Blogroll Me! How This Old Brit Sees It ...: US Set Attack To Iran Sooner Instead Of Later?

02 October 2006

US Set Attack To Iran Sooner Instead Of Later?



Our gratitude goes out ( for perhaps the gazillionth time), to regular reader and remarkable researcher Griffon, for a great 'Global Research' report heads-up.

Here's the header:


The March to War: Naval build-up in the Persian Gulf and the
Eastern Mediterranean.


by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya

October 1, 2006

Here's a clip & paste from said piece.

The types of military units and weapons systems being deployed in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea by the United States are considered to be best suited for combat against Iran, also with a view to keeping the Straits of Hormuz open for oil tankers. This also includes forces that would be able to secure bridgeheads on the Iranian coastline. These U.S. forces consist of early warning units, recognizance, amphibious elements, maritime search and rescue units, minesweepers, and rapid deployment units.

U.S. Strike Groups: Cargo intended for War?

The U.S.S. Enterprise a U.S. Navy flagship is under deployment to the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. This includes all the warships and vessels that compose Carrier Strike Group 12 (CSG 12) Destroyer Squadron 2 (DESRON 2), and Carrier Air Wing 1 (CVW 1). The stated objective for the deployment of the U.S.S. Enterprise, a nuclear powered aircraft carrier, and other U.S. Navy vessels is to conduct naval security operations and aerial missions in the region. The deployment does not mention Iran, it is said to be part of the U.S.-led “War on Terror” under “Operation Enduring Freedom.”

{Snip} ... to some more of the same sort of scary stuff:

While this deployment is said to be related to ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the warships are carrying with them equipment which is not intended for these two war theaters. Minesweepers and mine-hunters have absolutely no use in landlocked Afghanistan and are not needed in Iraq which has a maritime corridor and ports totally controlled by the Anglo-American alliance.

Other warships in the Enterprise Strike Group include the destroyer U.S.S. McFaul, the war frigate U.S.S. Nicholas, the battle cruiser U.S.S. Leyte Gulf, the attack submarine U.S.S. Alexandria, and the “fast combat support ship” U.S.N.S. Supply. The U.S.N.S. Supply will be a useful vessel in confronting the Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf in close-quarter combat. Speed will be an important factor in responding to potentially lethal Iranian missile and anti-ship missile attacks.

The U.S.S. Enterprise carries with it a host of infiltration, aerial attack, and rapid deployment units. This includes Marine Strike Fighter Squadron 251, Electronic Attack Squadron 137, and Airborne Early Warning Squadron 123. Squadron 123 will be vital in the event of a war with Iran in detecting Iranian missiles and sending warnings of danger to the U.S. fleet. Special mention should be made of the helicopter squadron specialized for combating submarines traveling with the strike group. “Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 11” will be on board the U.S.S. Enterprise. The Persian Gulf is known to be the home of the Iranian submarine fleet, the only indigenous submarine fleet in the region.

The Eisenhower Strike Group, based in Norfolk, Virginia, has also received orders to deploy to the Middle East. The strike group is led by the
U.S.S. Eisenhower, another nuclear battleship. It includes a cruiser, a destroyer, a war frigate, a submarine escort, and U.S. Navy supply ships. One of these two naval strike groups will position itself in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea while the other naval strike group will position itself in the Persian Gulf, both off the Iranian coast.

Catching our drift?

Appetite whetted?

Interest aroused?

Then what are you waiting for?

Read this remarkable report in it's entirety -- right here.

*

14 Comments:

Blogger Gert said...

There isn't a great deal to be gained by the US in attacking (in whatever form) Iran. For a fully fledged ground war there is no appetite (and probably not enough deployable cannon fodder anyway). And surgical strikes against nuclear facilities would only postpone Iran's nuclear ambitions (whatever the exact nature of their ambitions actually is) by a few more years: know-how is worth far more than infrastructure because the latter can always be repaired or rebuilt.

In my analysis, the US will not seek war with Iran any time soon.

5:11 pm  
Blogger markfromireland said...

There wasn't a great deal to be gained from attacking iraq either.

There wasn't a great deal to be gained for the Israelis from attacking and invading Lebanon ....

I'd love to agree with you gert unfortunately I'm a firm believer that Barbara Tuchman was right.

7:13 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good find Griffon, and a good topic to highlight Richard.

And what about this regarding an Iran attack, from Information Clearing House?

8:21 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gert,
I disagree also. Here are three things to consider:-

Pat Lang's excellent commentary on Colin Powell and the Great Man Syndrome. I have observed this process over many years and I haven't come across one exception, in my view (I include myself in this. This deluded thinking is universal).

The US strategy, repeated many times by the CIA and the Marines, is to control and dominate. That's Plan A. If they can't have their way, Plan B is to destroy. It's the straight out "Bully" attitude and MO. Ever tried reasoning with a bully who's used to having their way?

And lastly, have you ever tried to reason with an addict?

Reason hasn't come into it in the past and never will with these people and I include the leadership of Israel in this.

