Is there any proof that Iran wants to make nuclear weapons?

hell, there’s no effing way to know
not in this world of smoke screens and power plays
and yes, bullshit

We’ve seen this game play out before. US intelligence needs to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt after the Iraq debacle.

There’s no proof, but neo-conservatives want to convince the world that they are developing nuclear weapons to give them cause to go to war with Iran. Meanwhile, I believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons simply because if they had them then there’s no way in heck that we’ll attack them.

The problem with the foreign policy of the last administration is that they set the example that if you CAN’T defend yourself, and if you have oil, then you’ll get attacked, but if you CAN then it makes it that much harder. I think Iran and North Korea realized they needed to develop nuclear weapons if they are defend themselves.

@upholstry If it’s just neocons, then why is BO so hostile to Iran?

EDIT: But I’ll give him that he’s at least willing to negotiate.

@boots…because apparently he thinks thats the cool thing to do?

@benjaminlevi In the end, it just makes the whole “Change” moniker ironic.

@boots What are you talking about? He is going to CHANGE which country the majority of our military will be occupying. Hooray!

@boots I’ll lay it out the way I see it. If a guy down the street was making a flame producing machine and he SWORE up and down it was for killing the weeds in the cracks in his pavement yet continually threatened his neighbor that happened to be a cop that he was going to burn down his house, what would you think? Oh by the way this flame instrument can launch a flame 50 ft…. for killing weeds?

This brings me to my point. Iran continues to enrich uranium past a point where it’s usable in a nuclear reactor…why? Both the US and Russia offered to sell them energy grade uranium and Iran refused….Why?

@FGS May I see a link that says where they’re enriching uranium past usability for energy?

I ask this question because I’m a fan of proof. Everyone should be. I haven’t seen any proof that says that they are planning to even make nukes. Also, that would make your analogy false, because in your analogy, the person already possesses the weapon…

@boots You are absolutely right. No one thought North Korea had the capacity to detonate a nuclear weapon either. I can give you news articles but as any other media drivel they can be sited as side-taking…

Thats why I hate our media, they don’t give enough (or any) proof and expect us to believe what we are told. They are all “oh noes Iran is gonna blow up the Jews!!” without first providing evidence that they are planning on using their nuclear enrichment program for that.

Even if they had no plans to make nuclear weapons, developing nuclear energy would easily let them develop nuclear weapons later if they change their mind.

I mean, if I were the Ayatollah, I would want to develop nuclear weapons. Having nukes is one of the few reliable ways to get Americans not to invade you. Plus it would allow them to counterbalance Israel.

How naive are all of you? Of course they are trying to enrich uranium to create a nuclear weapon. They’ve already been shown to have significant past contact with the Pakistani nuclear arms network, and are creating situation where they can enrich enough for a few nuclear bombs. If they were truly simply interested in energy, why not open themselves up to inspections to prove definitively that that was the case?

@shilolo Should every sovereign nation allow US inspectors free reign over their nation’s infrastructure merely on their say so after the Iraq situation? The US lost a lot of credibility after the Iraq invasion.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic Most countries don’t have leaders who openly and consistently vow to destroy another neighbor and have also developed ballistic missiles.

@shilolo Granted. So why does this give the US unilateral permission to inspect their facilities over the UN?

@The_Compassionate_Heretic Iran ignores the UN unless the UN is giving it an opportunity to make a mockery of it, like the recent conference on human rights that was used (as always) as a vehicle for anti-Semitism and open racism against Israel. You may disagree, but I would bet my life that in the next 10 years, Iran will announce the testing of a nuclear bomb. Even Syria was building one, until Israel went and destroyed the facility last year (Syria’s response was surprisingly muted, as if to avoid drawing additional attention to the attack on their nuclear site).

By that rationale, should the US inspect Israel for proof of nuclear weapons?

What rationale are you referring to? Why avoid my comments about the virulent anti-Semitism and hate speech coming out of Iran and the repeated threats about Israel’s destruction? Are you an Iranian apologist?

