Nuclear Chess: Iran, Israel & US

More activity on the nuclear frontier....

As Iran's Prez brags that Iran is "not afraid" to make a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia warns Iran that it can ramp up oil production and thus cost Iran money, if Iran proceeds with its nuclear plans.  Said Ahmadinutjob, "If we do want to make a bomb, we are not afraid of anybody." A recent study by the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center concluded Iran can make a nuclear bomb in eight weeks. Saudi Arabia has noticed, with its former intel chief stating SA will go nuclear if Iran does.

Yesterday Iran fired 14 missiles in a test designed to demonstrate that Iran has mastered silo-launch technology, making their missiles impervious to anything short of a direct hit with a conventional warhead or a near miss with a nuclear warhead.  Iran stated that its missiles are aimed solely at Israel & US Mideast facilities.  Translation: Europe can relax.  But UK Foreign Minister leader William Hague told Parliament that Iran conducted clandestine ballistic missile tests in addition to those conducted in public view.  Eli Lake of the Washington Times reports that Russia & China helped Iran's nuclear program in the 1990s.

It gets better (but not for us): The Defense Science Board issued a classified report on the Obama missile defense plan for Europe; a declassified portion concludes that the Obama replacement for the Bush missile deployment will not be able to intercept Iranian missiles before they release warheads and decoys, and thus will be ineffective.

Israeli leaders have tested a "nuclear bunker" command center, designed to ensure continued command and control after a nuclear attack.

A former Israeli Army chief called sanctions necessary to check Iran's nuclear program.  Reuters reports that sanctions aimed at Iran's nuclear program also have harmed Iran's poor as well as those specifically targeted.  The UN's top nuclear weapons inspector asked for cooperation from Iranian officials; he is concerned (as well he should be) about Tehran's announced plans to triple its uranium enrichment capacity.

Meanwhile, five Russian nuclear experts were killed in a plane crash; the experts had all helped with Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor project.  Whether this was the Mossad, or simply another example of Russian civil aviation laxity, is unknown.

Tony Blair warns the West that unless Iran is defeated the West cannot defeat al-Qaeda.  Evidence of same: Iran is funneling advanced weapons into Iraq & Afghanistan, to help kill American & NATO soldiers.  Bush-NSCer Elise Jordan exhorts President Obama to make the Arab Spring a Tehran winter by supporting the opposition.

Bottom Line.  Persians play chess legendarily well.  They are running rings around the hapless Obama administration.  And this while Israel faces a hostile US President fixated on the Palestinians, not Iran.

Letter from the Capitol, LFTC, 9/11, National Security, Terrorism, Nuclear Proliferation, Arms Control, WMD, Foreign Policy, Conservative Politics