The US and Turkey have signed a highly sought-after agreement allowing the installation of a US radar station close to the Iranian border, the Washington Post reported today.
The radar station will be a cornerstone of a missile shield over Europe. The high-power X-band radar station will be installed in Turkey’s Malatya province, some 400 miles from the Iranian border. The radar is intended to provide early warning of missile launches from Iran. Turkey signed the agreement late on Wednesday despite heavy political pressure from Iran. The Iranian foreign ministry had warned the agreement would “create tensions” in Iran-Turkey relations, and would cause “complicated consequences.” [The Washington Post, 16 September].
18 comments:
It takes only 50% when it comes to trusting Turkey due to its strategic location which lies on the half-side of europe and the other half-side of the middle-east.
with all due respect 400 miles is hardly "close" to the Iranian border, and is further than London, England is to Bonn, Germany!
No one would suggest that Bonn is close to London.
At least, there are no counter-missile rocket silos installed.
The problem with those rocket silos allegedly only containing missiles aimed at other missiles is that there is no proof for their alleged function. Those silos could therefore easily contain missiles with nuclear warheads. In Poland there are such rocket silos installed, only 500km flight distance away from Moscow.
Gifted one,
That's a close distance for such radar station. Please note the Iranian officials tried hard to prevent the signing of this agreement, said such agreement would cause tensions in the countries' relations even threatened Turkey for unspecified consequences. They wouldn't have protested so much if their analysis of proximity and capability of this system was same as the yours.
Nader this x band radar was installed in Israel years ago, the placing in Turkey moves ita few hundred miles closer to Iran than the installation in Israel. For a missile travelling at over the speed of sound this new placement is inconsequential.
Infact it does more to prove that the radar system is directed at Russia as it is also closer to, and covers, the Black Sea region and the Russian military installations there. Do not forget that Turkey is first and foremost a NATO member.
No Gift
the radar installation is not aimed at Russia, but at Iran.
placement in Poland was the original intention and that placement was discontinued because the greater likelihood of threat was assessed to be from the Iranians, not the Russians.
Europe and the US are not going to be engaged in military conflict with Russia any time soon. on the other hand, the iranian regime is headed for all sorts of trouble, likes to threaten other nations, and has the crazy idea that their ugly religious views are more important than the lives of the Iranian people.
Anon 9:49,
I agree, Europe (LOL!) and the US aren't going to take on the Russians anytime soon! A military force that's taken 6 month to take down Gaddafi, can't win a war in Iraq in 8 years, and can't win a war in Afghanistan in 10 years, against a bunch of illiterate goat hearders, wouldn't stand a chance against the Russians, and they know it!
I, too, fear that Iran, and all of us, are heading for all sorts of trouble. Iran's independence is a bruise to Washington's imperial pride. Unfortunately, Washington can't, and doesn't, understand that not all nations wish to dance like puppets on their imperial strings. The odds are pretty high that NATO (US) is going to pick a fight in Syria that will draw Iran into war. I strongly suspect that the US has grossly underestimated Syrian and Iranian military capabilities,and has also underestimated the rather high probability of Russia, and maybe China, coming to Syria's and Iran's aid. American imperial ambitions in the region are as plain as day, and are a clear threat to Russian and Chinese interests. World wars have started for fewer reasons than this!
A concerned American
You guys watch too many cheap Hollywood movies,
worse than that, you guys seem to believe the stuff .
anon 7:04 AM
you're confused.
"A military force that's taken 6 month to take down Gaddafi, can't win a war in Iraq in 8 years, and can't win a war in Afghanistan in 10 years, against a bunch of illiterate goat hearders, wouldn't stand a chance against the Russians, and they know it..."
you seem not to grasp the difference between "can't' win a war with an inability, (because of a disinclination to employ extreme methods) to crush an insurgency AFTER the real war was won.
The governments that controlled Iraq and Afghanistan were dispatched in weeks using only a small portion of the US's capabilities.
