Quote Originally Posted by davidbfpo View Post
I profess no expertise on the debate over bombing Iranian nuclear facilities, that aside if there ever was a time and opportunity to coerce Iran that way it is past. If an alternative target was considered, as JMA suggests: there would be significantly less legitimacy and IMHO with international law - no legitimacy.

Elsewhere IIRC analysts have provided explanations as to why Iran has gone down the nuclear weapons route and that I suspect is largely built around hostile neighbours with US military facilities. We know that the current Iranian regime has its internal critics and its own problems of legitimacy. By addressing those factors offers a way ahead.

Bombing is simply not a policy option for a host of reasons, as illustrated by the debate here and the links to the analysis provided by experts.

I am also mindful that Israel is a nuclear weapon state, albeit un-declared IIRC and that her national interests - which are not the same as others - are well served by a focus on Iran, so avoiding a closer examination of Israel's position. (A veritable "minefield" in its own right asking SWC to consider this).
I appreciate that simple solutions to these problems will have people approaching an apoplectic state of anxiety.

The simple problem is that there is no doubt that if asked (big IF) the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran would rubber stamp the use of nuclear weapons against the "Great Satan" (just like the US Congress did for the invasion of Iraq).

So today the thought of even a preemptive strike against the nuclear facilities with a low civilian death toll is considered unacceptable by countries who see themselves outside the target selection options (of a madman or regime with a nuke) and a bunch of self styled analysts.

But what of the countries who will be targets or affected by a renegade regime with a nuclear weapon? Do they have the courage to act or in the post Iraq invasion era has the reserve of courage been fully used up. Personally I don't believe that there is enough courage among the political elites of the West to deal with this matter either through diplomatic action and sanctions let alone through a preemptive strike. As the Brits would say "their bottle has gone".