If Israel bombs Iran's nuclear facilities ...

[Onlooker]

... how would you react?

Ahmadinejad seems to be a nut, regularly threatening the existence of Israel and promoting his nuclear programs. He's certainly making the Israeli's nervous, and they are a people who still have the strong memory of Hitler to haunt them. At the same time, an attack on Iran would lead to a wider conflict. Even if Israel took out Iran's nuclear capabilities, Iran could launch a major conventional attack on Israel. I supported Israel when it bombed Iraq's nuclear facilities years ago because I have nothing against taking out nuclear weapons. But, in this case, though my sympathies are with Israel, I think an attack would be extremely dangerous. The alternative, trusting Iran, isn't a great one either. Your thoughts?

[Beelzebud]

1. If they do that, it's their war, let them fight it alone.

[havocmom]

9. Agree. Likud should not control US Foreign Policy

and definitely not the US Military.

[jwirr]

11. Yes. However, I am sure *ss has led them to believe differently.

[Selatius]

22. No, it automatically becomes our war if Israel bombs Iran

Why? Because Israeli warplanes would need permission to cross over Iraqi airspace, airspace the US has exclusive control over. Iran would know the US, at the very least, tacitly approved.

[Tarc]

2. Would help to get the facts right first

Iran's "nuclear weapons programs" is a Republican meme, not reality. Iran has repeatedly stated that their nuclear program is for domestic energy production, and while their veracity is certainly debatable, the Bush administration made similar (false) claims to build up support for the Iraq invasion.

[Onlooker]

12. I don't trust religious fundamentalists

Whether Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or almost any other religion, fundamentalists strike me a a violent lot. The way Iran murders gays and abuses the rights of women makes me think very little of their word.

[The Stranger]

19. Not to mention the fact that Iran is 6-10 years away from the bomb.

At the VERY LEAST, 4 years away.

In other words, there can be no nuclear war without nuclear weapons.

[rinsd]

3. The world will scold Israel, while breathing a sigh of relief out of camera view.

IOW, much the same thing that happened when they hit Iraq's nuclear program.

[atreides1]

4. It's their war

I wouldn't call for the shedding of one drop of American blood, I would support total neutrality.

[malaise]

5. Who will destroy Israel's

nuclear facilities?

[cali]

18. Are you actually suggesting this is a legitimate

plan? Hell, it's not even a legitimate, let alone thoughtful idea. Bombing Iran is stupid and so is bombing Israel or Pakistan or India.

[malaise]

23. Of course not

It is stupid.

[hogwyld]

6. If they attack, they are completely on their own

The only way to settle the conflict is through the UN. If Israel attacks first, they have sealed their fate as the world will have NO sympathy for them.

[BushOut06]

7. Is there any real evidence that Iran is producing nukes?

It seems to me that the US and Israel are the ones screaming about Iran and nukes. I've yet to see any real evidence of this. In fact, many reports I've seen seem to indicate quite the opposite, that Iran is nowhere near nuke capability. Russia and China, which actually border Iran, don't seem to worried.

[eallen]

8. Actually, it would be difficult for Iran to launch a conventional attack on Israel.

A conventional attack requires feet on the ground. The last time I looked at a map of the region, Iranian feet would have to cross Iraq, and then Jordan or Syria, just to reach Israel. For a naval assault, Iranian ships would have to either transit through Suez, a narrow chokepoint, or go around Africa's cape. For an air assault, Iranian planes would have to cross Iraqi airspace, giving US pilots in Iraq something more to do than providing ground support.

Iran might counterattack. But I don't see how they could launch a "major conventional attack." Geography still matters. That no doubt plays into Israel's thinking.

[Jim__]

10. I think it should be "attempts" to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities

Based on what I've read, they probably cannot successfully bomb all of Iran's nuclear facilities - they're too spread out and also hidden.

If they try it, we should stop all foreign aid to them. We have to stop supporting Israeli agression.

[kenny blankenship]

16. If they try and fail they then can be sure of one thing:

where the first Iranian nuke test will occur--on their heads.
Hell, if they try and succeed that will probably just make the Iranian people more determined to make nuclear weaponry a national priority.

[cali]

17. Have you ever looked at a map?

They bomb Israel, they bomb Palestinians. And don't forget, close to 20% of Israelis are Arabs, mostly Palestinians. That's one reason I think all this fretting in Israel about nukes in Iran is so strange.

[kenny blankenship]

20. If Israel starts a war I doubt that fact will matter much anymore to Tehran

In the first place there's a small issue to correct: Iranians aren't Arabs. (there are some Arabs in Iran but they are a tiny minority, around 3%). In the second place the ground of commonality that you imply between Iranians and Palestinians, that would stay Iran's hand--which must be their religious commonality since it's not ethnic--did not stop Iranians from killing Iraqis by hundreds of thousands in their 8 year war. The presence of millions of Shia Muslims in Baghdad didn't stop Iran from bombarding Baghdad with missiles in the middle of that war. That said, the Palestinians would not be viewed in exactly the same way as Iraqis since the Palestinians didn't start the war against Iran like Iraqis did. If Israel attacks Iran, and the Iranians feel their state and/or nation threatened, I doubt the presence of Palestinians in Israel is going to be much deterrent to the escalating consequences. Iran will tell themselves they don't mean to hit Palestinians, and/or that Israel holding Palestinians hostage as a human shield is an aggravating not a mitigating factor to their (Iranian) revenge.

[cali]

21. I disagree and as you point out yourself

the analogy between Iraqis and Palestinians is a fallacious one. And yes I'm aware of the ethnic makeup of Iran, but we're talking about nuking people here, not merely lauching a few missiles a la Saddam.

[H2O Man]

13. Two thought ....

both are quotes from James carroll's "House of War":

1- "In war and politics, there are never one-factor answers to complicated questions." (p 57)

2- " .... war, once begun, is the opposite of rational." (p 300)

[Parche]

14. pre emptive strikes

Should never be allowed in this World, but thanks to GW Bush and his doctrine
other Countries are following suit.

We should let Israel know that if they do bomb, which would be a war between Iran
and them, then we will withdraw all $$ support period.

[H2O Man]

15. Israel

had actually hit the Iraqi site long before GW Bush was in office.

[Parche]

25. iraq

Yes, and we should have pulled $$ from Israel then

[Nimrod2005]

24. Then we should bomb Israel.....nt