How do Iran and Israel's nuclear programs compare?

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moderate libertarian

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Anyone has seen any reliable media report comparing Iran and Israel's nuclear programs? Which one of the two is ahead in the WMD race in mideast?
 
Israel is widely believed to already have nuclear weapons, but it won't say for sure.
 
Israel has 150 nuclear weapons. It's a small nation but has all the same technology as the U.S.
 
Had heard something like this before but this has not been verified by any IAEA inspectors I think. Not sure if they have yet even visited Israeli nuke facilities like they have visited Iranian facilities.
 
Easy: Iran doesn't have any, and Israel has hundreds?
 
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moderate libertarian said:
Had heard something like this before but this has not been verified by any IAEA inspectors I think. Not sure if they have yet even visited Israeli nuke facilities like they have visited Iranian facilities.
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That's because Israel doesn't allow inspectors to visit their sites and didn't sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Their official policy is "nuclear opacity". When asked, they say, "Maybe we do, maybe we don't." They're about the only Middle Eastern country that would get away with that. Just look at Saddam.

Mordechai Vanunu took pictures at one of their sites and sold it to a European newspaper in 1986, which is supposed to have verified that Israel had nukes. The Mossad kidnapped him and sent him to prison for 20 years. He was a nuclear technician at their nuclear site, so unless someone sold him pictures of another nuclear site, and he was willing to risk his freedom for a lie, it's just about proven that Israel has nukes.

The Vela incident in 1979 is another time when Israel was highly suspected of having nukes.

So the answer is that Iran doesn't even have nukes and the proof that they are pursuing them is shaky, while Israel is highly suspected to have nukes by the international community and it has been basically proven outside of them admitting to it.
 
JERUSALEM, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Israel and Germany have finalized the sale of a sixth Dolphin-class submarine to the Israeli navy, officials said.

The two governments signed a deal a few weeks ago that includes having Germany underwrite a portion of the cost, The Jerusalem Post reported Sunday.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-N...e-to-Israel/UPI-61471328463367/#ixzz1lcgWQQYl

Christian Schmidt, German secretary of state for defense, told the Post the sale was a demonstration of Germany's commitment to Israel's security.

"The security of the state of Israel is a German concern and this will not change," Schmidt said.
Schmidt told the newspaper Germany is looking to increase defense cooperation with Israel.

Germany has already provided Israel three Dolphin-class submarines, two of which were donated after the first Gulf War. Israel and Germany split the cost of the third. All three carry cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads.

Two more are under construction with delivery expected this year.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/02/israel_strengthens_nuclear_deterrent_against_iran_with_fleet_of_german_subs.html

Israel strengthens nuclear deterrent against Iran with fleet of German Subs
February 6, 2012
Leo Rennert

Israel has signed a contract with Germany for a sixth Dolphin-class submarine capable of being outfitted with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The Israeli Navy already fields three operational Dolphin subs. Another two are scheduled for delivery later this year. A sixth one will help strengthen Israel's nuclear deterrent vis a vis Iran.
In strategic-arms parlance, this gives Israel a second-strike capability. The Dolphin subs effectively would be immune to a first-strike Iranian attack, leaving them available for nuclear retaliation. Theoretically, the German subs thus might stay the mullahs' hands from assured atomic devastation of their own country.
Nuclear deterrence worked during the Cold War, when Washington and Moscow faced mutual assured destruction (MAD) should either have contemplated a first-strike nuclear attack on the other. But would it work this time with theocratic, fanatical zealots with their fingers on Iran's nuclear buttons?
During the Cold War, neither side wanted to annihilate the other. This time, however, Iranian leaders deem elimination of the Jewish state an overriding objective. As Ali Rafsanjani, a former president of Iran and head of a powerful mullahs' oversight panel, famously remarked:


One Iranian nuke would be sufficient to destroy Israel, with minimal collateral damage to Muslims. The bottom line is that nobody knows for sure if nuclear deterrence would work again. Which is why preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power is the pre-eminent moral imperative of our age. An exchange of nuclear attacks would be a global catastrophe affecting all of mankind.
In the meantime, Israel is prepared for any and all existential threats - acting where feasible in concert with the international community but, if necessary, on its own. Its growing Dolphin fleet is a timely reminder of what's at stake. Containment might not work the second time around.

Leo Rennert is a former White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief of McClatchy Newspapers

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moderate libertarian said:
Anyone has seen any reliable media report comparing Iran and Israel's nuclear programs? Which one of the two is ahead in the WMD race in mideast?
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Hehehe the Israeli's have had Nukes since the 60's, an Israeli nuclear scientist revealed details of Israel's nuclear program to the British press in the 80's and found himself in prison for his troubles:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordechai_Vanunu

A number of prohibitions were placed upon Vanunu after his release from jail and are still in force, in particular:
he shall not be able to have contacts with citizens of other countries but Israel
he shall not use phones
he shall not own cellullar phones
he shall not have access to the Internet
he shall not approach or enter embassies and consulates
he shall not come within 500 metres of any international border crossing
he shall not visit any port of entry and airport
he shall not leave the State of Israel

Israel is THEE most dangerous nation on the planet, bar NONE!
 
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Edward said:
Forgive me if I am a bit skeptical when I hear the term "dangerous" thrown around nowadays. What do you mean?
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Of course their dangerous, their much more dangerous to the US than Syria or Iran could ever be. Think about it, does Syria or Iran have teams of lobbyists working within the confines of the United States government to ensure their interests are protected/backed/supported and w/o question?

Does Syria and Iran posses a massive nuclear arsenal, modern Army,navy,air force and not to mention what is widely regarded the most deadly secret intelligence agency on the face of the earth, that acts around the world almost w/o limits or bounds?

And here's something to consider on the states existence itself:

Imagine, after the close of WW2 China invaded California, pushed its inhabitants out into the desert areas and then penned them in. Then, after having done so they set about moving refugee's and displaced citizens from Japan into CA, then spent the next 70 yrs supplying them with billions of dollars and as much military hardware as they needed to maintain the foothold and expand as required.... I know its radical but what you have to have is the ability to see things from other viewpoints or perspectives....
 
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