Bhutto Assassinated

[Rand{CLR}]

Most likely it would be a special forces operation, in and out with the nukes, and we won't hear about it unless it fails, or days/weeks/months later. It would be combined with a B-2 strike on in-place missiles, those warheads that aren't sitting in storage and are already deployed.

We do not have enough force in place in Afghanistan to take down Pakistan's military. You won't have to worry about a full-on U.S. assault. By the time we could get anything in play to make a difference, they'll either have completely self-destructed, or some idiot would have launched on India and we'll want to avoid the whole area.

-Rand

[-Bar]

Most likely it would be a special forces operation, in and out with the nukes, and we won't hear about it unless it fails, or days/weeks/months later. It would be combined with a B-2 strike on in-place missiles, those warheads that aren't sitting in storage and are already deployed.

We do not have enough force in place in Afghanistan to take down Pakistan's military. You won't have to worry about a full-on U.S. assault. By the time we could get anything in play to make a difference, they'll either have completely self-destructed, or some idiot would have launched on India and we'll want to avoid the whole area.

-Rand

Parking lot ?? Little black-top and a Micky D's for smiles.

[-Bar]

ahhh the great questions in life


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071228/...nm/india311587

[juneau]

Talibanisation

Not sure why but that made me chuckle.

[rusty99]

If the country goes into a state of civil war we will probably ally with the true government with the intent to protect the nuclear weapons and hopefully remove them.

There is little chance at all of Pakistan giving up it's nukes willingly, so long as India has them as well. I'd bet on most of them being hidden (for good reason) and that if we did try and eliminate them (either by Spec Ops, or precision strikes or even a full scale nuking of the entire country), there is no way we could get them all at once (B2s are sub-sonic aircraft), or without them seeing it coming (missiles are hard to miss on radar). Since their leadership elements would likely suspect that India was behind it, I suspect a nuclear exchange between the 2 countries as being a strong possibility, with a remote chance of China getting involved as well (if India's leadership were put into a "use them or lose them" situation, combined with the possibility of their own impending demise, I'd bet that they would lob a few at China since they already have some aimed that way as well).

While we certainly don't want nukes in the hands of terrorists, there is no way the government of the US would risk starting a regional nuclear war to stop them.

[thedeadlyassassin]

Nukes, the worlds greatest fear, yet probably keeps balance in the world.

[Rand{CLR}]

While we certainly don't want nukes in the hands of terrorists, there is no way the government of the US would risk starting a regional nuclear war to stop them.

Did you forget who the government of the US is? Do you really think Bush would not "risk starting a regional nuclear war" to keep nukes from terrorists? In his mind, it would come down to us or them, and who cares about them? The Bush administration would absolutely risk a regional nuclear war there to make sure Al Queda does not receive nuclear capability.

In fact, if any other country in the world (aside from Russia, who has too many, Britain, which is too closely allied, and Israel, which has too much high level political support) tried to sell or give nukes to terrorists, I believe Bush would attack them if it came to that extent.

BTW, a B2 being sub-sonic has nothing to do with anything. We could have all of them in Pakistani airspace at the same time and they would never be seen.

-Rand

[Gremlin_flg]

Bah Bush can't attack a correct place to begin with

[L_Mo]

The thought of dropping a single nuke, nevertheless trying to level an entire country, makes me sick to my stomach. I really wish more people felt this way on both sides.

I suppose I need to come to grips with the fact that humans have the innate ability to dehumanize their opponents and do awful things to even the innocent people who happen to live in the surrounding areas...

In the mean time I should start learning Norwegian so if we threaten or are threatened to drop nukes, I'm moving to Longyearbyen, Svalbard. (northermost city w/ over 1000 people)

[TheSilentAssassin]

Bah Bush can't attack a correct place to begin with

True Fact

[SScamaro68]

Most likely it would be a special forces operation, in and out with the nukes, and we won't hear about it unless it fails, or days/weeks/months later. It would be combined with a B-2 strike on in-place missiles, those warheads that aren't sitting in storage and are already deployed.

We do not have enough force in place in Afghanistan to take down Pakistan's military. You won't have to worry about a full-on U.S. assault. By the time we could get anything in play to make a difference, they'll either have completely self-destructed, or some idiot would have launched on India and we'll want to avoid the whole area.

-Rand

More than likely scenario IMO.

[Dead_And_Gone]

Correct place? You've got to be kidding.
As long as the UN gives them A YEAR to remove WMD's, you
WON'T find them when you finally get to go in. They are all
packed up mostly in Syria atm. But that is another forum thread.
Let's stick with the intent of this forum thread here.

