Israel's right to Defend

[Provost Harrison]

I think that you couldn't care less about provocation. To you, Israel and the U.S. will always be at fault. So, I couldn't care less about your opinions.

Are you seriously trying to pull the victim card here, like the basis of your tariffs, "nasty Europe, created to spite the US", etc, etc. Typical exceptionalist nonsense.

[Provost Harrison]

No, but I held a Secret clearance for over 20 years. I know how things work.
I'm probably wrong.

Wow, I'm impressed. Welcome to the club.

[Provost Harrison]

Iran doesn't have nuclear weapons, but they have materials for dirty bombs. Even if the Iron Dome blows up the delivery device, the material would still be dispersed.

We just essentially set off dirty bombs in their territory. If we invade they'll have no reason to hold anything back.

The Iraq war was stupid and evil, this is even dumber, they can realistically make a few cities radioactive for 1000s of years.

Not really, uranium-235 is highly fissile but with a half-life approaching a billion years it is barely radioactive. Cobalt-60 is the go to, 5 year half-life makes it persistent but also pernicious enough. Now do the Iranians have enough of that? And a bog-standard fission device isn't that hard to make if you have a critical mass of highly enriched U-235 (or even Pu-239 if they have that) with the old gun method. Months to make, if that.

[Aeson]

Not really, uranium-235 is highly fissile but with a half-life approaching a billion years it is barely radioactive. Cobalt-60 is the go to, 5 year half-life makes it persistent but also pernicious enough. Now do the Iranians have enough of that? And a bog-standard fission device isn't that hard to make if you have a critical mass of highly enriched U-235 (or even Pu-239 if they have that) with the old gun method. Months to make, if that.

I'm talking about the nuclear waste from their fission plants. Lots of nasty stuff in there. Just need a dispersal mechanism. Even conventional explosives work for that.

[Dauphin]

I would think toxicity is a much bigger concern than radioactivity. Contaminated water supplies for example. General area damage would be quite localised from explosive releases (in the context of an attack on stockpiles, or the deliberate use of dispersive devices in retaliation).

[The Mad Monk]

I support action against Iran, but this is just too good:

[The Mad Monk]

Reposted from Counterglow, btw.

[BeBMan]

They had totally strange customs in 1941, like actually following the constitution by having Congress declaring war (after Hirohitos social media post IIRC ).

[SlowwHand]

Your knowledge of history is lacking.

[SlowwHand]

Every US. President for...45 years has invoked limited warfare. Not declared war. Skirmishes, including Democrats.

[BeBMan]

OK, that's certainly true. Thanks.

[The Mad Monk]

I'm talking about the nuclear waste from their fission plants. Lots of nasty stuff in there. Just need a dispersal mechanism. Even conventional explosives work for that.

Frankly, you don't even have to go there; just a couple medical gamma sources will do.

[Provost Harrison]

I would think toxicity is a much bigger concern than radioactivity. Contaminated water supplies for example. General area damage would be quite localised from explosive releases (in the context of an attack on stockpiles, or the deliberate use of dispersive devices in retaliation).

Yeah, uranium is toxic, plutonium especially so but it would be just too far dispersed if exploded in the air, carried off by the wind. And those U/Pu isotopes are very, very long lived.

[Provost Harrison]

Frankly, you don't even have to go there; just a couple medical gamma sources will do.

Yeah, Caesium-137 is pretty nasty. It's just having enough to make an effective dirty bomb.

[Bereta_Eder]

interesting how there is a division between the arab states


divide and conquer unfortunately

[Bereta_Eder]

also that is a total aggression by the US and israel. I'm pretty sure Russia and Chinba just got a new shiny card they can play using iran to hit american targets directly. they'll probably give iran the bomb too and asap