# Repost of Iran Topic posted 5-22-11 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 22, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813 "2011-05-22T21:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chiefwhitesr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5ac83/32.png) [@chiefwhitesr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiefwhitesr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/1 "2011-05-22T21:09:30Z")
Apologies first and foremost for excluding source [Iran claims to break CIA spy ring, arrests 30](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-espionage-20110522,0,239266.story). Iran uncovers CIA affiliated ring in Iran, Arrests thirty. My former opinion stated that we should mix it up with these guys based on principle of interest concerning state sponsored terrorism… It is no doubt suspected that Iran is a supporter of any group of terrorists that hate the US. Sorry, at this present time I have nothing but insight as an officer to support this. The SEAL in me fears for the retribution that will most certainly come to those captured. One response to my former post asked for cited material. I have none to offer and I have redone my poll to a more subtle and appropriate format versus the yes or no question I asked the first time. I have been in the private intelligence business foe fifteen years and my guts tell me we should move in on them faster than we have previously done. Leon Panetta in June of 2010 I believe it was stated that Iran could possibly have nukes by 2012 and we know from recent CIA and DOD reports that Tehran has medium class range missiles at their disposal. Correct me if i am incorrect. I seem to just remember hearing that on FOX NEWS. The citation from Panetta comes from [Globalsecurity.org](http://Globalsecurity.org). ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/2 "2011-05-22T21:22:50Z")
> [@chiefwhitesr](#): > > I seem to just remember hearing that on FOX NEWS. Well that’s the only cite _I_ ever need. 😉 In the earlier, [locked thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609484), you claimed that “IRAN” (Which stands for Inspect and Repair As Necessary, according to a witty PM I received :D) sponsors Al Qaeda. I asked for a cite. I don’t doubt you’re right that Iran may abuse those captured. Could you specify in what way you’d like the US to “mix it up” with Iran? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/3 "2011-05-22T21:32:19Z")
[Working link for OP](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-espionage-20110522,0,239266.story). > [@chiefwhitesr](#): > > we know from recent CIA and DOD reports that Tehran has medium class range missiles at their disposal. [Here is a table of missiles](http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/iran/missile/) that Iran has. As someone said in the locked thread, a sovereign state is perfectly within its rights to arrest spies. While the loss of human assets is regrettable, it’s not _casus belli_ to invade or attack Iran. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/4 "2011-05-22T21:37:50Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![chiefwhitesr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5ac83/32.png) [@chiefwhitesr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiefwhitesr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/5 "2011-05-22T21:43:09Z")
Indeed something needs to be done and faster than operationally already approved. I would like to come to a direct standoff with Iran. It’s time to talk between us. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/6 "2011-05-22T21:48:01Z")
I don’t doubt Iran arrested 30 people. I’m sure they’ll confess to being CIA, eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/7 "2011-05-22T21:50:07Z")
:smack: I thought I’d fixed the OP’s link – but I didn’t remove the ‘s’ from the beginning. Will a passing mod please fix it? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/8 "2011-05-22T21:52:22Z")
> [@chiefwhitesr](#): > > I would like to come to a direct standoff with Iran. It’s time to talk between us. Which do you want: A dialogue between the U.S. and Iran, or a standoff? Diplomacy is good. Jumping into war… not so much. Remember that nearly a decade ago Congress gave the President the ability to launch a war against Iraq – as a last resort. Instead, the President used the ‘last resort’ option first, and we’re still there expending lives and treasure. Certainly a military confrontation over the arrest of _alleged_ U.S. assets is premature. Imagine if we had launched missiles against the USSR ever time one of our assets was arrested there. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/9 "2011-05-22T22:25:58Z")
> [@chiefwhitesr](#): > > The SEAL in me You date SEALs? ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/10 "2011-05-22T22:37:38Z")
Nah, that was just an ice cream cone. ---
**Author:** ![chiefwhitesr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5ac83/32.png) [@chiefwhitesr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiefwhitesr)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/11 "2011-05-22T22:38:26Z")
I only have access to this site twice a week via hardline or wifi and my phone won’t access this site so email me if you want to chit chat., ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/12 "2011-05-22T22:45:01Z")
> [@chiefwhitesr](#): > > I only have access to this site twice a week via hardline or wifi and my phone won’t access this site so email me if you want to chit chat., Darn, prison regulations are getting stricter these days. Snitch on someone. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/13 "2011-05-23T00:41:08Z")
The government of Iran has a long history of using trumped up charges of espionage to justify arresting and locking up people they don’t like. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/14 "2011-05-23T01:07:16Z")
I’d consider the OP an example of what Matt Yglesias dubbed the [Green Lantern Theory of Geopolitics](http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2006/07/10/the_green_lantern_theory_of_ge/): > [@](#): > > But a lot of people seem to think that American military might is like one of these power rings. They seem to think that, roughly speaking, we can accomplish absolutely anything in the world through the application of sufficient military force. The only thing limiting us is a lack of willpower. So, rather than details about how we’d achieve our ends, we get the entire discussion centered on vague exhortations to get tougher on them. Which isn’t much of a plan. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/15 "2011-05-23T02:50:38Z")
We should not “mix it up” with Iran. So they sponsor terrorism, big deal. Lots of states do that, such as Saudi Arabia, but we’re still buddies with them. Would “mixing it up” with Iran solve more problems or create more? Until it’s the former, we must play the diplomacy game ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/16 "2011-05-23T03:44:52Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > We should not “mix it up” with Iran. So they sponsor terrorism, big deal. Lots of states do that, such as Saudi Arabia, but we’re still buddies with them. For that matter, _we_ sponsor terrorism in _Iran_, we support groups there our own State Department has labeled terrorists. But apparently terrorism is OK if _we_ support it. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/17 "2011-05-23T03:49:28Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > We should not “mix it up” with Iran. So they sponsor terrorism, big deal. Lots of states do that, such as Saudi Arabia, but we’re still buddies with them. > > Would “mixing it up” with Iran solve more problems or create more? Until it’s the former, we must play the diplomacy game I’m not a fan of the Saudi government, but what terrorist groups do they sponsor? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/18 "2011-05-23T03:58:13Z")
Can somebody translate the OP for me? I think it boils down to “suspected CIA assets arrested in Iran, and oh they might have nukes”, but I have have missed something. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/19 "2011-05-23T04:06:04Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Can somebody translate the OP for me? I think it boils down to “suspected CIA assets arrested in Iran, and oh they might have nukes”, but I have have missed something. I’ll try. ‘I am a former SEAL and an officer. I’ve spent over 15 years in “private intelligence”. Iran claims to have arrested 30 CIA assets. Based on my experience and intimate knowledge, we should enact severe retribution. Also, Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Therefore we must attack before they can be deployed.’ fnord ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813/20 "2011-05-23T04:08:08Z")
Oh dear. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repost-of-iran-topic-posted-5-22-11/582813.md?page=2)