U.S. ups spending on 'bunker busters'

[Satyagrahi]

Source: UPI / USA Today

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Defense is beefing up funding for "bunker busting" bombs designed for use against nuclear production facilities, documents show.

The Pentagon has nearly doubled its research spending on, among other bunker busters, a 30,000-pound bomb built to deliver 2 tons of explosives after burrowing into the earth to reach underground nuclear labs, USA Today reported Monday.

Spending for research and development of the weapons has increased from $139 million in 2007 to $257 million this year, budget documents indicate.

The newspaper said another bunker buster is being developed by the U.S. Air Force, which has plans to test a 20-foot-long burrowing bomb than can be dropped from a B-52 bomber. An analyst told USA Today the program seems aimed at Iran's underground nuclear production facilities at Natanz.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/09/15/US_ups_spending_on_bunker_busters/UPI-13651221487607/

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Bunker-busting bombs added to U.S. arsenal

By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is expanding its arsenal of bunker-busting bombs to knock out suspected programs to make weapons of mass destruction, such as Iran's, interviews and military planning documents show.
-snip-

The Air Force, which plans to test the 20-foot-long bomb this fall on the B-52 bomber, is also exploring how to drop the weapon from the B-2 warplane, said Vicki Stein, an Air Force spokeswoman.
-snip-

In a related effort, the agency has identified planes with "Angel Fire" spy technology as key to its efforts, according to budget documents. Developed by the Air Force and Marine Corps to counter roadside bombs, Angel Fire technology gives military analysts the ability to zoom in on targets and replay imagery to determine changes over time.
-snip-

That capability would allow military planners to observe a site like Natanz, Pike said. That would allow them to target workers when they congregated in one spot, such as a housing complex. Killing those workers could set back their program for years, he said.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-09-14-bombs_N.htm


Bush said today that he is "going to finish strong".

Are we heading for a October surprise?

One could get the impression that some are pushing for it. Just look at these headlines:


Iran renews nuclear weapons development
12 Sep 2008
Fresh evidence has emerged that suggests Iran has renewed work on developing nuclear weapons, according to Western security sources.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/2800255/Iran-renews-nuclear-weapons-development.html

Taliban claim weapons supplied by Iran
14 Sep 2008
A Taliban commander has credited Iranian-supplied weapons with successful operations against coalition forces in Afghanistan.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/2958093/Taliban-claim-weapons-supplied-by-Iran.html

Iran: Secret memo reveals Khamenei plan for nuclear arms, says report
Tehran, 15 Sept. (AKI) -
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reportedly has a secret plan to accelerate nuclear arms production by simulating a breakdown at the nuclear reactor of Bushehr.
That is according to a memorandum circulated among several western intelligence services cited in the Italian daily, La Stampa.
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2486461603

Il piano degli ayatollah per la bomba
I Servizi occidentali: “Fingeranno un guasto alla centrale per poi produrre plutonio”
http://www.lastampa.it/_web/cmstp/tmplRubriche/giornalisti/grubrica.asp?ID_blog=43&ID_articolo=1005&ID_sezione=58&sezione=

(Edited to add link.)

[LynnTheDem]

1. Because uping spending on AMERICANS would just be silly!

Food? Water? Medical?

Bahhhh! ALL WAR ALL THE TIME!!!

It's the New American Way!

[bemildred]

2. Good, we may need these when we arrest Cheney. nt

[Satyagrahi]

3. IAEA: The Daily Telegraph article is fictitious

“The article, entitled ‘Iran renews nuclear weapons development’ published in Daily Telegraph by Con Coughlin and Tim Butcher is fictitious,” IAEA Spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in a statement.

“IAEA inspectors have no indication that any nuclear material is missing from the plant,” reads the statement….

http://www.armscontrolwonk.com/2040/iaea