Firstly: They want to blow up nukes aimed at them over our heads? Now, overall this sounds like it won't happen. The patriot missle defense system, America's only real missle defense system has a range of about 100 nautical km. The upgraded ones that hit more then "sometimes" have an even shorter range. So that means they'd need multiple sites throughout europe to be even remotely sure of hitting any launches from Iran. Add to that the fact that we all know Iran is no real threat to the US. Anyone with half a brain realises that Iran won't attack the US, it's not going to happen, at least not with an ICBM. American politicians may be paranoid these days, but some of them are going to be smart enough to realise that the cost both in relations and money are not worth dotting patriot missle silo's every 100km up europe to bolster against something that's never going to happen.
Good paranoia inducement, though. Another step in making the American voters believe that Iran is a real threat to justify whatever hostile action the Bush administration wants to take for its own interests.
Exactly. The military need an enemy to justify their budget. If one's not handy, create one, blow any incident up out of all proportion. A terrorist attack becomes a plot to take over the nation, a threat to "National Security". The threats to national security, ie, preserving your democratic way of life, have all been created by post-9/11 government legislation; terrorists can only threaten an individual's security, they can't harm the nation's. If you think Iran could take over the USA and install it's own government, that would be a threat to national security. Hardly likely though?
Not really in the cold war the ussr (russians) could do something back, now they are attacking poor countries in the middle east. This is more a war for oil.
this is realy lame, why not just declare war on all poor middle east countries and invade, this will damage US position in the world even more, they cant go busting into your home country and say "we are going to put a anti nuclear system here that will blow nukes over your head", that is impossible.
Tbh, with as it is, I kind of agree in a way. They are only interceptors rather than agressive. But then we're back to the 60s with another arms race. EU gets missiles, Iran feels threatened... etc
Tbh patriots couldn't be used in an offensive way. They're SAM's, and not even good SAM's at that. The iranians possess better ones(russian made, quite decent). I think Nexxo is quite right, it's gotta be paranoia inducement mostly. There's not really any other reason for dotting them throughout Europe.
