Impacts Of A Middle Eastern Nuclear Exchange

One of the majorly under-reported threats of the so called "War On Terror" is the dangers posed to the entire globe if a nuclear weapon is detonated in the middle east, specifically in Arabia, North Africa and Western Asia.

I believe that the threat of a nuclear attack in the Middle East actually are much more real, and dangerous, than the threat of attack in America, Europe or Eastern Asia. The main danger does not just come from the initial blast and radiation contamination but also from the geography of the area.

Anyone who has been to the Middle East knows there is quite a bit of sand and dust. This dust could be sent by the blast into the upper atmosphere, and if enough weapons are detonated, cause a nuclear winter. Also, as the Middle East is close to the equator, there are strong upper atmosphere winds over much of the area (Israel namely) and this could spread clouds of dust over a greater portion of the world than could a weapon detonation over a northern city such as New York.

Now some may remember that the United States and Russia both tested some of their early Cold War era weapons over their respective deserts, but these tests were far from war-like conditions. The Americans, and presumably the Soviets although their tests are still closely guarded secrets, did not conduct tests in rapid enough sucession to cause major climatic disturbance. Climatic conditions were also taken into many of the early tests, in order to minimize the impact to the greater area.

While a series of dirty bombs, or a terrorist planted thermonuclear weapon would probably not have truly disasterous impications on a global scale, a nuclear exchange between two powers (Israel would most likely be one of them) could trigger a worldwide climate shift that would result in millions more deaths, mostly in developing nations throughout Asia and Africa, not to mention the potential for widespread radiation contamination.

Hopefully though, as with the Cold War, cooler heads will prevail and there will not be any exchange.

I'd be interested in getting people's oppinions. While I've gone into some of the possible global physical consequences of such an attack there would also be massive political, social and economic disturbances if a nuclear war broke out.

~Astral

Despite all the dangers, I believe a nuclear exchange between middle eastern nations would have some very tangible benefits. First off, no more middle east! That place has been a hotbed of fanaticism, religous and political zealotry, for Millennia! The rest of the world would quickly become more stable, less violent, more apt to negotiate. If nothing else it would serve as a great example of what happens when different groups of people are unable or unwilling to settle their differences in a civilized manner. I say let them nuke each other. I've got a bunker to go to, plenty of board games, and of course my writing to keep me busy. I can wait 50,000 years for the radiation to dissiapate, as long as I've got assurances that the Middle East will no longer be there when I return from my hibernation. That place is nothing by trouble. The birthplace of war. The birthplace of greed. The birthplace of money. The birthplace of religion. There is no such thing as coincidence.

exactley,

Let them get it over with. Then we can all freeze to death with no oil or just pay 10-15$ per gallon of gas with the oil found elsewhere!

[edit on 22-1-2005 by IntelRetard]

The heat from the blast will also turn much of the sand into glass. There is a risk of nuclear winter no matter how much we do it. If a huge exchange occurs, the world is pretty much damned anyawy.

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
Despite all the dangers, I believe a nuclear exchange between middle eastern nations would have some very tangible benefits. First off, no more middle east! That place has been a hotbed of fanaticism, religous and political zealotry, for Millennia! The rest of the world would quickly become more stable, less violent, more apt to negotiate. If nothing else it would serve as a great example of what happens when different groups of people are unable or unwilling to settle their differences in a civilized manner. I say let them nuke each other. I've got a bunker to go to, plenty of board games, and of course my writing to keep me busy. I can wait 50,000 years for the radiation to dissiapate, as long as I've got assurances that the Middle East will no longer be there when I return from my hibernation. That place is nothing by trouble. The birthplace of war. The birthplace of greed. The birthplace of money. The birthplace of religion. There is no such thing as coincidence.

ok...

Anglo Dutch Wars
Anglo French Wars
Balkan Wars
Russian Empire Wars
Burmese Conflicts
US - Mexico War
Colonial Wars
American Revolution
WW1
WW2
Vietnam
Korea
The Cold War
Falklands Campaign


I could go on...

How many of these involved the Middle East???

