Appropriate Response to a Nuclear Attack by Iran?

I would be interested in your opinions as to what would be an appropriate response to a nuclear attack by Iran directed at Israel.

Assume the following scenario:
•The attack happens today.
•A dozen missiles supplied by North Korea and armed with nuclear warheads are launched toward major population centers in Israel. Israel is able to shoot down only half of them and the other half reach their intended targets.
•The Israeli Military is totally decimated and unable to respond. A large percentage of the population of Israel is either dead or dying.
•The world is caught off guard due to a belief that Iran has not yet achieved the capability to produce nuclear weapons.
•The attack is launched by a group loyal to the current populist President of Iran and is fully supported by Iranian Muslim leadership and is immediately endorsed by many Muslim leaders throughout the Middle East.
•The group responsible immediately threatens to launch a second attack aimed at European population centers and U.S. military bases if anyone retaliates.

OK. You’re in charge. The buck stops with you. How would you respond?


[edit on 17-1-2006 by Blaine91555]

Im in charge, ok, here goes. First off, NORAD detects missiles being launched warns isreal immediately. Isreal only shoots down half, 6 hit their country, assuming medium yield warheads, 1 per weapon, isreal being such a small nation, can almost assume complete annihilation of that country. Only one possible response. Full out, assualt on iran's capital and all major cities with complete destruction of the country either using nulcear or conventional, doesnt matter. Then destroy any capital of any other country endosing the action no matter which country. Then after those initial cities are leveled, we make the statement. Any other nuclear weapon dropped on any country will be dealt with complete annihilation of the country responsible.

Hows that. Lets end this nonsense. If Iran was so stupid and launched nucs and succeeded, only one option, make Iran a giant crater.

Train

I agree with you to a degree Train. As crazy as it sounds. If Iran were to think it could get away with such an act(and I dont think they do, theyre not that stupid or crazy). The responce would not only be from the US, but from the rest of the world as well. Think about it, the entire world against Iran. No need for nukes. And when they would see what is coming and try to cry mercy, there would be none. But this is such a hypothetical scenario, it would never happen. Interesting though.

No disrespect but this does not belong in the WOT forum, it should be moved to BTS, there you can discuss all the hypothetical scenarios your heart desires, but this isn’t the place for that.

im sure Israel could launch nukes against Iran doesnt Israel have nuke armed subs????

The response would be outrage with the entire world just witnessing the second holocaust, but on a much grander scale. Not long after this, we would all be witnessing the newly formed Gulf of Iran. The deepest water filled crater on earth.

Seriously we would probably see several cities in nearbye Europe take strikes, but the rest of Europe and the US would have shortly after engulfed Iran into the ocean. The US knows that if Iran was crazy enough to do this, then they or their allies would most positively be next. Their would be no hesitation.

Carburetor

Thanks for the reply - In other words, ALL OUT WAR! WORLD WAR 3! China will probably take Irans side and possibly be joined by Russia. This is exactly where we are headed folks. Unless we take pre-emptive action that is.
Every autumn my house is invaded by a variety of mice and shrews looking for warmer digs for the winter months. They are cute little guys and killing them bothers me to no end. But if I don't they will take over. They will contaminate all my food storage, chew holes in the walls, stink up the place with their extra smelly urine and just generally wreak havok! So I kill them. Not because I wan't to but because it is necessary to protect my food and my home. I see this the same way. These people want us dead period end of subject. They want you dead, me dead, our children dead, our friends dead and they are even willing to sacrifice their own lives just to kill us. The only reason they have not killed us yet is because they lack the means to do so. Not for much longer though. They will any day have nuclear weapons and have the will to use them. So my next question is - What kind of a fool sits by doing nothing while their sworn enemy stockpiles weapons to destroy them. The worst kind of fool I think.

West Point - Terrorists developing nukes in Iran is hypothetical???? I put this here because its about the war on terror.

Originally posted by Blaine91555
Thanks for the reply - In other words, ALL OUT WAR! WORLD WAR 3! China will probably take Irans side and possibly be joined by Russia.

If they nuked Israel first, I almost sure Russian would stay out and have my doubts that china would throw in any meaningful (direct military action) behind Iran.

Back to ur question, the fall out from the weapons would most likely kill many if not much of the Palestinian population and not to mention the fall out on the neighboring Moslem countries. I think Israel will have enough time to launch a nuclear salvo before it bit the dust, we might just have go in and clean up what's left of Iran.

In my opinion its a logical enough topic to keep in the war on terrorism.
The thing is, the war on terrorism can spring up to be anything. So topics like this are somewhat logical here.

Anyway, It will be a world war. But it will be a lopsided one. Russia and China will not go against the major allies. They both have more to gain by staying with the west than siding miliarily with Iran.

[edit on 17-1-2006 by Mr Carburetor]

[edit on 17-1-2006 by Mr Carburetor]

I don't know about appropriate response, but if Israel decided to take a leaf out of the US strategy book and follow the precident set by the aftermath of the 911 attacks, then they'd probably all set off to North Korea in an attempt to open a new market from the barrel of a gun.

