Comments on: A Sensible Response To Iranian and North Korean Missiles

By: David Billington

David Billington — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 22:31:40 +0000

National security planning tends to roll through time, looking backward a certain distance and forward a certain distance. This makes defense planning flexible but it also tends to focus attention on likely events within a timeframe in which the goalposts are constantly shifting. Missile defense and missile threats are particularly good examples of technologies that may look one way from the standpoint of the next five years but quite another way three of four decades from now. There could be opportunities as well as dangers in a changed technological environment. The scenarios I have seen coming out of official thinking do not go much beyond fifteen years; am I (as I hope) mistaken? I would be interested to know of any that take a longer view.

By: Ron Wright

Ron Wright — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 01:00:35 +0000

I’m more worried about an EMP attack using a low yield crude Iranian nuke (Thank you China, Norks, and AQ Kahn) lobbed by a shipped launched Scud (Thank you China and Norks) from one of the cargo ships of AQ’s “ghost fleet” off the Northeast US. Detonate it about 100K above the Northeast power grid and standby. Do we know where AQ’s ships are?

By: Papa Ray

Papa Ray — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 23:54:38 +0000

I’m sure S.K. has some old freighters that can stand off the coast of any country and launch short range missles. It’s available, it’s cheap and it would work. Papa Ray West Texas USA

By: chickenhawk little

chickenhawk little — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:23:13 +0000

But is that what Iran really has in mind? It doesn’t take a strategic genius to see that if you really want to take down the USA you cut off the oil. Much more final than frying downtown Chicago or some place. So you run a holy war in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, acquire the Arabian Pennisula. Wouldn’t hurt to whoop up the faithful in the Caspian Sea area and annex those its energy resources. The Chinese will be happy to buy. And to keep the USA from being able to do a damn thing about it, you acquire nukes. Don’t have to launch them. You just point them outwards, like porcupine quills, and watch the Great Satan shrivel. Somebody think of something, please.

By: Peace Like A River

Peace Like A River — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 21:11:24 +0000

And Iran, Iran so far away In recent days there have been signs there might be an effort underway to prepare a foundation for possible action against Iran at some point in the future. Whether this action is military, economical, or diplomatic remains to be seen.