Question Time.

[bustergutt]

While I was watching Question Time last night, in between nodding off I thought I heard one of the panel say that the USA/UK had hinted strongly that military force would soon be used in Iran!...... did I hear right? Why are they so infatuated with the middle east and blatantly hiding from the threat / challenge from the north Koreans. I also heard that a few more countries may dabble with nuclear programmes! Well after setting a precedence in Iraq, won`t Bush and Blair have their work cut out?

[whiffey]

I worry that if Iran achieved a nuclear warhead and a means of delivery, they would plonk one promptly on Tel Aviv.

It's a hard call isn't it.

Maybe we should just leave them to get on with it.

[jno]

North Korea does not have major reserves of oil.

[whiffey]

Nice one jno !!

So, if Iran had no oil, then should we leave them to their own devices (ouch). We can't just go around invading other peoples' countries.

Oh yes we can, and we *must* if they look like they might start chucking megaton warheads about the place.

[kwicky]

Has no one heard of the play ground bully. You stand your ground until the threat passes. On a larger scale this is exactly what Iran and North Korea are doing.

[admarlow]

noth Korea does have a F**king massive army though!

[jake-the-peg]

It's bluster.

The US and the UK are having enough fun and games with their present commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan. Especially if George Bush were to loose control of the senate in the upcoming elections and finish his term as a lame duck president - Barring some new 9/11 there is just not the political will and everybody knows this.

Iran are not going to use a nuclear device on Israel - Israel itself is a nuclear power and has a much more sophisticated armoury.

Think about it from Iran's perspective - A history of being a major world player, your neighbour Iraq has been invaded by the US to effect regieme change - your country's been named as part of the axis of evil, Israel is sitting there with F16s and nuclear weapons.

I think if I were running Iran I'd want to develop nuclear weapons too!

In a world with George W Bush running around they are the one guarantee against getting invaded.

[smithers]

yeah but i thought that they were only building a power station for electrcity.....................

[DavidUK]

If anyone is likely to "start chucking megaton warheads about" whiffey, it is most likely to be the US!

As far as I can see, there is no evidence that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. It is another made-up excuse - like the "WMD that could hit us in 45 mins" excuse to invade Iraq. The Bush crowd want to get control of middle east oil and the only way they can get away with it is to scare us all so that we will agree to any extreme action that they take.

I am far more scared about the US activities around the world than the prospect of Iran having nuclear weapons. Think about it - when the West and the Eastern bloc had equal nuclear capability during the Cold War both sides were afraid to use them. Balance of power is good. The extreme power of the US is bad.

[jno]

Iran is pretty much surrounded by nuclear states - Russia, India, Pakistan, Israel, and now US-occupied Iraq. Is it any wonder they feel a bit nervous? Events in Lebanon suggest that Israel is the nearest of these to a rogue state, liable to overreact disproportionately to the slightest offence, kept in check chiefly by deference to Washington... which is of course the only country that's ever actually used nuclear weapons. None of this makes me feel comfortable, but Iran doesn't, in my eyes, make matters very much worse.

[jake-the-peg]

I would be much more concerned about North Korea though. Not so much because I think they might use them but because I'm not convinced the regieme has got that much more legs. If China decides it want's to please the US some time and pulls support to Korea there could be anarchy very quickly.

Add nuclear weapons into that little mix and who knows where they'd end up.

Of course all this just goes to show how utterly pointless strategic nuclear arms like Trident are now.

Imagine - Tony Blair/ Gordon Brown/ David Cameron woken up in Checkers

"Sir Sir a small nuclear device went off in a van in central London - Trident submarine commanders want to know who to retaliate against"

Suddenly submarines hiding at the bottom of the ocean seem so twentieth century!

[Lonnie]

I watch Question Time regularly, and that is what was said,

[ianess]

The Chinese have their eyes set on Iranian oil, but the Yanks aim to get to it first. The UK is only another State of the USA and is in all reality irrelevant.
Nuclear bluff and double bluff until we all disappear under a mushroom cloud.
Watch this space.

[JULIEWOOLIE]

im a conservative and it was a few days ago who was the conservative representative hes got darkish hair and looks like hes done somethiing wrong? we have much better but put me out of my misery!

[kwicky]

But haven't you heard, the USA is the world's policeman. Don't let a few bent coppers get in the way!