Breaking on Times: Iranian nuclear facility hit by explosion

[thewiseguy]

AN IRANIAN nuclear facility has been hit by a huge explosion, the second such blast in a month, prompting speculation that Tehran's military and atomic sites are under attack.

Satellite imagery seen by The Times confirmed that a blast that rocked the city of Isfahan on Monday struck the uranium enrichment facility there, despite denials by Tehran.

The images clearly showed billowing smoke and destruction, negating Iranian claims yesterday that no such explosion had taken place. Israeli intelligence officials told The Times that there was "no doubt" that the blast struck the nuclear facilities at Isfahan and that it was "no accident".

The explosion at Iran's third-largest city came as satellite images emerged of the damage caused by one at a military base outside Tehran two weeks ago that killed about 30 members of the Revolutionary Guard, including General Hassan Moghaddam, the head of the Iranian missile defence program.

Iran claimed that the Tehran explosion occurred during testing on a new weapons system designed to strike at Israel. But several Israeli officials have confirmed that the blast was intentional and part of an effort to target Iran's nuclear weapons program.

On Monday, Isfahan residents reported a blast that shook tower blocks in the city at about 2.40pm and seeing a cloud of smoke rising over the nuclear facility on the edge of the city.

"This caused damage to the facilities in Isfahan, particularly to the elements we believe were involved in storage of raw materials," said one military intelligence source.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/a-second-iranian-nuclear-facility-has-exploded-as-diplomatic-tensions-rise-between-the-west-and-tehran/story-e6frg6so-1226209996774

Last night rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel for the first time in several years. Also Iranian students stormed the British embassy today. Things are getting out of hand.
:scared:

[DisgustipatedinCA]

1. I'm guessing the reaction would be much greater

...if this had happened in reverse, e.g., Iran setting off a bomb in Cleveland or Tel Aviv.

[thewiseguy]

3. Make no mistake about it. Iran is going to respond.

Israel is being reckless here and I can not believe Obama is letting them do this.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TheWraith]

15. Who says they asked permission?

We've never been given a veto over what the Israelis decide to do. Look back at some of the internal White House memos from the 1960s.

[KittyWampus]

25. Wait... Israel is being reckless here how? There was an explosion. Not a bomb.

[Cali_Democrat]

26. Israel is always reckless

that goes without saying.

[Old and In the Way]

2. Just what the world needs now....I expect that we'll see oil skyrocket again as uncertainty reigns.

What a mess.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Good.

People who execute children for homosexual activities should not have nuclear weapons.

Note that I'm not excusing US behavior towards Iran in general. But I don't want them to have nuclear weapons.

[ecstatic]

10. You want another war?

Wow!

[MannyGoldstein]

12. No. I want the least-awful alternative of various bad alternatives.

A murderous theocracy with nuclear weapons is a really bad alternative.

[ecstatic]

34. How do we take the weapons away?

:shrug:

[WildNovember]

29. The US executes children. More than all other countries combined.

The United States is almost alone in a world which overwhelmingly opposes executions of minors. The only other countries on the globe that execute children under 18 are Iran, Yemen, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, prohibits the execution for crimes committed under the age of 18. Only the U.S. and Somalia have failed to ratify the convention guidelines.

* Since 1985, the U.S. has executed more juvenile offenders than all other countries combined.

United Nations, U.S. News & World Report, ABC News, Death Penalty Information Center, Amnesty International, Prof. Victor L. Streib; Ohio Northern University Study

http://speakout.com/activism/issue_briefs/1165b-1.html

Here's the Amnesty link in case that one wasn't good enough:

Document - United States: Shameful isolation -- US leads worldwide execution of child offenders

https://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR51/102/2003/en/d6c6af95-d6b6-11dd-ab95-a13b602c0642/amr511022003en.html


Is it only theocracies which should be bombed and destroyed for executing children, or are plutocracies fair game as well?

[Fawke Em]

36. By that token, Israel shouldn't have nuclear weapons.

They've been known to execute innocent Americans, Palestinians, peaceful flotilla dwellers...

Of course, by that token the United States shouldn't have nuclear weapons, either. We've executed a lot of innocent people, too.

Seriously, I don't think this should turn into a pissing contest and I can't, for the life of me, figure how the United States, Israel or any other country has the right to tell other countries what they can do. Hell, we've elected leaders that are as nuts as anyone in the Middle East. We just don't admit it.

[TheWraith]

38. You might have had a point right up until you said this:

"Hell, we've elected leaders that are as nuts as anyone in the Middle East."

That hugely and horrendously understates how fucked up some of the leadership of the Middle East is, including Iran. I don't think anyone elected President of the United States has ever suggested whipping people to death for drinking alcohol, for instance.

[MADem]

5. Fascinating. That blast in Karaj a while back killed a LOT of people--more than they admitted.

Isfahan is a real nice city--very historic. The facilities there are fortunately in the outskirts. This was a targeted strike, designed to ensure that Iran couldn't be tossing nukes at Tel Aviv, and nothing beyond that. I know about the Karaj explosion, but apparently there was another one as well, in addition to this one.

Alireza Zaker-Isfahani, the city's governor, claimed that the blast had been caused by a military exercise in the area but state-owned agencies in Tehran soon removed this story and issued a government denial that any explosion had taken place at all.

