One of the major differences between contending with the nuclear-armed USSR and a potentially nuclear-armed Iran is that the latter nation's ideology includes an inordinate enthusiasm for hastening the apocalypse, and the coming of the Mahdi, whom Iran's religious establishment recognizes as the Twelfth Imam, and successor to Muhammad and Ali.
As if that were not troubling enough, a potential consequence of Iran's harnessing of nuclear weapons may be a Saudi effort to do the same, resulting in a Sunni-Shi'ite arms race, not to mention two countries that would have Israel in their nuclear cross-hairs. Those regimes will not likely care who the fallout makes into "martyrs," as its consequences would not stop at the borders of the target country.
"Never mind Iran, is Saudi Arabia about to acquire a nuclear bomb?" by Michael Burleigh for the Daily Mail, February 24 (thanks to Twostellas):
Both Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council maintain that they want a WMD-free Middle East. However, key members of the Saudi royal elite have recently signalled that if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, then Saudi Arabia will get one too. Speaking of signalling, they have also long indicated that if Israel were to overfly the desert kingdom to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, they would temporarily turn their radars off.
But Israel would bear almost all of the risks and consequences.
Saudi Arabia has signed nuclear technology agreements with several states: China, France, Argentina and South Korea, in order to address its need for research reactors, nuclear power plants and so forth. The latter will help slow domestic oil consumption, while boosting the amount of oil available for export. China alone is going to help build sixteen nuclear reactors.Then there is the matter of delivery systems. The Saudi Air Force could adapt its fighter jets (Typhoons and F15s) to carry nuclear warheads. The Kingdom is also seeking to replace its existing Chinese CSS-2 medium range missiles with the more accurate Donfeng-21, which is launched from mobile trailers.
These weapons are already targeted on Iran's major cities, notably Tehran, home to a fifth of the entire population. It is worth noting too that Russia decided not to supply Iran with $800 million worth of S-300 PMU missiles, one of the most advanced anti-ballistic missile defence systems.
Unsurprisingly, many US politicians are extremely worried about a Saudi bomb. As in the case of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia had what one might call 'fluid' ties to Islamist terrorists.
It is also pursuing its own anti-Iranian agenda in both Syria and neighbouring Bahrain.
The more Iran presses ahead with its semi-concealed nuclear projects - and they have just been highly uncooperative with the latest wave of IAEA inspectors - the more other countries in the region will seek to go down the same path.
This is also a useful reminder that it is not only Israel that is worried about an Iranian nuclear bomb.
Hi Marisol! who ever this guy Michael Burlieigh has is totally cluless about Iran and even more cluless about the saudis. Iranian have been dealing with nuclear technology since 1973 when shah was around. Iran also have a very large pool of highly educated scientist. saudi arabia on the other hand: have ever seen any product that says"made in saudi arabia? no. they don't have the technology or know how, to manufacture a grenade let alone building a nuclear weapon and fitting on their jet fighters which by the way it is made here!! saudis and their vile clerics instead of preaching jew hatred, they should make friends with israelis and ask them to buy a couple of their boms say for a billion or two each which is pocet change for them. and this the perfect solution to counter the iranians.
M
miriam rove,
You have so hit the nail on the head. Those very thoughts have been floating around in my head for years.
Thank you.
A humble suggestion; let the Iranians buid their bomb. Despite all the rhetoric, they don't have the balls to attack Israel. They will attack the Saudis, and THIS would be a very good thing. Saudi Arabia is the source of all evil. Just let them destroy each other. After all, Islam is evil, and evil is self-destroying.
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2012/02/aisha-in-hell-aicha-en-enfer.html
Shows Islam as a political entity - up there with the rest.
What would be the greatest fear for Saudi Arabia - that they all be forced to become Shites!!
But Saudi Arabia is going to be thinking about Mecca. The religious focal point of Islam - in regards to a nuclear attack.
Move a little from the Mahdi theory -
Look at the Cold War - it wasn't isolated to Russia - the world was divided into these camps.
And between Saudi Arabia and Iran these are religious camps.
Iran is making noises about controlling the world - part of this is their confidence that the world becomes Islamic - but before this - the Iranian leader has also mentioned their right to control the Islamic world - Saudi Arabia is making great strides to bring the world under Islam - their form of it - mosques and leading universities - centers of knowledge under their grip. It could possibly be an arrogant battle for un-hatched chickens.
Like who controls Islam controls the world...
Its all theory.
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What we should be focusing on is the end of this Islamic era. Its a big step to move away from oil - but market forces will drive us there - electric vehicles are simply more efficient - this would mean we could see the end of the well funded Islamic message - the end of the mega mosque building. Islamic outreach would be on a budget. Without this funding pouring into universities professors can be free to say what they want. Not how we can better look at chopping off hands positively!!
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Saudi weapons can be pointed at us too!!
It would be pretty scary if the "Wahhabis" had a bomb than the Iranians. Iran is at least somewhat reasonable and loves playing war-games. A Salafist state would use it the moment it's in their hands.
no. if they get the f...bomb it will then become a north korea. the minute you disagree with them they will then point to the bomb.
M
I lways think this kind of people making these kinds of comments. even a 6 year old knows better. theri own f... king had to load up his 747 three month ago to come all they way to NYC to get a back surgery. this a...hole as not trained one doctor or build a hospital to do a back surgery and here is this guy saying that saudis are going to make an A bomb.
