DarrylS

File under WTF, have heard the argument that Iran should not develop nuclear power because we believe that they have enough oil. Now in his last weeks in office George entered into a treaty with UAE.. right across the gulf..

Now Obama is going along with it, we armed the Taliban in the 80's.. we should be aware of the implications of our actions long term..

Oil-Rich Arab State Pushes Nuclear Bid With U.S. Help - WSJ.com

__________________
"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

Stokes

The UAE is a moderate state and a solid ally in the region. Having this agreement rather than say leaving them to do it on their own (which they would if they wanted to) allows some control over the process. For example, they will agree to buy the uranium rather than enriching it themselves, and be subject to regular international inspections. Here's a quote from the article:

"The ability to make electricity through nuclear power is a long way from the ability to build weapons -- and, proponents say, the agreement could make bomb-making harder."

Why wouldn't the US sign off on something like this? Your reaction ignores that the UAE is NOT Iran. The only reason I can see that you'd be against this, but OK with the same kind of deal with say, Belgium, would be racist, wouldn't it? They're brown, so we'd better not let them make nuclear power! Maybe you're against any further development of nuclear power, but it is a logical alternative to oil as oil production peaks and/or demand increases.

Let's think of the alternative, they come to us asking to have nuke power, we say no, so then they either do it themselves, or do it through the Russians or someone else willing to help and less concerned about where they get there isotope from, and what they do with it once they're done.

Real World

Here's a list of nuclear nations, along with those who have reactors coming into the fold this calendar year.

Nuclear Power Reactors and Uranium Requirements:

The issue is not necessarilly nuclear power, it's nuclear weaponry. Iran is enriching uranium to make a bomb.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

STFarmy

Come on now, you don't believe that do you? They're simply going to use it for power and good-time feeling hug machines.

Real World

I was thinking a wireless tanning booth. In all seriousness, Iran will go nuclear if it wants to, and I say let them, if all non military means are exhausted to no avail. I'd just let them know, if they were to succeed, that they would certifiably become glass, if a nuke went off anywhere in the world, and it was theirs.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

STFarmy

Warmonger.

wistahpatsfan

I would hope that goes for everyone...except for us, of course.

Seriously, though, even the Russians and Chinese must know that would be the case, right? The big guys have had nukes now for at least 50 years and we've been so lucky to have not seen one go off. I'm more worried about accidental launches or if a rogue element got one off. And we have to be concerned about who gets blamed for one of those instances. If we find ourselves accusing Iran of nuking someone in the future, how do we bomb them back without impacting other countries in the area - particularly China?

Needless to say, we have no one to blame but ourselves and the other big nuclear powers who were never able to eliminate nukes in the seventies. There were opportunities for all parties to take the leap, but no one had the trust necessary at that time. There has to be a way to get that done. How foolish is it that we've spent so much time and worry on a weapon that has never and can never be used? I hope no one's watching from outer space because we must look like complete idiots.

shmessy

.....at the moment.

You further wrote: "Why wouldn't the US sign off on something like this? Your reaction ignores that the UAE is NOT Iran."

That's a very interesting statement. You DO realize that you could easily switch those two countries around in your sentence and written that truthfully also in 1976?

........and the Israelis built Entebbe Airport for Idi Amin in the early 70's.

........and U.S. allied with Saddam against Iran in the 1979-1988 War.......

That's all well and good, but when you're talking about Nuclear technology, speaking in the present tense is a prescription for disaster.

That being said, as long as the way to enriching for weapons is not part of the scenario, the danger is tempered. I'm not an expert on the science of it. I do, however, chime in on the geopolitical area.

__________________
"They (Patriots) may be the greatest team ever" - Chris Mortenson, January 18, 2005 on espn.com

Real World

Why would the nations mentioned want to eliminate nukes? Their existence virtually ensures that no major world war will happen. The risk of winning a conventional war, would mean nuclear attack as a last means of defense. I think everyone understands that. It's why proxy wars happen instead (not that they are good). The real risk is what you mentioned, an accidental launch, or the aquisition by a rogue element. The latter is why no one wants Iran to obtain one. Most people in the know feel that Iran will have little problem using one on an adversary (Israel comes to mind).

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

shmessy

In that sense, I'm far more worried about Pakistan than Iran.

__________________
"They (Patriots) may be the greatest team ever" - Chris Mortenson, January 18, 2005 on espn.com