In Libya, NATO supplied little more than air power and Gaddafis' regime was dispatched by a semi-organized bunch of Libyans.
You're even more confused about NATO not standing a chance against the Russians. The Red Army is a shadow of what it once was.
And you're entirely confused about it being Iran's independence being the offensive part of the squalid little regime. ..and entirely out to lunch if you think that Iran's regime has the ability or the guts to go to war when Assad's regime is deposed.
Iran's government will do what it always does ....talk like they're lions while they cry about injustice and have their non-iranian terrorist clients kill a bunch of unarmed people.
The logic behind the installation of this radar doesn't hold water..Why would Iran attack Europe? What for?? Has Iran classified Europe as her enemy?
Anybody with half a brain will see this radar is aimed at Russia.Full stop. The Iran boogeyman story is just BS cover to placate the Russians.And they're not buying it either. The same radar system is being installed in Romania as well. Now how does Iran threaten Romania???
What people fail to realize here is that, this latest Turkey move only makes their own security worse. The Russian will no doubt respond by stationing nuclear capable missiles on their southern border thereby making Turkey a target of a nuclear strike if there's no proper communication/coordination between the two. These missiles ARE OFFENSIVE no matter how much NATO tries to spin it. How would Turkey react/feel if Iran stations Shahab missiles on the border with them???
It's not a question about Iran attacking Romania the radars are being put in place because of a possible attack on Iran so they want to be prepared in that eventuality and possible retaliation by Iran.
And of course the devils in the detail or less just say to kill two birds with one stone as regards the radar system could apply against the Russians as well.
---"Has Iran classified Europe as her enemy?"---
yes, it has. it has demonized the British and French and NATO.
"yes, it has. it has demonized the British and French and NATO."
Please take off your political anti-mullah glasses and see things for what they are.
What do you say about British and French constant threats to attack Iran almost everyday?? Or that doesn't count? And how do these two imperialist deadbeat countries constitutes or became the voice of all of Europe?
Lets just say this "missile shield" radar was indeed installed. Wouldn't it easily be overwhelmed by loads of cheap dummy warheads?
In case there's war, do you really think Iran will sit back and allow herself to be "contained" by some fancy radars and not launch a barrage of cheap rockets to destroy that radar base??? Even when the country's security's at stake???
I'm not even worried about this. To me, this makes Iran justified to hit Turkish bases that hosts this radar in case a war breaks out with NATO. If the argument is to save Europe from Iran(which is stupid, btw), Turkey, who's not even an European country, has just set themselves up as punch bag to take all the crap on behalf of Europe...Nice to know they're willing to play dice with their security for the benefit of France and Britain. :)
Putting all hubris aside, the Russians are not buying this and have called for an urgent meeting with NATO...Turkish citizens should be worried about their government's desire to appease their EU masters and put their lives under the threat of Russian nukes...
Iran is not an enemy of anyone, except to its enemies.
Radars are a precaution by the west to make sure, if they attack Iran, Iran can not retaliate.
But actually its against the Russians.
"Radars are a precaution by the west to make sure, if they attack Iran, Iran can not retaliate."
Iran cannot retaliate??? How so??If this system is used against or to facilitate an attack on Iran, you really believe Iran will sit back and watch itself attacked from Turkey's soil and not retaliate???
I really hope you're right...
Anon 9:18
I truely appreciate your concern, but allow me to reformulate what I sais.
The west is screwing the Russians with Irans D....ck.
And the Russians have given up resisting, and see their moral success in stoping the Radars being stationed in east Europe.
Its all about the Russians, and less about the Iranians.
I know Iran wont shoot any missiles towards Europe.... Irans missiles are already in Europe loool.
Anon 2;00
you're asserting that Britain and France are ACTUAK enemies of iran as a means of saying that Iran has NOT classified Britain and France as enemies????????
what sort of sense do you think that you're making?????
are you know or in previous years been an employee of PRESS-TV?
if not, you're a perfect candidate for a position.
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