Saudic Arabic are pretty intellance peoples in they nation and they government that where educrate in the west and now they schools of highter learning are start to be as good as the west. Builting nuclear weapon is old technogion.
Your analysis on Saudi Arabia is correct, but they have lots of money, and Pakistan has little money. If the Saudis wave enough dollars in the air the Pakistanis will eventually reach out.
Defendoid writes:
"Saudic Arabic are pretty intellance peoples in they nation and they government that where educrate in the west and now they schools of highter learning are start to be as good as the west. Builting nuclear weapon is old technogion."
__________
Wow! You DID try the LSD!
ROFLMFAO
The political Mahdi will just be the rallying point to unite the Muslim Brotherhood's global jihad. The Muslim world, both Sunni and Shia, will have no real dilemma uniting against the West if they think they will all have the spoils. The oil-rich countries of Africa have been conquered for Islam by genocidal jihad. U.S. troops have been picked off and weakened for over ten years in the Middle East distraction to set up Islamic democracies. If just one major city is destroyed Obama would sign a dhimmitude contract with the Muslim world, he's basically putting one in place already. What's to burst the Mahdi mania bubble? Let's hope the people of the West take their souls back and unite against diabolical evil enforced by Sharia law.
@DefenderofIslam
If the Saudis did not have oil it would probably be the most insignificant country in the world.
They have nothing else except a desert, medieval religous mind, black tents (their women), goats and oil.
The sooner the oil in Saudi is gone the better.
@Mary. . .YWEH's got plenty-more tricks up his sleeve to de-fuse these goons. Trust in the certainty of that. . .
. . . I know not what the future holds. . .
But I know who holds the future. . .
It's an answer
Known only to Him.
@ Defender
you wrote: Builting nuclear weapon is old technogion.
Yes, but Stuxnet is new technology. And once your military system is subject to a foreign hand, Mossad perhaps, deciding whether to let you fire your missile at Israel or allow a nuclear explosion to take place on Iran's launchpads, you are f*****!!
By the way, the Russians must've had Internet connections with the Iranians to help them build their nuclear weapons capability, so their military complexes must've be infected with Stuxnet, too! :))
Clowns!
(1) "if Israel were to overfly the desert kingdom to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, they would temporarily turn their radars off."
Would that just be on the way to Iran, or also on the way back from Iran?
(2) The Saudi royal family installed radiological dispersion devices (RDDs) within its oil infrastructure and fields as insurance against it being overthrown (from within or outside) decades ago, so it has nuclear experience.
(3) Again, the fundamental question that policymakers have to ask is this: "Can we live with an Iranian nuclear weapons capability (and the likely changes in Iranian foreign policy or "behavior" that that could result in)?"
There are nasty consequences whatever the answer and policies that follow from them: e.g., war or proliferation (not just Saudi Arabia, but Egypt, Turkey, maybe the Ukraine, even Serbia, not to mention old timers like ascendant Brazil, then Argentina, and why not South Africa or Nigeria, Indonesia, Sweden, and, despite Fukushima, Japan).
The Indian and Pakistani nuclear weapons programs were "grandfathered" after 9/11, and North Korea has successfully developed its own arsenal. [One could also ask how many nuclear neighbors China and Russia want to have?]
One of the last tools in the economic sanctions chest is to cut Iranian imports of gasoline, given that the country lacks refining capacity. That would cripple the economy.
Anyone who still thinks Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions are unclear cannot read the tea leaves. This was clear to me in the mid-1990s, and I'm not an "expert" or privvy to intelligence information. (The foundation, of course, was started by the Shah, with U.S. support.)
The Saudis don't have to build their own bomb. The North Koreans or perhaps the Pakistanis would be happy to build them as many as they want for the right price. North Korea especially would look at this exchange as a lucrative source of foreign currency and oil, both desperately needed by the regime in Pyongyang. And Pakistan may look at it as a way to support their wahabi/sunni co-religionists as well as a lucrative business deal.
To tell the truth, I'm not entirely convinced the Saudis don't already have the bomb or at least a deal in the works to procure it and its delivery systems.
"I'm not entirely convinced the Saudis don't already have...a deal in the works to procure it and its delivery systems."
I would agree. Pakistan is tripling its bomb production facilities. Where are they getting the money?
Yes, that is true. Our God is the one true God (not like the cheap impersonation of Mohammad's). We just have to turn away from evil and turn to Him and ask for help. Even those who do not believe in God still live within the boundaries set by God and benefit from the gifts from God, like the ability to reason. Where there is an evil CULT of terror, plunder, and sexual crime threatening the world, there should be a reasonable and moral opposition by reasonable and enlightened (by faith) people.
"DefenderofIslam' wrote:
Saudic Arabic are pretty intellance peoples in they nation and they government that where educrate in the west and now they schools of highter learning are start to be as good as the west. Builting nuclear weapon is old technogion.
.............................
If the Saudis are such "intelligence peoples" then why are still prosecuting people *for witchcraft*? Why do they oppress women to such an extent that they do not allow them to drive?
Saudi Arabia would be nothing but a barren desert if not for the accident of oil.
Far from your implication that these are sophisticated people, they prove themselves nothing but savage barbarians again and again.