From the Wall Street Journal
Back when the Bush Administration was warning about Iran’s nuclear progress, or its deadly meddling in Iraq, the typical Democratic and media response was to treat the Islamic Republic as innocent until proven guilty. This month, Democrat Robert Morgenthau supplied the proof.
In testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was largely ignored by the media, the legendary Manhattan District Attorney opened a window on how Iran is secretly obtaining the ingredients for an arsenal of mass destruction. Mr. Morgenthau, whose recent cases have exposed illicit Iranian finance and procurement networks, has discovered what he calls “Iran’s shopping list for materials related to weapons of mass destruction.” They add up to “literally thousands of records.”
And then there is this:
Deployment of the Sajjil-2 will eventually eliminate those problems. Solid-fuel is far less volatile and can be stored in the missile airframe for longer periods of time. Elimination of fuel trucks and other support vehicles reduces the operational signature, making it easier for the missile crew to remain undetected. And, most importantly, a solid-fueled system has a much shorter response time, making it ideally-suited for a surprise attack.
Consider this possibility: A fully-fueled (and armed) Sajjil-2 emerges from its underground bunker near Bakhtaran, some 200 miles southwest of Tehran. Moving to a pre-surveyed launch site, the missile crew quickly raises the Sajjil-2 to firing position, and launches the missile. Within seconds, Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites detect the sold-fueled missile, which is already in flight. A warning is instantly transmitted to Israeli leaders–and their missile defense forces–but the reaction time is already measured in seconds, rather than minutes.