On Monday, Dan Meridor. the Israeli Intelligence Minister, said: "There are countries who impose economic sanctions and there are countries who act in other ways in dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat."

Major-General Giora Eiland, Israel's former director of national security, told Israel's army radio that the Isfahan blast was no accident. "There aren't many coincidences, and when there are so many events there is probably some sort of guiding hand, though perhaps it's the hand of God," he said.

A former Israeli intelligence official cited at least two other explosions that have "successfully neutralised" Iranian bases associated with the Shahab-3, the medium-range missile that could be adapted to carry a nuclear warhead. "This is something everyone in the West wanted to see happen," he added.

[kickysnana]

6. Not everyone. n/t

[MADem]

7. Tell that to the former official.... nt

[gordianot]

8. I would be shocked if conventional piloted aircraft were involved.

Just setting there and out of no where boom. Lots of weird hardware in the world today.

[TheWraith]

16. Sometimes the oldest tricks are the best tricks.

Walk someone in there with the right ID and paperwork, slap down some shaped charges, then run like hell.

[gordianot]

27. Not that long ago I remember plenty of Iranians upset over elections.

Electronics have come long way and the F-117 was retired some time ago. They do not retire such platforms without replacements. The new stealth UAV's look interesting. It would also be a huge embarrassment to be supplied newest air defense systems and have them defeated with impunity.

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. why isn't this a bigger story?

[PufPuf23]

13. The closure of drone base and supply routes and general

deteriorating situation with Pakistan should be a bigger story as well.

[lonestarnot]

23. That is the scary part of the story. Don't puggies like to pound the fear drums.

I haven't heard them, but I haven't been listening very long tonight.

[SomethingFishy]

24. Was wondering that as well, and wouldn't Iran be

crying foul to anyone who will listen were we or Israel to bomb them? I think they fucked up and something blew up. Why would they cover up an attack? It makes no sense.

[2banon]

30. that's the question I've been asking myself.. Not a word of this mentioned on PBS, NPR or M$M

actually I include Pentagon Broadcast Ssrvice and National Pentagon Radio as part of the Corporate Media but it's clear some readers don't. not a word of this story, nor the once secret but now exposed 7.7 Trillion bank bailout vis a vis the Federal Reserve story.

not a freaking word. No, news was all about Cain and the mindless horserace that's been filling air time every hour on the hour for months. arrrggghhh..

[2banon]

32. I have to make a correction.. I just heard the report on PBS after all.

Obviously I missed the story reported earlier today..

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Ok by my count this is the third explosion

or am I missing something? I mean yesterday at Isfahan the excuse was conventional and bad handling by troops.

I can't make heads or tails out of this one... but I suspect more like a worm of some kind... still WEIRD, and somebody wants a war. A few somebody's who could benefit from the ahem, distraction,

[Cali_Democrat]

17. Notice how it's starting after the failure of the super committee?

Automatic cuts to the defense budget might happen after all via sequestration.

The MIC is trying to justify their gargantuan defense budget. What better way to do that than to start another war in the Middle East?

[TheWraith]

18. Loosen the tin foil hat. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Stranger things have happened

it could be, or it could be the Israelis, or it could be internal.

But to discount this because it does not fit your story line is just crazee. Suffice it to say the road to War on the summer of '14 could be instructive, and not in a good way.

List of people who could benefit.

USA... MIC... goes without saying and we have a tad of a problem from PTB in the streets, with OWS... damn dirty hippies.

Israel, you realize who or how many of their population is in the streets for very similar reasons to OWS? (If you do that means you read more than the US Press. I gave up posting those stories here)

Now those are the TWO obvious ones.

Who else?

The brits... there is a history.

To a point the Russians.

And nobody should ever discount INTERNAL matters in Iran where the supreme council has a few issues with the President and his faction.

ANY of these could explain this... and any of these could lead to some real nastiness.

The best we can hope is that cold heads prevail.

[SidDithers]

21. +1...nt

Sid

[uppityperson]

19. Images Show Devastation At Iran Base After Blast (NY Times) 11/12 blast

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/world/middleeast/satellite-images-suggest-blast-obliterated-iran-military-base.html

Note, this is Nov 12 blast, not one they are talking about today

[MadHound]

22. Israel hits Iran, Iran hits Israel, we get the call, and away we go.

This could suck really, really bad.

[Nevernose]

28. It could have been an asteroid strike

And Israel and Iran would have both made the same claims they dd. That's just in their best interests.

[2banon]

31. I vote asteroid strikes..

[Prometheus Bound]

33. Israel more or less takes credit.

1. On Monday, Dan Meridor. the Israeli Intelligence Minister, said: "There are countries who impose economic sanctions and there are countries who act in other ways in dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat."

2. Major-General Giora Eiland, Israel's former director of national security, told Israel's army radio that the Isfahan blast was no accident. "There aren't many coincidences, and when there are so many events there is probably some sort of guiding hand, though perhaps it's the hand of God," he said.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/a-second-iranian-nuclear-facility-has-exploded-as-diplomatic-tensions-rise-between-the-west-and-tehran/story-e6frg6so-1226209996774

[mmonk]

35. I used to know someone from Isfahan in college. I fear for her.

[Dreamer Tatum]

37. Excellent news

Park a few carriers off the coast, rattle a few sabers, and bluster a lot, while behind the scenes we let loose a virus and
have black ops plant explosives. Well played.