Originally posted by Implosion
I don't know about appropriate response, but if Israel decided to take a leaf out of the US strategy book and follow the precident set by the aftermath of the 911 attacks, then they'd probably all set off to North Korea in an attempt to open a new market from the barrel of a gun.

a nuclear strike by a rogue nation will generate enough anger and rage that a push to eliminate/neutralize any further threat of WMD by a rogue nation. Just like 9/11 gave us the chance to go and mop up some places in the middle east which we completely threw away by going after Iraq instead of more concrete targets like Iran or Syria, heck Saudi Arabia pose just as much if not more of a terrorist threat to the our country (NOT OUR INTEREST... Israel, oil...) than Iraq as one can see by people who carried out 9-11 and where a good chunk of the funding for Islamic extremism comes from.

Oblivions void,
Great point!


Mod remark--Please check your u2u

[edit on 17-1-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

The entire country of Iran would be turned into a sheet of glass, thus detering any other terrorist country to ever agressively use nukes again. It would be shrine to M.A.D.

Originally posted by Apoc
The entire country of Iran would be turned into a sheet of glass, thus detering any other terrorist country to ever agressively use nukes again. It would be shrine to M.A.D.

I dont think in the post 9/11 world and especially after a nuclear attack that we would leave it to chance, I dont agree with the "target Priority" of Bush's war on terror, but going after threats where they are and before they strike us is the way to go, if it wasn't for the Iraq debacle he would still have the momentum and support both domestically and international to go after those we have to.

My theory/opinion below...

I am not sure the response would be so immediate. If Israel is attacked not Europe then I would imagine the following might occur.

1. Immediate condemnation within the UN
2. UN orders the government of Iran to surrender control of its government and military to UN control. Allies might possibly use conventional strikes against key government/military targets to push point home.
3. US and allies begin massive positioning of air assets to the region. They would probably include our nuclear bomber fleet going airborne with public knowledge of this occurring to drive the point home.
4. A very short deadline for Iranian compliance would be set or full scale retaliation would be promised.
5. US forces essentially go "dark" within Iraq to protect the troops but ready them for possible ground movement if surrender occurs
6. Arab countries hold emergency meeting to review options. I would be willing to bet none support Iran, it would be suicide to do so.
7. Who knows from here. Way to many factors to determine what Iran would do. In either case Iran is no longer the country it is today. It would either be a UN occupied territory or black glass.

Most likely, weird saying that with this scenario, would be:

Israel would still get off a massive volley towards all of their foes in the middle east. With probably between 25 to 200+ nuclear weapons, Israel would pull off it's "Samson Option" taking down all the Middle East with it and just for good measure I'm sure they will save some special present for North Korea as well.

Russia and China have nothing to gain from aiding Iran with such an attack by Iran.... there will be no way to get the oil out of whats left of Iran and the Arab Middle East for many years. I don't even think the U.S. would have to launch any attack, the damage done by Israel's attack will be devastating enough. We will mop up anything thats still standing though.

Of course India will pay a huge price with all of the nuclear fallout that will be heading it's way. I'm sure the Palestinians will love having an ally such as Iran as they all die from the explosions as well.

i'd retalliate by destroying irans military bases and government buildings by quietly moving evey aircraft i possibly could to surrounding areas....unless israel nuked em first in response, even if they do, i'd finish off anything left and threaten anyone supporting the destruction of israel with war unless they dropped such support(literal and moral).

and i'd send half our army to the region to rebuild israel (force palestine and israel into a border agreement and rebuild both) and destroy any foreign fighters via mass invasion of gaza, the west bank, lebanon and syria....with them all id say "we dont wish to harm your country or people, we only wish to destroy the enemy hiding amongst you who has connection to iran and its murder of your fellow muslims(p r) in israel, do not fight us and we will not fight you, but if you do you will become targets too. cooperate with us and we will spare you war."


to that effect anyways....

but its a big what if.

Nativeokie
your scenario would be the more ideal way to go about it. However, im not so sure that their would be much of a pause in there. When all those ICBMs and nuclear missles are launched, it will send the whole civilized Nuclear club into a nuclear frenzy with counter-measures being initiated. Fingermen will be ready to launch on command. If all plays out right,...then your scenario will hopefully happen. However, There is no tell of how nuclear nations will react. In many Iranian officials eyes,...America is the great satan. So the US may not chance it. You might not necessarily see an immidiate nuclear exchange....however shortly after the initial wave and the threats to Europe......we may see Iran turn into the next Craters of the moon international monument.

Carburetor

What most people don't realise, is that any hypothetical nucleur attack on Israel to that magnitude would be certain to virtually eradicate the palistinian population. Considering that Shia moslems find the city of Jerusalem Holy ie. Al Quds...

...I think there is as much chance as this scenario occuring as say....

.....the eskimo's launching a balistic nucleur whale at the unsuspecting population of atlantis.