An interception by the Iron Dome anti-missile system is seen as rockets are launched from Gaza towards Israel before a 72-hour ceasefire was due to expire August 13, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Amir Cohen
How The Middle East’s First Nuclear War Started -- Mathew Burrows, Politico
The following is a fictional story by Mathew Burrows, who, for the past decade, has overseen the creation of the National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends Report—an intelligence-based futurist guide that has become essential reading for the White House as well as the Departments of State, Defense and Homeland Security.
As the United States enters the final hours of nuclear negotiations with Iran this weekend, it is worth considering the possible paths forward depending on the outcome of the Geneva meetings. You never know—this story could already be happening.
***
Jamil Khoury woke at night in a cold sweat, shaken by the magnitude of what he had done. He had always considered himself a peace-loving man—having grown up in Lebanon, he knew what war could do to a country. And now it looked as if he would be responsible for war on a scale no one had ever seen.
He sat for a while in silence watching the sun creep in through the shutters until his phone rang. He answered, and after a brief call, resolved to get the next flight from Beirut to New York. If he could just talk to Lars, Lars might be able to help.
**
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My Comment: A short story on a hypothetical Middle East nuclear war. Let us hope that it remains like that .... a story of fiction.
7 comments:
The middle east's first nuclear war?...
It would be the worlds first nuclear war.
Two comments -
1: Plowman, many historians rate WWII (Pacific theater) as the world's first nuclear war since atomic weapons were used against Japan. (Forgive me for being pedantic, it's the former teacher inside me!)
2: A good book on this topic is "The Last Israelis", telling the story of the crew of one of Israel's Dolphin-class submarines deploying on a deterrence patrol and trying to determine if they are, in fact at war...
Orion
n. 1. A war in which nuclear weapons are used by both sides. As generally used, the term assumes major use of nuclear weapons by at least two opposing warring states. As of 1999, no nuclear war has occurred.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, published 1913 by C. & G. Merriam Co.
I'm of the same opinion that a Nuclear War constitutes the use of Nuclear weaponry on both sides, not one side.
Oh, so it's to be a pedantic war is it?! ;-)
Note I said 'many' not 'all' :-) I tend to agree with Webster's definition, but I've seen a number of articles using the WWII-Nuclear definition.
So nyah! LOL
Orion
Holy Webster's Batman! An outbreak of purity of definition. Well, when (not if) the world gets around to a serious effort of making crispy critters, I doubt if anybody will have An unabridged OED at launch control.
Now look you, we were QUITE happy to use Websters and now you gotta go bring in the Oxford?! Good old American not good enough for you?! What are you some sort of Nazi?! ;-) :-P
Orion (who should probably either lay off the pain meds or take more...)
Heh, I have raised a Torquemada, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
"who should probably either lay off the pain meds or take more."
Orion: One of the great modern tragedies is the notion that pain pills should only be taken for pain. A barbaric notion and an affront to my sensibilities.
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