Panetta: US Bombs Not Strong To Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Facilities
In the series of US concern that an attack against Iran might lead to catastrophic consequences, US War Secretary Leon Panetta warned that "his country does not possess conventional armament powerful enough to destroy Iran's deeply hidden nuclear facilities."
In an interview with "Wall Street Journal", Panetta announced that "more development work would be done and that he expected the bomb to be ready to take on the deepest bunkers soon."
According to the US daily report, "Pentagon war planners have concluded that their largest conventional bomb isn't yet capable of destroying Iran's most heavily fortified underground facilities."
Reflecting that "the 30,000-pound "bunker-buster" bomb, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, were designed to take out hardened fortifications," the daily unveiled that "initial tests indicated that the bomb wouldn't be capable of destroying some of Iran's facilities."
The report further mentioned that both the depth of Iranian facilities and Tehran's addition to new fortifications to protect them are the cause of this lack.
"Doubts about the MOP's effectiveness prompted the Pentagon this month to secretly submit a request to Congress for funding to enhance the bomb's ability to penetrate deeper into rock, concrete and steel before exploding," US officials said.
In the same context, "Wall Street Journal" explained that "some experts question if any kind of conventional explosives are capable of reaching facilities such as those built deep underground in Iran."
Quoting a former senior US official who is an expert on Iran, the paper uncovered that "the Pentagon was particularly concerned about its ability to destroy bunkers built under mountains, such as Iran's Fordow site near the Shiite Muslim holy city of Qom."
The official said "some Pentagon war planners believe conventional bombs won't be effective against Fordow and that a tactical nuclear weapon may be the only military option if the goal is to destroy the facility."
"Once things go into the mountain, then really you have to have something that takes the mountain off," the official said.
According to US Air Force officials, "the 20.5 foot-long MOP carries over 5,300 pounds of explosive material."
It is designed to penetrate up to 200 feet underground before exploding. The mountain above the Iranian enrichment site at Fordow is estimated to be at least 200 feet tall
Source : Wall street Journal, Edited by moqawama.org
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