Nuclear Armed Iran OK?

Question

Looks like Iran is proceeding with its nuclear weapons program and will have a functional nuclear device in a couple of years.
Should we:
1) hope they show restraint?
2) take a proactive approach in denying them the ability to make a nuclear device?
3) mind our own business and let the rest of the world's nations decide what to do?
4) none of the above and offer your ideas?

Follow up question:
Lets agree that we do nothing;Iran gets their nuke developed and tells the OPEC nations:"Stop selling oil to the U.S. or we will nuke your oil fields,capital,etc."
Now what do we do?

good answers coming in for a very complex question,Thanks and keep them coming;feel free to add to your existing answer.
Amos

Answer 1

#2
The whole reason what the MAD policy of the Cold War work is because both the Russian and the US didn't want to die.
The game has now change we are dealing with a mindset that thinks dieing is the ultimate good.
Iran is already threaten to wipe a country off the map.

We can stop it now or wait tell someone is glowing blue to than think about writing that letter about how upset we are they did that to someone.
Follow up by years of talks.

Answer 2

Sanction, open talks and let them know that they will never be invaded by the US for their actions.... but if they use Nuclear Technology against any other nation, they will be a glass parking lot the next day... because we have bigger bombs and a lot more of them.

It's simple, it gets the point across without giving them a reason to proceed (such as fear of us invading them) and it is something we can back up.... and I think it's something most of the world would back as well. The main thing is it allows them to feel like they are one of the big boys... and most often that is all a nation needs.


Edit: Pfo is right on target talking about the proactive approach.


Edit: As for the oil.. we have plenty here in the states that we can start to tap into if we get cut off from the rest of the world.. we'd just rather not use it yet... plus.. you're talking about OPEC... those boys wouldn't take kindly to a threat like that.. and since we are their LARGEST CUSTOMER.. and Iran produces very little of it's own fuel (they export a lot of oil but import most of their fuel).. there is a very large bargaining chip preventing them from making such a ridiculous statement. But we should be trying to switch to alternative energy anyway... We are just funding the Middle East by staying an oil based economy.

Answer 3

IT'S TIME.

What concerns me is that they are working on and may have developed a re-entry vehicle.

What that means is they could get, in the open, a missile from either China or Russia to deliver it and the IAEA does not govern that.

England's popular support for the US is dwindling.
The rest of NATO is incrementally lowering it's investment in the organization with the exception of Turkey who is now at cross purposes with us in Iraq.
It's time for us to pick up our marbles and come home. Spending money on being the world's kind constable is a waste.
That money should be devoted to a missile defense system that would make Iran irrelevant.
Fortress America.
Time to isolate and let the rest of the world go about it's business without leveraging the US into doing it's wet work.
Isolation NOW.

You will see among some of these responses that there is a dangerously prevalent attitude that pre-emptive action is illegal, immoral. They are content to wait for an attack.
We have no choice.
We must come home and build a shield.

Edit: Oil
When I say shield, I mean a comprehensive shield. It must include biting the bullet on engergy. I don't want to take money from the oil companies like Hillary does. I want to give them the incentive to contribute to alternatives by dedicating some of their infrastructure to it. The alternative fuel R&D is done and it works. Moving and delivering it is the problem.
Iran would not have oil as a tool for intimidation if the US was less of a customer and that protects us passively. No agression needed.
Bio Diesel works. see sources:

Answer 4

The small size of tactical weapons make them potential targets for theft and nuclear terrorism; a nuclear Iran could provide (or threaten) these to Hamas for instance. US icons anywhere in the world could also be targetted: embassies, warships, corporation etc.

You were all minding your business when they flew planes into buildings in America - this was before Afghanistan, Iraq. Why live with this threat when their nuke program can be stopped dead in its track?

Answer 5

this is no good.iran has already been helping to kill our troops in iraq.i mean they found bombs in iraq pointed at a military base that hade made in iran on it and the date it was made.if they aquired a nuclear weapon what will stop them from attacking the troops in iraq.but then again if we weren't in iraq in the first place then they would have no reason to be attacking us.i mean come on we have inflamed iran and most of the middle east by invading iraq thats why they're doing all of this.

if u look at iran on a map its smack dab in the middle between iraq and afganistan.is it possible they're doing this because they think they're next?i live in georgia and if a foreign military was occuping alabama and south carolina i would be kind of jumpy to.

but i do think something needs to be done about this.i hope through tough economic sanctions.i am dreading another war

Answer 6

We have to be proactive. Ahmadinejad is a believer in the Shia doctrine of the return of the 12th Imam which coincides with the end of days. Do we really want a man who believes he has a central role in bringing about the apocalypse to have nuclear weapons capability???

I don't.

Answer 7

This is something that can't be casually ignored. However, as general Abizaid has said a nuclear Iran, even one with nuclear weapons, is not necessarily a danger. Only if they were to use weapons would they be a threat. If we take a proactive approach (i.e. a violent one) we will only be provoking them to develop and use nuclear weapons. They will see them as necessary for its defense.

Answer 8

Israel will not tolerate Iran with nuclear arms

Before they are able to use them Israel (who has the best intell in the world) will take them out. It will be very ugly.

Whatever the world community can do to prevent this from happening it will a much better alternative than forcing Israel to take action.

Answer 9

3.

I would be worried about Pakistan not Iran. They actually have nuclear weapons and the government is losing it's grip to the Taliban and Al Queda.

Answer 10

No they shouldn't, Iran will nuke them and we are able to be next, the President of Iran says they're the little devil and that they'll Nuke them off the face of the earth, the U. S. is the massive devil and we are able to be next. we ought to continually enable Israel blow the hell out of Iran now rather of waiting till we ought to do it. those human beings do no longer care approximately existence as all of us know it, they opt to be martyrs, shall we help them.