Don't for get the spy in the sky. We have satellite coverate on all
of the arsenals. They start to move them, or see an army convoy
moving to one of them, we WILL know. What we will do with that
knowledge is anyone's guess. The US isn't the only country with
a vested interest in the region. Just look at the map to see what
other countries would be devastated.

Let's just agree that Pakistan is a hot bed right now, and we should
be nervous about the outcome. Even if Pakistan and India wipe each
other out, the ramifications would be world wide and severely damaging,
both to commerce and loss of life LONG after the mushrooms disappear.

[rusty99]

Did you forget who the government of the US is? Do you really think Bush would not "risk starting a regional nuclear war" to keep nukes from terrorists? In his mind, it would come down to us or them, and who cares about them? The Bush administration would absolutely risk a regional nuclear war there to make sure Al Queda does not receive nuclear capability.

Actually, I'm very familiar with at least one member of the Administration; former Director of Central Intelligence, former dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service, former President of Texas A&M University, and current Secretary of Defense, Dr. Robert Gates (who, as the 2nd member of the National Command Authority, is the only other person, other than the President, that can order nukes to be used). If I were a betting man, he's already talked all notion of nuking Pakistan out of the President's mind for the very reasons I've listed above, as well as regional nuclear war can become global very easily.

In fact, if any other country in the world (aside from Russia, who has too many, Britain, which is too closely allied, and Israel, which has too much high level political support) tried to sell or give nukes to terrorists, I believe Bush would attack them if it came to that extent.

It's widely speculated that China has provided some of the nuclear technology (and quite possible assembled weapons) to Pakistan... and it appears that we are not at war with them. Why would China do such a thing? Because India hates both of them, and India has nukes... funny how we keep coming back to that.

BTW, a B2 being sub-sonic has nothing to do with anything. We could have all of them in Pakistani airspace at the same time and they would never be seen.

Bombing 101 - in order to destroy a target, you first have to know where it is... which brings us to Intelligence 101 - analysts for intelligence agencies frequently have to come up with an analysis of situations based on 20 to 30% of the total picture (imagine trying to figure out what a jigsaw puzzle looks like with 70% of the pieces missing with the box top missing, then you have an idea what some of the people have to do every day). If it holds true in this situation, we hit, at most, 30% of their stockpile, and right after the first one goes up everything that we missed will be in the air... and hitting targets in India about 3 minutes later.

Don't for get the spy in the sky. We have satellite coverate on all of the arsenals. They start to move them, or see an army convoy moving to one of them, we WILL know. What we will do with that knowledge is anyone's guess. The US isn't the only country with a vested interest in the region. Just look at the map to see what other countries would be devastated.

About those eyes in the sky, you know they can be tracked, right? And that many countries, including the former regime in Iraq, move assets when they know that we didn't have a bird in range. HUMIT is still the best for situations like this, but I'd imagine that getting someone to give up the locations of nuke sites would be bordering on impossible.

Let's just agree that Pakistan is a hot bed right now, and we should
be nervous about the outcome. Even if Pakistan and India wipe each
other out, the ramifications would be world wide and severely damaging,
both to commerce and loss of life LONG after the mushrooms disappear.

Total agreement here.

[Gremlin_flg]

You guys can think and make excuse of what was in Iraq. There were was no signs of any WMD's in Iraq. even the husband whose wife's name was leaked as a CIA agent said there was no WMD's. Even there was an admitted report that the informant who said that there was WMD did not work for Iraq government. Saddam was a dictator who cared for money and nothing else. Look at how he lived.

Instead of going to Iraq, should have gone to Afghanistan and taken care of business. but hey look at where we are now. He is still alive and sending out reports and stuff.

[rusty99]

You guys can think and make excuse of what was in Iraq. There were was no signs of any WMD's in Iraq. even the husband whose wife's name was leaked as a CIA agent said there was no WMD's. Even there was an admitted report that the informant who said that there was WMD did not work for Iraq government. Saddam was a dictator who cared for money and nothing else. Look at how he lived.

Instead of going to Iraq, should have gone to Afghanistan and taken care of business. but hey look at where we are now. He is still alive and sending out reports and stuff.

For what it's worth, the general consensus among the intelligence community was that he still had WMDs, if for no other reason, it was impossible to account for everything and Saddam kept stonewalling the UN people. When I say the intel community, I don't just mean the US community, I also mean British, French, German, Russian and Israeli intelligence (there are few slouches in this group, and they all know more about this than any of us will). Saddam had them all fooled.

Also concerning Plame, maybe if her husband hadn't been so open about what his wife did for a living, maybe half the beltway wouldn't have known about it before it ever came out in the paper. It should be noted that Richard Armitage was the one that had leaked her name, and he wasn't even for the invastion of Iraq, and possibly because Plame's husband, he didn't know that she was under any kind of cover.