11:12 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You all should read all this story too ~ regarding Iran and it's Ethylene.

Here is an excerpt.

*Demand for ethylene -- mainly produced by cracking crude oil derivative naphtha -- is accelerating around the world, particularly in Asia, Hagbani said.

"If there is are more doors open for petrochemical investment, Gulf production will reach 40 percent of the world's total in 10 years," he said.

In May, Qatar, the home to the world's third largest reserves of natural gas after Russia and Iran, started work on an $800 million ethylene cracker. Officials said it would be the world's largest. *

11:25 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Is If and when Bush 'Iraqs' Iran

By ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE
UPI Editor at Large
the article you were referring to, Rex?

I'd make one point from it - The Whitehouse and Israel could care less about a global recession or strangled oil supplies.They just need enough to run their militaries and supplies for the duration of the war. Israel has the back up of the BTC pipeline from the Caspian through Turkey.
It's probably part of the reason for the recent friction between Russia and Georgia as the pipeline goes through Georgia.
Come to think of it this may account for the hurried and shoddy laying of that pipeline.
Hmmmm!

11:48 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This article from Asia Times sums up the Russian/Chinese long term strategy regarding western govts and corporations and how time is running out for the US to secure dominance over the oil and gas resources of the world. It's psychological advantage is fast deflating.

Russia has the worlds largest gas reserves followed by Iran. Both are way bigger than their oil reserves. Control of Iran's oil and gas reserves are crucial to the US (and Israel) to maintain and extend their dominant position in the world.
I can't see Russia and China standing back and just watching the US bomb Iran into submission.
I would think the US strategy would be to stop oil and gas exports from Iran and lay seige to the whole country and when it is sufficiently weakened to occupy the oilfields. Iran is surrounded by US bases and unfriendly countries (or should I say unfriendly governments).
This may well be why the US and British are keen to seemingly placate the Taliban to ensure that China doesn't supply Iran through Afghanistan.The US may well be offering carrots (that will never materialise) to the Taliban in the form of shared governance and eventually self governance if they play ball and don't help the Iranians and cease attacking the US and Nato troops.
If this is the case then I would be astonished if the Taliban agreed to it after all the duplicity the Afghans have suffered from the US.

Of course, I hope this is all pie-in-the-sky and I am totally wrong.

12:06 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This article from Asia Times sums up the Russian/Chinese long term strategy regarding western govts and corporations and how time is running out for the US to secure dominance over the oil and gas resources of the world. It's psychological advantage is fast deflating.

Russia has the worlds largest gas reserves followed by Iran. Both are way bigger than their oil reserves. Control of Iran's oil and gas reserves are crucial to the US (and Israel) to maintain and extend their dominant position in the world.
I can't see Russia and China standing back and just watching the US bomb Iran into submission.
I would think the US strategy would be to stop oil and gas exports from Iran and lay seige to the whole country and when it is sufficiently weakened to occupy the oilfields. Iran is surrounded by US bases and unfriendly countries (or should I say unfriendly governments).
This may well be why the US and British are keen to seemingly placate the Taliban to ensure that China doesn't supply Iran through Afghanistan.The US may well be offering carrots (that will never materialise) to the Taliban in the form of shared governance and eventually self governance if they play ball and don't help the Iranians and cease attacking the US and Nato troops.
If this is the case then I would be astonished if the Taliban agreed to it after all the duplicity the Afghans have suffered from the US.

Of course, I hope this is all pie-in-the-sky and I am totally wrong.

12:06 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, and Richard, I think a Gazillion is overstating it a bit. Even a Brazillion is too many!

12:08 pm  
Blogger Gert said...

Mark

If it hadn't been for the blowback, Iraq would have been a net positive for the neocons: removal of a dictator, reinstatement of Iraq as a loyal (pre-Kuwait) ally, a nice little client state with some solid airbases (always useful, certainly in the Iran context).

The Israelis miscalculated: Hezbollah couldn't be destroyed as they had anticipated but that was the objective; the destruction of Hezbollah. If achieved that would have been very useful for Israel: who wants a strong, hostile private army in their backyard?

2:16 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

From Billmon-

"Colonel Gardiner, who has taught military strategy at the National War College, says that the carrier deployment and a scheduled Persian Gulf arrival date of October 21 is "very important evidence" of war planning. He says, "I know that some naval forces have already received 'prepare to deploy orders' [PTDOs], which have set the date for being ready to go as October 1. Given that it would take about from October 2 to October 21 to get those forces to the Gulf region, that looks about like the date" of any possible military action against Iran.

The Nation


October 21/22 is the next new moon. Stealth Bombers prefer to operate on moonless nights to prevent visual detection..

I wonder what odds Ladbrokes are giving on this?

6:37 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry Richard. I knew I'd read about this somewhere - it was here!

1:01 am  
Blogger Richard said...

Some great stuff here, everyone. Thanks.

And Doug, no prob, pal. I replied at Tapa.

8:53 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

JrJmJn The best blog you have!

11:20 am  

Post a Comment

<< Home