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WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. attempt to shoot down a ballistic missile mimicking an attack from Iran failed after a malfunction in a radar built by Raytheon Co (RTN.N), the Defense Department said.
The abortive test over the Pacific Ocean coincided with a Pentagon report that Iran had expanded its ballistic missile capabilities and posed a "significant" threat to U.S. and allied forces in the Middle East region.
They don't have the capability to withstand a prolonged engagement with the rest of the civilized world.
Originally posted by dolphinfan
Fantastic timing. Iran is talking about a "major announcement" in two weeks. They have recently announced that they have upgraded their ballistic capabilities. Now we have a simulated test that fails.
These things fail and fail often. To conduct such a test in the current rising tensions is incompetent and will only serve to embolden Iran.
The next few months are going to get interesting. Maybe the next few weeks. Iran knows that one for certain is that the US can not afford a three front war. They also know that there is no appetite for it in the international community with the exception of Israel
This was stupid, plain and simple. They never should have conducted a test of this nature in the current environment unless they were 100% certain that it would be successful
www.reuters.com
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Originally posted by spacemanspiff
Would it be naive to expand on this and assume for a moment that Iran is not that much interested in "nuking" the U.S, but rather creating an event that could quite possibly immobilize us by detonating a nuclear warhead above the continental U.S causing an Electromagnetic Pulse large enough to knock us 100 years into the past?
Wouldn't this be an ideal form of attack by our enemies (perceived or not), to strike us knowing full well and good that we cannot protect ourselves from an event so devastating? Think about it... the U.S has built a spider web of electronic infrastructure. We heavily rely on technology as a culture. What would we do if we couldn't have the amenities these technologies provide?
If anyone is wondering, I have read the book "One Second After" by author William R. Forstchen. The idea is out there in the open. Our enemies know that we are very vulnerable with our reliance on electricity, infrastructure and technologies which could easily be made worthless one second after an EMP strikes.
With our military stretched thin, our economy still in shambles and wars on multiple fronts, this scenario could basically lead us to get bushwacked by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea all taking a piece months after Americans in the homeland fight each other over food and water just to survive. Eventually, we wouldn't have the strength or ammunition to provide a resistance to such a force here at home, even though our country has guns in every home or retired military folks willing to fight.
Just my opinion... hopefully it never happens but it is something that I have been thinking about. There is a very real opportunity that this could possibly happen. Just take a look for yourself: www.empcommission.org...
//SpacemanSpiff