Is a limited Nuclear War possible ?

[whiffey]

I have a rather pessimistic view that if Iran ever achieved a nuclear warhead, then in the absence of being able to send it to New York I am frightened they would land it on Tel Aviv. Would this herald the end of everything ? I imagine that everything is being very closely watched from satellite and military intelligence etc. Would USA be able to stop the whole thing escalating globally. I can imagine the US President on the hotline to the Israel prime minister saying "OK You can send just one to Teheran, but no more" Could any nuclear exchange be limited ?

[Loosehead]

It would be almost impossible to stop it escalating. I suppose if they new that Iran only had the one and Israel just dropped one in return that might be the end of it but I imagine that Pakistan for example may try and prevent retailiation and the whole thing would just get out of hand. hard to say as it's very difficult to separte the rhetoric from the real intent. I mean Iran and other Islamic states have stated that Israel should be wiped off the map but if they had the means would they actually do it? tricky one!

[Dizzieblonde]

Does anyone know which countries have nuclear weapons and which don't? I'd heard Pakistan had, but do Israel?

[delboy3]

To answer dizzieblonde:

definitely - USA, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan

most likely - South Africa, Israel

on their way? - North Korea, Iran

[Dizzieblonde]

Based on Delboy's info, I wouldn't think the current problems are likely to escalate to the use of nuclear warheads - unless Israel finds itself being ruined (which seems unlikely, given that they seem to be causing more damage lately) and fires one as a last resort out of sheer desperation. If they did, although there'd probably be outrage from the rest of the world, I don't think any other country would fire one back in retaliation.

As blind as some governments seem to be sometimes, I think they are all aware of the damage they do and the destruction that they would cause in a tit-for-tat slanging match.

[jake-the-peg]

I think nuclear wepons could be used in a limited fashion in a tactical way.

For a rather stretched example imagine a small force holding a large country .

Say that force was facing a large scale invasion from a neighbouring country . Nuclear weapons could be used in a battlefield context. Providing those weapons were soley used on invading forces on home territory both sides might still shy away from using nuclear weapons on strategic targets.

So imagine a nuclear device were to detonate in South Lebanon taking out a lot of Israeli troops - would Israel strike Beirut with a nuclear weapon?

I'd think probably not - but I wouldn't like to bet my life on it

[maxximus]

it's not iran you have to worry about, and israel does indeed have nuclear weapons. and with all the fuss being made about iraq and weapons inspectors israel and the u.s. refuse to have there arsenals inspected even though it is required by law. depleted uranium rounds litter bosnia, iraq and lebanon as the israeli's are supplied by the u.s. and are using them as we speak. there are dead tanks in the iraqi desert from 91 and the same in bosnia that are still radio-active. as the shells explode on impact they turn into a fine radio-active dust, lovely. the rest of the world have deemed these weapons illegal but the u.s., u.k. and israel still insist on using them. now they have a new generation of weapons " intended to maintain future u.s. military superiority and deter ' rogue states' and terrorists". http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/nuclear_ weapons/nuclear-bunker-buster-rnep-animation.h tml this will of course fix everything, like all schoolyard bullies, let's not talk to the people that matter we'll just beat up all there little friends, and if they get upset we'll just blow them up!

[123paul]

It would certainly put an end to the arab - israel conflict!

Iran will get a working nuclear weapon & they will force the UK / USA & the international comm to abandon their blind consent to all that Israel wants to do. Israel will have to come to the table or face the nuclear warhead.

I look froward to the day that they have it. Only when Israel faces an equal force will it stop bullying its neighbour.