another - the principle of universality underpins all ethical conduct.

And even if Iran *does* manage to produce nuclear weapons, despite crippling sanctions, despite threats of military action and everything else - they still couldn't use them - for exactly the same reason the Russians couldn't attack the US during the Cold War -

- Israel has enough nukes to level every Arab city across the Middle East.

Not even a loon like Ahmadinejad would bring that sort of armageddon on his own people. Any nuclear attack on an Israeli city would kill hundreds of thousands - but the reprisals would kill millions. Also - any attack on an Israeli city would, no doubt, damage and destroy holy Muslim sites - which Iran clearly wouldn't do.

Incidentally, Iran offered to host IAEA inspectors for its nuclear facilities during the same week that the US (the only country in the world to have ever used nuclear weapons, lest we forget) refused to allow UN teams to fully inspect facilities at Guantanamo Bay...

Personally, I think that the President of Iran is trying to make a point about Israel's possession of nuclear weapons. It's a dangerous (and probably foolhardy) game to play - but he has said that he would commit to a nuclear-free Middle East... That is, if Israel were to dismantle its nukes, then Iran would give up the aspiration to develop them...

Even the Americans didn't want Israel to possess nuclear weapons, and refused to supply materials... Yet the British, along with the Norwegians, supplied the heavy water needed... The Americans knew that nuclear weapons is exactly what the Middle East doesn't need!

In short, if it's right for one country to hold nukes, then it must be right for every country to hold them. The fact that they are the most abominable things to ever be created by the human race means that no country should ever have the right to possess them.

Apologies for the long answer - it's not an easy question.

Peace

Iraq didn't have a nuclear reactor. But if Iran used it's nuclear reactor for attacking Israel then Israel have the right to destroy it as Israel will must defend itself.
note: I'm Egyptian

gordon3392

I think israel are standing by,,,,

Sigi H

Definitely - the US WILL give her the nod and full support. Israel will never be allowed to do it on her own.......

Look - it is an evil regime there in Iran with a mad leader filled to overflow with hate towards the Jews and their friends the US..... the same like Nazi Germany and Hitler.

Moonrise

that would be a tragic mistake. iran would answer without delay.

MikeInRI

I have one main reason why they shouldn't do such a thing. Israel does not have the right equipment to do the job right with either a moderate level of certainty. It would be a big mistake because it would politically give Iran a legitimate right to strike out against Israel in the eyes of most of the world and it would make Israel look inept in the eyes of the rest of the world for failure to achieve its goals. If the US wanted to do something jointly with the Israelis that might make some sense - but it would not make good political sense. I think this is an issue that is better taken up with the US and the UK with the support of other nations and/or at least the EEC nations (minus possibly France because you can rarely count on them when your back is up against the wall - you usually have to wait until its too late.

Good Luck!!!

Michael J

No, the international community should. Israel shouldn't have to do this, it is all the world's responsibility.

moneymaker

I don't know. I don't know if it is the best idea.
My thoughts on this subject are mixed, and I cannot see clearly how to go about it.
On one hand doing this may show everyone not to threat Israel, but on the other hand it may push all these Mideast countries to sooner build their nukes.
I don't know.

sidestepper11

I have a good answer for all of this! Every Country in the world that has nukes or nuke reactors should come to an agreement and destroy all of them at the same time.

Making this world far safer.

Milo

YES!

O J

Well it would certainly be a good way to start ww3!

Hatikvah JPA

Yes, yes, and yes!!!

Obviously DoctorJohn is very well read! LOL
.

I Swear .. Hand On Heart ..

I agree with "Michael J".. I'd love to see England, USA and Israel all come together to defeat those with bad intentions .. other countries welcome to help ! But we'd have to be cautious, innocent civilians lifes being destroyed .. UN-ACCEPTABLE ..
Thank You
& Take Care!!

Ahcho N

Should they, YES Will they, NO. Israel is a kind loving country and they don't wish to harm anyone but when they are pushed they can and will fight back with all their heart and strength. It would be too presumptuous for them to strike without provocation. Words are not enough but Iran is a shiitey little country with a terrorist president. Heaven help they should they go too far with Israel. That terrorist president is trying to get his people killed and he's doing a very good job of it.

diana

sooner or later we're gonna have to!!!!
it's scary, they have a psycho that hates us and speaks really honestly that when he'll have the bomb he will use it against us!!!
i think it's inevitable..it's only a matter of time..

Nomimi

Israel never Attacked Iran... hoho maybe you just woke up. I would advise your Israelites not to start a mistake of their life. Iran is not a joke, they will cut their skinny A**es in pieces.

dr strangelove

doesn't matter either way does it? somebody else will just nuke them after

Theo C Cupier

So A-Man-In-Dinner-Jacket did call for Israel to be wiped off the map, but Israel was not ON the map before 1948. To say that the 1948 resolution of the UN was bungled is not a crime.

What is it with you people, what makes a pre-emptive strike OK but possession of Nukes by anyone else evil?

What is the difference between "shock and awe" and "terror"?

old know all

On the other hand, if there's a real risk that Israel may attack, shouldn't someone destroy Israel's nuclear reactors?

norcalislam

Or even better, Israel could destroy ITS nuclear reactors, and its nuclear weapons, then everyone in the region would be on equal footing. Why should Israel get to pursue nuclear power when they deny it to Iran? Why does Israel get to keep nukes, when Mossad is the MOST extreme of terrorist groups?

traveler

If you check your history, it was an Iranian nuclear reactor that Israel destroyed about 15? years ago. Now Iran supposedly has nuclear war grade material again so does some country attack Iran every 10 to 15 years to prevent them from getting the bomb?

Doctor John

Am I missing something here? Israel has attacked Iraq?
First i've heard of it...What planet are you from?

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