Israel hasn’t threatened the outright destruction of another nation such as Iran, and, is surrounded by enemies (Jordan and Egypt notwithstanding, though they cannot be considered friends). In contrast, the Arab and Persian countries have repeatedly threatened to annihilate Israel. This is old news. Also, Israel is an allied and friendly democracy, whereas Iran is a virulent and dangerous theocracy that has taken Americans hostage and has used terrorist activities to secretly harass and taunt the US (think, Hezbollah in Lebanon and various groups now attacking Americans in Iraq). Do you honestly believe Iran and Israel are equals in this?

I think there are similarities that cannot be ignored if impartiality is to be preserved in world politics.

We’re obviously not going to come to a consensus here so I’m going to leave it at this point.
Please know that I wish you well despite our difference of opinion on this particular political issue that neither of us have any control over.

What are you talking about? What similarities? Has Israel ever taken American hostages? Do Israeli leaders threaten Iran (and America) publicly on a weekly basis? You clearly have an agenda, and in fact, impartiality is not needed at all. Enemies are enemies even if you talk to them.

@boots he is not ‘hostile’ to Iran in as wildly a threatening way as the Bush Administration was. They wanted to attack Iran, and were looking for an excuse. Obama doesn’t want to be forced into attacking Iran. He’s approaching the matter firmly, but diplomatically.

There’s a big difference in our relationship to those countries under the current administration.

I think the point is why shouldn’t Iran have the right to develop any techonolghy to defend their worldview (regardless of what we think of them or their views)???
From their point of view, it was only AFTER China, Isreal, India, N Korea, and Pakistan broke the NPT treaty, that the world finally began engaging them with any sembelence of respect (or perhaps fear).
They are also faced with Isreal & its’ 100+ nukes right up the road, with close to 90% of US forces on their western and northern borders, shit I’d be looking for a massive way to annihilate some ass too, if I was surrounded by my enamies!
From their POV western countries ARE the perpertrators of the two of the biggest and bloodiest wars known to mankind (wwI & wwII), the only two known and recorded uses of a nuclear weapons, by a superpower that has 737 military bases in over 130 countries telling them (the Iranians) how they should live their lives, and how they should conduct not only their International but also their domestic affairs!
Western governments DO NOT have the market cornered on common sense and morality!
Would any patriot in this country put up with such dictates?

I think not!

@shilolo, you’re exaggerating Iran’s threats to Israel. They never have openly vowed to destroy Israel. Ahmadinejad has said Israel should be dissolved through a political process—seeing as Palestinians outnumber Israelis in the region, this would happen naturally if the Palestinians could vote.

Don’t get me wrong. I think Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollah are both dangerously insane, and their delusional belief in Messianic Shi’a Islam is deeply troubling in light of the possibility that they might get nuclear weapons. But it’s important not to overblow their statements. And frankly, I’m just as worried about Israel using a nuke as Iran. It’s not like Israel doesn’t also have its fair share of Messianic religious lunatics running the country as well.

@shilolo, Israel hasn’t taken hostages, but they have spied on Americans and sought to underhandedly influence the American political process (see, most recently, an Israeli politician imploring Rahm Emmanuel to remember his Judaism and put Israel first).

The fact that Israel is better than insane Islamic fundamentalists doesn’t mean you should uncritically support them.

I thought these two wikipedia articles were interesting.

@Qingu I don’t agree with your interpretation, and neither do a number of experts regarding Iran’s intentions. They certainly, through their overt support of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad are trying their best to be a thorn in Israel’s side, much like the USSR tried to open a second front by putting missiles on Cuba. Difference is, Hezbollah (Iranian) missiles have been launched indiscriminately at Israeli towns and cities. Do you really trust them to show restraint? I don’t.

There’s a difference between being a thorn in Israel’s side and actively trying to destroy—let alone nuke—Israel into oblivion. Hezbollah launching missiles indiscriminately is insane and is terrorism, but it is not an existential threat to Israel. I mean, do you really want to compare the death tolls?

Edit: I wouldn’t even call the missile launching “insane.” It’s a rational, and often controlled, strategy. It’s immoral, but it’s not unrestrained, just indiscriminate.