The secret site where Iran is suspected of developing long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching targets in Europe has been uncovered by new satellite photographs.
The imagery has pinpointed the facility from where the Iranians launched their Kavoshgar 1 “research rocket” on February 4, claiming that it was in connection with their space programme.
Analysis of the photographs taken by the Digital Globe QuickBird satellite four days after the launch has revealed a number of intriguing features that indicate to experts that it is the same site where Iran is focusing its efforts on developing a ballistic missile with a range of about 6,000km (4,000 miles).
A previously unknown missile location, the site, about 230km southeast of Tehran, and the link with Iran’s long-range programme, was revealed by Jane’s Intelligence Review after a study of the imagery by a former Iraq weapons inspector. A close examination of the photographs has indicated that the Iranians are following the same path as North Korea, pursuing a space programme that enables Tehran to acquire expertise in long-range missile technology.
Digital Globe QuickBird is not a “spy satellite”. In fact, you too can order up custom digital imagery at:
http://www.landinfo.com/qb.htm
This article shows some of the issues with the last US National Intelligence Estimate which stated that Iran was not threatening to develop nuclear weapons. Perhaps, as that estimate narrowly stated. Unfortunately, these issues are not narrow problems.
Persia has a long history of empire. The idea that the present regime is only interested in national development within the borders of the modern nation-state is dangerously naive. Some of the statements coming from Ahmedinejad are surely exaggeration for internal consumption, but the general thrust of them is regional hegemony. We had Nasser, Hussein, and still have Assad, within my lifetime. Why would we assume Iran to be any different under its current management, given its own statements?
This is going to be increasingly common. Nukes are 60 year old technology, ICBMs fifty years old. The genie will get out of the bottle, it is a batter of when rather than if.
I have news for you: The genie is ALREADY out of the bottle…….and HAS been for quite some time!
Many countries have long range missiles. It does mean, perhaps, that how we negotiate with Iran will have to be a bit more delicate than previously.
One thing to remember is most Iranians want an end to the theocratic regime. But they do not want to be bombed. To attack Iran merely serves the people who rule Iran, who will benefit, politically, by a confirmation by what they believe is true: that we will bomb them anyway.
But how do you convince Israel that they shouldn’t bomb the missile sites? They would, after all, be one of the prime targets of those missiles. And make no mistake: They have the capabilty of doing just exactly that……and the will to do it, if they think it’s necessary!
Revealed from a photograph after a study by [i]a former Iraq weapons inspector[/i], eh? Brought to us by the same guys who told us Saddam had a well developed WMD programme? I am totally convinced now. Or maybe he was one of those inspectors who maintained that there wasn’t a programme (and was reviled for it, like Blix); in that case his assessment carries rather more weight. The article doesn’t say, which is a pity.
Not that I don’t think Iran is working on improving its weaponry, quite possibly including nuclear capability. If you are surrounded by nuclear states, most of which are hostile to you to a lesser or greater degree, that simply makes good military and political sense. Is that a good thing? No. But America, or Britain, would not act any different. We are simply facing the dynamics of the world order we have created.
Maranatha.
Maybe we can’t stop Iran from their nuclear dreams but I don’t think they would be foolish to launch a missle at certain nations particularly those that are reported to have several dozen at their disposal. It is reported that Hussein had nuclear WMDs which may be absolutely false, but thousands of Kurds; men women and children were killed by a another type of MWD. They were not nuclear but they were loaded with deadly gas. According to the newspapers I read the launch of these non-nuclear missiles is well documented and has yet to be proven false.
“According to the newspapers I read the launch of these non-nuclear missiles is well documented and has yet to be proven false. ”
Using the missiles for non nuclear warheads is much more reliable as well, particularly if you don’t have the luxury of testing a nuclear warhead due to diplomatic reasons. Fuzing and testing non nuclear warheads is trivial by comparison.