Please learn some history before you make dumb right wing propaganda comments.

Undercover
I need to read history books? Let me give you a lesson real quick. In brief.
The middle east is the home of Jericho. The first real city, the site of the first siege, perhaps 23 CULTURES before the Jews, and that siege has lasted..oh..about 10,000 years or so, possibly many 1,000's of years longer (we don't know how deep the ruins go or how much has been washed away Millenia ago. Jericho is the lowest city on earth as well, compared to sea level.). 10,000 years of constant war, and you mean to tell me your piddley little list of wars spread out across the globe in less than the last 1,000 years has any relevance? How does that have relevance? I need to know. War began in the Middle East. War never stopped in the Middle East. In addition the Middle East has been the the site of 3 MAJOR Christian/Muslim crusades and numerous 'minor' ones, these of course were interspersed by a constant bloody battle between migrants and principally relgious city builders. War has been going on in the middle east roughly since mankind stabilized the evolution of wheat.

I think you need to fashion yourself a pointy hat and sit in the corner.

Originally posted by IntelRetard
exactley,

Let them get it over with. Then we can all freeze to death with no oil

or just pay 10-15$ per gallon of gas with the oil found elsewhere!

[edit on 22-1-2005 by IntelRetard]

Nah we would just send in robots to pump the oil if needed. Radiation wont mean squat to them.

Personally I think that nuking the middle east would be a disaster. Even if penguins did it, the blame would still fall on the US. Like we need even more people becoming suicide bombers against us.

As for war beginning in the middle east, well thats only natural seing as thats were civilization began. War isn't exlusive to the middle east. It just so happens thats were civilization began. As civilization spread so did war.

Right now I think that the best course of action for dealing with the middle east is to switch to alternative energy sources (i.e. nuclear, hydrogen powered cars, etc.), that way we can leave the middle east without screwing car owners everywhere. If the majority of the population use hydrogen powed cars then oil demand will go down enough were Alaska and Texas will be able to provide for vintage cars for years to come.

WyrdeOne: You can't possibly believe the associated implications of what you are saying, can you?

I mean, you say you have a bunker that will last 50,000 years? Can I assume this means you live in a higher economic class than the lower 50% of the world's citizens?

I am also curious to know how you would go about the day-to-day living inside your bomb shelter. Would you have plasma-screen 'windows' that project images of a faux-meadow? Would you set up some little plan for a long, generational life inside your metal tomb?

You see, those who think they can survive inside a bomb shelter are mistaken. Once you descend, you have shrunk the universe in which you and your offspring will live. People like you who go underground will surely pollute the air down there in their private world just as they did in the world above. Or do you have filtration systems? How often do the filters need to be replaced? Are you able to technically administrate that machinery yourself, or do rely upon some worker to do that?

What will you teach your children on a day-to-day basis while they grow up never seeing the sun except through the eyeholes of their Rad-suit?

I am curious to know, what you would do if your loved one suddenly needed advanced medical care down in that lonely bomb shelter of yours?

If you seriously belive what you have said, I do have more questions for you.





[edit on 23-1-2005 by smallpeeps]

[edit on 23-1-2005 by smallpeeps]

Like we need even more people becoming suicide bombers against us.

Thats a good point, except most of them would be vaporized and their cousins have recently been devastated by a tsunami.

As the World Turns and the saga continues on this beautiful planet of everything and anything the human mind can think of and do to make kaos a daily life according to a secret leftist groups and others. In this chapter we find our world in a war on terror and divided in the outcome of it. Terror of groups who oppose hunters shooting animals have declared a war on hunters to shoot to kill in the name of animal rights. Terror group oppose abortion by shooting down a doctor in the parking lot of this clinic. Others have declared war on war by standing in front of vehiles that are being shipped to Iraq for the troops, demostration of war protestors running into traffic and blocking sidewalks marching against said war. Lashing out the terrorist call USA war mongors, baby killers, NWO, anti-Christ, war machine that the world fear, evil empire, men-o-war, cowards, western beliefs of enslavement, power and greed, Uncle Sam true colors, Losers, religion bashers, hostile mad cow military take over, No morals of other, they take what they reap, bleeding the country of oil, shot to kill first and ask questions later, blind and mind controlled, war cimminals, troops love war and the kill, women killers who have bomb strapped to them, letting dog and cats live together to breed, children terror when photgraphed with solider who have them pose with a smile at gun point, troops communication to home and forced Iraqi families to drive around town thanking America with a sign, troops bomb the American embassadors palace to make it look like the enemy has done it, government made false tapes of POWs, and you thought we used photoshop for this.


