Another Iranian Nuclear Scientist Assassinated

[grumbler]

There's a post-Bay of Pigs presidential order to not assassinate any foreign head of government.  Other than that I've never heard of any no assassination order.  Last time I checked we were assassinating folks in Pakistan and Yemen by the car load.

I guess if we ignore the meaning of the word "assassinate" that statement is true.

[Razgovory]

It could easily be more then one group.  A joint UK-US action is not out of the question.  Hell, it's not impossible that  it's a joint Israeli-Saudi act.  The Saudi government has secretly gotten closer to the Israeli government over the last decade.  Iran has lots of enemies, and almost all of them are afraid of Iran getting nuclear weapons.  It's likely a Mossad operation (the Stuxnet was probably an Israeli act and these assassinations are likely part of the same program), but campaign against Iranian nukes could involve several players.  The Israelis though, are known to attack scientists in the employ of enemy powers.  Who ever is doing this has a got a good ground team in Iran, and likely assets inside the nuclear program.

This assassination could have plenty benefits for who ever wants to slow or stop the Iranian nuclear program.  Besides depriving the Iranians of skilled personal, it also inspires terror in the other scientists dissuading them from working on the project and could force the Iranians to centralize their effort making them more susceptible to an airstrike.

[dps]

The killing of Iranian nuclear scientists seems to be being done compatently, which makes the Mossad the most likely suspect.

[Martinus]

It could easily be more then one group.  A joint UK-US action is not out of the question.  Hell, it's not impossible that  it's a joint Israeli-Saudi act.  The Saudi government has secretly gotten closer to the Israeli government over the last decade.  Iran has lots of enemies, and almost all of them are afraid of Iran getting nuclear weapons.  It's likely a Mossad operation (the Stuxnet was probably an Israeli act and these assassinations are likely part of the same program), but campaign against Iranian nukes could involve several players.  The Israelis though, are known to attack scientists in the employ of enemy powers.  Who ever is doing this has a got a good ground team in Iran, and likely assets inside the nuclear program.

This assassination could have plenty benefits for who ever wants to slow or stop the Iranian nuclear program.  Besides depriving the Iranians of skilled personal, it also inspires terror in the other scientists dissuading them from working on the project and could force the Iranians to centralize their effort making them more susceptible to an airstrike.

If it was a joint US-UK action, wouldn't they kill each other in friendly fire instead?

[Admiral Yi]

A think a few men managed to survive Normandy.

The first choice was to send some Polish cavalry to charge the reactors, but transporting the horses proved problematic.

[CountDeMoney]

one of their cleverest moves was to put 16-17 suicide hijackers on some aircraft and avoid any blame for the consequences. 

Boo. Hiss. Foul.

[Ed Anger]

A think a few men managed to survive Normandy.

The first choice was to send some Polish cavalry to charge the reactors, but transporting the horses proved problematic.

They put the horses on a boat, but the screen door on the bottom sprung a leak.

[mongers]

one of their cleverest moves was to put 16-17 suicide hijackers on some aircraft and avoid any blame for the consequences. 

Boo. Hiss. Foul.

Yeah, but I was still playing the ball, not the man. 

[Ideologue]

Do the Saudis ever pull clever black ops? I can't recall ever hearing of any....

Well you wouldn't would you. 

edit:
one of their cleverest moves was to put 16-17 suicide hijackers on some aircraft and avoid any blame for the consequences. 

So, if I were to have suggested, circa 2001, that the United States invade Saudi Arabia, the bike-riding vote in Britain would have been on board?

[mongers]

Do the Saudis ever pull clever black ops? I can't recall ever hearing of any....

Well you wouldn't would you. 

edit:
one of their cleverest moves was to put 16-17 suicide hijackers on some aircraft and avoid any blame for the consequences. 

So, if I were to have suggested, circa 2001, that the United States invade Saudi Arabia, the bike-riding vote in Britain would have been on board?

I think my hatred of the house of Saud is a matter of some record on this forum.

[CountDeMoney]

I think my hatred of the house of Saud is a matter of some record on this forum.

Fine.
But if you go after the house of Pancakes, we got problems.

[Ideologue]

'Cause all I ever remember from 2001-2005 is people looking at me like I was crazy when I suggested it, is all.

If they pull a Tianenmen, we can finally bomb them, right?

[dps]

'Cause all I ever remember from 2001-2005 is people looking at me like I was crazy when I suggested it, is all.

Well, the problem there is that a crazy person can still be right about somethings on occassion, but they're still crazy.

[Viking]

There's a post-Bay of Pigs presidential order to not assassinate any foreign head of government.  Other than that I've never heard of any no assassination order.  Last time I checked we were assassinating folks in Pakistan and Yemen by the car load.

meh, semantics.

[Siege]

Do the Saudis ever pull clever black ops? I can't recall ever hearing of any....

The 9/11