Iran has Enriched Uranium

[pimpdave]

That's the big announcement.

What should be done about it?

[Qwert]

open new topic maybe?

[Johnny Rockets]

Just Wait.

This younger generation of Iranians especialy the student population, are going to teach the mullahs, Ayatolahs, and that fucking insane idiot they keep proping up with rigged elections, what REAL civil unrest looks like this summer.

JRockets

[GabonX]

At which point they will be shot.

[BigBallinStalin]

Interesting, but not suprising.

They'll keep it up until they have enough to make the bomb, but they aren't the crazy bastards to go using it against another country (under the name of Iran; as for distributing such weapons to underground terrorist organizations who knows).

It'll be used for deterring Israel, America, and their long-time enemies, the surrounding Arabs, from telling them what to do. Which can be good and bad depending on how we deal with it. One thing for sure is that arms sales to those nearby Arab states will soar, so that's more money for the Americans, Europe, Russia, and possibly China.

It keeps the Arab states in check as well, maybe it'll launch a whole new level of militarization in the area (all going for nuclear research if they haven't already). It'll be scary, but one needs to tread lightly and intelligently to turn this into something good.

________________________________

One good thing about this is that if the Iranian opposition somehow later secures control the government, they get nuclear weapons, which isn't a bad deal for a new democracy, assuming the military steps in line (but who knows, because there's too much speculation at that point, nor do I know much about the political make-up within Iran to comment further).

[Army of GOD]

I thought we already thought they had it. Or maybe that was just me.

[jefjef]

"The bad news is Iran is capable of making a nuclear bomb. The good news is they have to drop it from a camel." --David Letterman

[Phatscotty]

That's the big announcement.

What should be done about it?

peanut butter and jelly

[pimpdave]

AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!

KISS MY ASS AND SUCK ON MY BALLS!

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN111 ... arketsNews

U.S. successfully tests airborne laser on missile
3:15am EST

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. high-powered airborne laser weapon shot down a ballistic missile in the first successful test of a futuristic directed energy weapon, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said on Friday.

The agency said in a statement the test took place at 8:44 p.m. PST (11:44 p.m. EST) on Thursday /0444 GMT on Friday) at Point Mugu's Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off Ventura in central California.

"The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile" the agency said.

The high-powered Airborne Laser system is being developed by Boeing Co., <BA.N> the prime contractor, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

Boeing produces the airframe, a modified 747 jumbo jet, while Northrop Grumman <NOC.N> supplies the higher-energy laser and Lockheed Martin <LMT.N> is developing the beam and fire control systems.

"This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform," the agency added.

The airborne laser weapon successfully underwent its first in-flight test against a target missile back in August. During that test, Boeing said the modified 747-400F aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base and used its infrared sensors to find a target missile launched from San Nicolas Island, California.

The plane's battle management system issued engagement and target location instructions to the laser's fire control system, which tracked the target and fired a test laser at the missile. Instruments on the missile verified the system had hit its mark, Boeing said.

The airborne laser weapon is aimed at deterring enemy missile attacks and providing the U.S. military with the ability to engage all classes of ballistic missiles at the speed of light while they are in the boost phase of flight.

"The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers (miles), and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies," the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said.

(Reporting by Jim Wolf and David Alexander, Editing by Sandra Maler)

[Neoteny]

LASERS!

[pimpdave]

[BigBallinStalin]

[beezer]

This is a resounding diplomatic victory for the Obama administration.

[2dimes]

I'm with Dave, I can't seperate the laser from the movie "Real Genius".

[bedub1]

U.S. successfully tests airborne laser on missile

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Iran says "We can build a nuke". US says "we can shoot it down".

[Gregrios]

That's the big announcement.

What should be done about it?

Prepare for the worst because there ain't no stopping it.

[Juan_Bottom]

“We have the capability to enrich uranium more than 20 percent or 80 percent, but we don’t enrich because we don’t need it,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said.

Didn't they just-just announce that they were going to enrich it to above 30%? And that they were doing so because they need it for medical treatments!? That was just a few days ago. 80% is weapons quality right?

[Gregrios]

“We have the capability to enrich uranium more than 20 percent or 80 percent, but we don’t enrich because we don’t need it,” Mr. Ahmadinejad said.

Didn't they just-just announce that they were going to enrich it to above 30%? And that they were doing so because they need it for medical treatments!? That was just a few days ago. 80% is weapons quality right?

I'm no expert but that sure sounds like what it means.

[rockfist]

Perhaps the Israelis will help the Iranians by exporting some additional enriched uranium to them.

[jbrettlip]

90 % is weapons grade, according to other articles I read.

wait, why is pimpdave applauding using lasers as a missile defense?? What a waste of government money, that could be used to rebuild the shithole that is Philadelphia and give the poor people there health care. Why is the US spending money on things like protecting people from missiles?? Thousands of people die in the streets. And I bet that missile was causing global warming too!!!

[Juan_Bottom]

wait, why is pimpdave applauding using lasers as a missile defense?? What a waste of government money, that could be used

It's to protect our legislative Branch, the president, and the Pentagon. Philadelphia is a gonner anyway.

Perhaps the Israelis will help the Iranians by exporting some additional enriched uranium to them.

[pimpdave]

And now, for some more military porn:

USMC Assault Breacher Vehicle (based on the M1)

Hey jbrettlip, you've got things so completely wrong about me.

[targetman377]

At which point they will be shot.

[Doc_Brown]

Is it just me, or does the rhetoric being tossed around regarding Iran (particularly from Hillary Clinton) sound eerily similar to what the Bush administration was saying about Iraq back in 2002?

[Gregrios]

Is it just me, or does the rhetoric being tossed around regarding Iran (particularly from Hillary Clinton) sound eerily similar to what the Bush administration was saying about Iraq back in 2002?

Minus the intel from a guy nicknamed "Curveball" and it's about right.

But seriously now, how in the world could someone trust intel from someone with the nickname, Curveball. I'm even willing to bet that he got his nickname from exactly that, throwing people curveballs.