Thanks for the comments, everyone.
Australia also contributes ground forces to the war in Afghanistan. Its special forces are more controversially deployed along with the US troops and British SAS in Pakistan.
So far an Indonesian-Australian war would take a bit more to it. It might require some butterflies surrounding the 2004 Tsunami, which was a really big setback to JAM and associated groups in Aceh that were previously causing the Indonesian government so much trouble.
The trick is that the US has to balance the need for retaliation with the need to keep a friendly government in Pakistan. As much as McCain will want to retaliate, he does still need to keep that country at bay at the very least, and preferably maintain the Peshawar supply route.
The way I see it, a ship is the easiest way to get a nuke in. There's way too much shipping to inspect all of it manually, you'd need some sort of radiation detector (which DC and NYC may have, if I recall correctly) to find the bomb there otherwise.
Of course AQ will want to find other delivery methods for their other bombs, since the US will have to radically change its shipping policies now.
The economics of this are actually the big unknown here, what is a loose nuke situation going to do to globalization, or trade in general...
This is close to the mark. You've got a place and a few of the actions that will follow down correctly.
Well, I won't be specific but the threat is still out there and the country that will take the biggest hit won't be the US. Sneaking a 500kt nuke around in the aftermath of all this will be tricky, so it'll be best to go after a country with less capability to defend itself...
What is Australia's involvement in the war other than helping the Philippines?
Australia also contributes ground forces to the war in Afghanistan. Its special forces are more controversially deployed along with the US troops and British SAS in Pakistan.
So far an Indonesian-Australian war would take a bit more to it. It might require some butterflies surrounding the 2004 Tsunami, which was a really big setback to JAM and associated groups in Aceh that were previously causing the Indonesian government so much trouble.
Well Pakistan, it was nice knowing you. After this their best case scenario is going to be a complete loss of independance and extended de-facto colonial rule by the US under a UN mandate.
I think we all know what the worst case scenario is.
The trick is that the US has to balance the need for retaliation with the need to keep a friendly government in Pakistan. As much as McCain will want to retaliate, he does still need to keep that country at bay at the very least, and preferably maintain the Peshawar supply route.
True. Also, since security in NY & DC would no doubt be on the lookout to prevent just such an event, al Qaeda might think it would be easier to sneak their little toy into a different city.
The way I see it, a ship is the easiest way to get a nuke in. There's way too much shipping to inspect all of it manually, you'd need some sort of radiation detector (which DC and NYC may have, if I recall correctly) to find the bomb there otherwise.
Of course AQ will want to find other delivery methods for their other bombs, since the US will have to radically change its shipping policies now.
The economics of this are actually the big unknown here, what is a loose nuke situation going to do to globalization, or trade in general...
Iran, right? There's no way in hades the west will let them get the bomb after this, and McCain will never accept any of their assurences that they aren't trying to build it. I see a declaration of war, a draft and a full on bloodbath in their near future as NATO tries to take the country. Perhaps with Russian help.
This is close to the mark. You've got a place and a few of the actions that will follow down correctly.
And more American (or Brit? Or AUSSIE?? Oh damn) cities going up. Guaranteed.
Well, I won't be specific but the threat is still out there and the country that will take the biggest hit won't be the US. Sneaking a 500kt nuke around in the aftermath of all this will be tricky, so it'll be best to go after a country with less capability to defend itself...