War with Iran

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Barry's speech came after the Bush white house first announced a possible shift in troops to Afghanistan, as I posted in the Iraq thread:

Bush admin looking to pull troops from Iraq, likely redeploy to Afghanistan.

[ice grillin you]

barry was saying this before we ever went into iraq as were most level headed americans

[Seabiscuit36]

http://www.metimes.com/International/2008/08/11/special_report_kuwait_readying_for_war_in_gulf/7724/

SPECIAL REPORT: Kuwait Readying for War in Gulf?
By CLAUDE SALHANI (Editor, Middle East Times)Published: August 11, 2008
Leading the U.S. and British naval battle groups, and a French hunter-killer submarine, headed for the Gulf is the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (shown here) with its 80-plus combat planes. (Photo by CVN 71 via Newscom).
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The small oil-rich emirate of Kuwait – situated between Iraq, Iran and an un-enviable geographic hard place on the northern end of the Persian Gulf – has reportedly activated its "Emergency War Plan" as a massive U.S. and European armada is reported heading for the region.

Coming on the heels of Operation Brimstone just a week ago that saw U.S., British and French naval forces participate in war games in the Atlantic Ocean, the object of which was to practice enforcing an eventual blockade on Iran, the joint task force is now headed for the Gulf and what could easily turn into a major confrontation with Iran.


The naval force comprises a U.S. Navy super carrier battle group and is accompanied by an expeditionary carrier battle group, a British Royal Navy carrier battle group and a French nuclear hunter-killer submarine.

Leading the pack is the nuclear-powered carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt and its Carrier Strike Group Two; besides its 80-plus combat planes the Roosevelt normally transports, it is carrying an additional load of French Naval Rafale fighter jets from the French carrier Charles de Gaulle, currently in dry dock.


Also reported heading toward Iran is another nuclear-powered carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan and its Carrier Strike Group Seven; the USS Iwo Jima, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and a number of French warships, including the nuclear hunter-killer submarine Amethyste.


Once the naval force arrives in the Gulf region it will be joining two other U.S. naval battle groups already on site: the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Peleliu; the Lincoln with its carrier strike group and the latter with an expeditionary strike group.


Telephone calls to the Pentagon were not returned by publication time.


This deployment is the largest naval task force from the United States and allied countries to assemble in the strategic waters of the Persian Gulf since the two Gulf wars.


The object of the naval deployment would be to enforce an eventual blockade on Iran, if as expected by many observers, current negotiations with the Islamic republic over its insistence to pursue enrichment of uranium, allowing it, eventually, to produce nuclear weapons yields no results.


Adding to the volatility is the presence of a major Russian navy deployment affected earlier this year to the eastern Mediterranean comprising the jewel of the Russian fleet, the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov with approximately 50 Su-33 warplanes that have the capacity for mid-air refueling. This means the Russian warplanes could reach the Gulf from the Mediterranean, a distance of some 850 miles and would be forced to fly over Syria (not a problem) but Iraq as well, where the skies are controlled by the U.S. military, and the guided missile heavy cruiser Moskva. The Russian task force is believed to be composed of no less than a dozen warships as well as several submarines.


However, Russia is unlikely to get involved in a military showdown in the Persian Gulf, particularly at this time when it is engaged in a major confrontation with the Republic of Georgia in South Ossetia.


For Iran however, a naval blockade preventing it from importing refined oil would have devastating effects on its economy, virtually crippling the Islamic republic's infrastructure. Although Iran is a major oil producer and exporter, the country lacks refining facilities having to re-import its own oil once refined.


Iran's oil – both the exported crude as well as the returning refined product – passes through the strategic Straits of Hormuz, controlled by Iran on one side and the Sultanate of Oman – a U.S. ally – on the other. The strait is about 30 miles wide at its narrowest point, making it easy to control, but at the same time placing Western naval vessels within easy reach of Iran's Revolutionary Guards fast moving light crafts that could be used by Iranian suicide bombers.


Although Kuwait is on the opposite end of the entrance to the Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz, Kuwait City is less than 60 miles from Iran – and with good reason to worry.


"Kuwait was caught by surprise last time, when Iraqi troops invaded the small emirate and routed the Kuwaiti army in just a few hours," a former U.S. diplomat to Kuwait told the Middle East Times.

[Butchers Bill]

Isreal has 3 days to take out Iranian nuke plant

Get yo popcorn ready! 

j/k

I seriously doubt they hit it at this point. 

[ice grillin you]

shtein might get interesting....

