Nuclear Iran?

[theblindferrengi]

After the recent disclosure of Irans second 'secret' nuclear enrichment facillity, I have come to the conclusion that Iran is either wanting this nuclear energy to make weapons, and is very stupid, or they are wanting the nuclear energy for the purpose producing energy, and are misguided/misinformed. The latter I believe to be the more likely, but not by much.

Iran built its nuclear facility in secret, something you would only do if you are going to make weapons to use against the people who would stop Iran from making nuclear weapons; it is a configuration for making weapons quickly as opposed to the more slow option of siphoning bits of enriched uranium from the nuclear energy plants that would be used against a neutral party that could not provide significant resistance to Iran (Israel). After the secret facility was discovered, and its existance made public, Iran had to say it was for peaceful purposes nomatter its true purpose. If they wanted nuclear powerplants, they should have made the facility in the open, and invited UN weapons inspectors to verify to the world that the plant was not configured to make bombs.

It is very close to even between the two possibilities, but I feel it is more likely Ahmadinejad is misguided and uninformed, as opposed to stupid. The missile tests of late are most likely in response to the feeling of threat Iran is experiencing from the rest of the world, and especially the United States, a country that could literally scrape them from Earths face, like a pimple. The missile tests would not have been gloated about so by Iran if it was a genuine threat to NATO, but would instead have been denied.

This is why I don't believe Iran is preparing to, or even wants to go to war with anyone; and this path of events will not lead to a war of conventional or nuclear nature, a cold war however is a likely end.

Not of such scale as the infamous cold war between Nato and the Warsaw Pact this one would be, but more like an arms buildup on Irans part, the discontinuation of dismantalation of the united states nuclear weapons program, and various economic and political sanctions on both sides. The United States would win of course, because they have convinced the rest of the world that the Iranians are all extremist terrorists who are completely irrasponsable as a government. This is mostly to take attention form the 1979 assasination by the United States of Iran's newely elected democratic leader, and the subsequent replacement, by the US, of that assasanated leader with another dictator who would do the bidding of the US in Iran.

Aside from the obvious need for UN oversight of any nuclear program (not only of Iran, but of any state with a nuclear program) I do not believe Iran to be a serious threat to anyone at this time, and the United States is wrong in its current sanctions of Iran. Instead, they should attempt bilateral negotiations with the United States at a neutral location.