What a grand-paranoid world we live in and just to think we can express ourselves to make a point, what about the truth?
Nukes, we just glow in the dark for a few centuries. I believe that America will not use it, terrorist will resort to such end because if they can not have control, noone will!


[edit on 23-1-2005 by ancientsailor]

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
Undercover
I need to read history books? Let me give you a lesson real quick. In brief.
The middle east is the home of Jericho. The first real city, the site of the first siege, perhaps 23 CULTURES before the Jews, and that siege has lasted..oh..about 10,000 years or so, possibly many 1,000's of years longer (we don't know how deep the ruins go or how much has been washed away Millenia ago. Jericho is the lowest city on earth as well, compared to sea level.). 10,000 years of constant war, and you mean to tell me your piddley little list of wars spread out across the globe in less than the last 1,000 years has any relevance? How does that have relevance? I need to know. War began in the Middle East. War never stopped in the Middle East. In addition the Middle East has been the the site of 3 MAJOR Christian/Muslim crusades and numerous 'minor' ones, these of course were interspersed by a constant bloody battle between migrants and principally relgious city builders. War has been going on in the middle east roughly since mankind stabilized the evolution of wheat.

I think you need to fashion yourself a pointy hat and sit in the corner.

Oooooh - you surprise me, you obviously read the odd book... well done.

Point is... you seem to think that destroying the Middle East will solve the world’s problems. Point I am making is humans will continue to wage war on each other if the Middle East is there or not.

You are claiming that the Middle East is a hotbed of fanaticism. So the Nazis were not? Throughout South America, Europe, Africa and Asia ancient people performed human sacrifices in the name of various Gods. Was this not fanaticism???

How can you call WW2 a piddley little war??? It’s estimated that the total dead from WW2 is around 56 million. That’s probably more then all your 10,000 years of War combined!

Of course the Middle East has thousands of years of War, it was the earliest cradle of civilisation. Britain has a longer history of war than America... Should we nuke Britain???

Look... memorising historical fact is one thing, being able to evaluate the facts and make reasonable statements is another.

It seems to me you a just someone who hates Arabs and/or Jews (probably all religion as well) and has done some research to back up your twisted views. Normal people research things and then draw a conclusion.

So why don’t you put on your cowboy hat, scream yeee ha, and drop a nuke on every nation you do not like.... Then you can sit smugly in your bunker while you die a slow lonely death.

I heard this saying a fair while ago from a very intellectual person: "Not all muslims are terrorists, but almost all terrorists are muslim" and I see truth in that. I am not racist by any twist of imagination, nor am I religious or political, but I do understand how much more corrupted Islam is compared to any other religion.

Most religions and civilisations seem to be advancing and evolving. It seems the mid-east and most religions based on/aroudn Islam stagnated over a millenia ago. This can not be blamed on colonists. Look at the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc, etc. Even Hong Kong is doing excellent.

Instead of using nuclear weapons against the mid-east, lets just use poweful conventional weapons on all countries/areas in the mid-east that pose a threat to the rest of civilisation. All those who survive in the mid-east should either learn how to negiate properly (without cutting peoples heads off or strapping bombs to themselves) or face further destruction of their homes.

Isreal has a good idea, although I know very little about how the situation there. I do know, however, that is Isreal wanted to, they could wipe out a fair few mid-east countries if they wanted to and had no regard for their political standing in the World.

In a religious war, if I was to take a side, I would side with Christian/Judaism against Islam any day.

Sorry about any possible spelling mistakes. I should, perhaps expand on the above at a later date