Israel is monitoring two Iranian warships about to pass through the Suez Canal for Syria and warn they might act.

The Israeli Navy will be tracking the two warships as they cross the Suez Canal for the Mediterranean Sea, according to defense officials.

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement that it had alerted "friendly nations" about the warships, Reuters reports.

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says that "Israel cannot ignore these provocations," according to ynetnews.com.

"Unfortunately, the international community is not ready to deal with Iran's repeated provocations," Lieberman said, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Lieberman added that the warships were "a provocation that proves Iran's nerve and self-esteem is growing from day to day."

The Egyptian body that runs the Suez Canal denied the claim.

Ahmed el-Manakhli, head of the canal operations room, said warships must get permission 48 hours before crossing, and "so far, we have not been notified."

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an e-mailed statement that "Israel is closely following the movements of the Iranian ships and has updated friendly states on the issue. Israel will continue to follow the ships movements."

Meanwhile, Iran has announced plans to deploy warships near Israel and dock at a Syrian port for a year, IsraelNationalNews.com reports.

A senior Israeli official tells the site that "Israel will know how to deal with it."

Intelligence officials believe that the Iranian warships might be involved in supplying radical Islamic groups in Yemen with weapons, according to UPI.com.

[phillymic2000]

shtein might get interesting....

Israel is monitoring two Iranian warships about to pass through the Suez Canal for Syria and warn they might act.

The Israeli Navy will be tracking the two warships as they cross the Suez Canal for the Mediterranean Sea, according to defense officials.

Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement that it had alerted "friendly nations" about the warships, Reuters reports.

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says that "Israel cannot ignore these provocations," according to ynetnews.com.

"Unfortunately, the international community is not ready to deal with Iran's repeated provocations," Lieberman said, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Lieberman added that the warships were "a provocation that proves Iran's nerve and self-esteem is growing from day to day."

The Egyptian body that runs the Suez Canal denied the claim.

Ahmed el-Manakhli, head of the canal operations room, said warships must get permission 48 hours before crossing, and "so far, we have not been notified."

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an e-mailed statement that "Israel is closely following the movements of the Iranian ships and has updated friendly states on the issue. Israel will continue to follow the ships movements."

Meanwhile, Iran has announced plans to deploy warships near Israel and dock at a Syrian port for a year, IsraelNationalNews.com reports.

A senior Israeli official tells the site that "Israel will know how to deal with it."

Intelligence officials believe that the Iranian warships might be involved in supplying radical Islamic groups in Yemen with weapons, according to UPI.com.

Iran has already scrapped the idea, but that would have been very interesting.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41637805/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

ISMAILIA, Egypt — The Suez Canal has been told that plans by two Iranian naval ships to cross the waterway were canceled, an official said on Thursday, removing a potential policy headache for Egypt's new army rulers.

[phillymic2000]

then a gain, maybe not

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41666399/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

CAIRO — Egypt has agreed to let two Iranian naval vessels transit the Suez Canal, a move that comes despite expressions of concern by Israeli officials, the Egyptian-government's MENA news agency reported Friday.

[Rome]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/irans-navy-chief-says-it-would-be-easy-to-close-strait-of-hormuz-strategic-passage-for-oil/2011/12/28/gIQA3fg6LP_story.html

This shtein is going to end ugly for Iran.  I can only hope it doesn't end up being the spark that ignites WWIII.

[Rome]

the Mayan calendar ends in what, 2012?  I can only hope the Eagles win a championship before then.

Haha...

[ice grillin you]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/irans-navy-chief-says-it-would-be-easy-to-close-strait-of-hormuz-strategic-passage-for-oil/2011/12/28/gIQA3fg6LP_story.html

This shtein is going to end ugly for Iran.  I can only hope it doesn't end up being the spark that ignites WWIII.

ok now im begging you....please stop believing everything you read

[Rome]

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-11/iran-nuclear-scientist-killed-in-blast-in-tehran-fars-says.html

[SD]

Iran backs off threats:
http://news.yahoo.com/iran-says-u-presence-gulf-not-issue-092321057.html

[Munson]

Obama just signed an executive order blocking all assets of the Iranian government, including their central bank, held in the US.

Not good.

[Rome]

He really has no choice, Munson.  They're like Germany circa 1933.  If we don't act they will and if they strike Israel it's all out war in the Middle East.

[Rome]

http://news.yahoo.com/iran-hit-35-us-bases-minutes-151115760--abc-news-topstories.html

More threats of all-out war by the knuckleheads in Tehran.

The longer we wait the worse this is going to get.  We should have taken them out 30 years ago.