"A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER" (Not the Tom Clancy novel)

Free Republic ^ | 11/12/2006 | gonzo

[gonzo]

The single thing that happenned that stuck in my mind for days, was the re-appearance of the Russian TU-95 Bear bombers.
The Soviet Union used to fly them over the North Pole (as TU-142's) almost daily, just to probe our Air Defence Systems, and, of course, our Air Force would always respond. We did the same with our B-52's for quite a while, too. After years of this, it became a game for both sides, but it still went on.

After the Fall of the Soviet Union, Russia quit flying those sorties, and mothballed their fleet sometime around 1990. It was expensive and pointless.

The TU-95, a variant-upgrade of the TU-142, is their most durable heavy-lifter for bombs, and compares favourably with our B-52. I'll post some links later here.

I'll also post what links I still have to some of stories mentioned here (I lost some while trying to save my bookmarks - wish I was better at this 'puter stuff).

Well, that's my opinion, and I'm stickin' to it! I hope President Bush is working on something like this.

The UN is a joke, and, like the 'League-of-Nations', should cease-to-exist! Flame away...

[Jewels1091]

very interesting theory!!

[gonzo]

Well, here it goes, Jim.

There's more: A Chinese sub apparently was able to sneak-up on the USS Kittyhawk today, within torpedo range, then surfaced and waved! Just heard on DRUDGE!

Any ping lists welcome - I don't have one..........FRegards

[arjay]

Do we actually KNOW a Chinese sub sneaked up on the KH, or is it possible that they did not, but we wanted them to think they did?

[gonzo]

FYI, and comments............FRegards

[Miss Marple]

Hmmm. I seem to remember something about some sonar technology that the Chinese got from Clinton. Very unsettling story about the sub, if true.

[Izzy Dunne]

I'm not buying the "sneaked up on" part of the China sub story.

[gonzo]

It's up on DRUDGE now - a newspaper, but no story yet. Stay well...........FRegards

[Matchett-PI]

bttt

What about this idea?:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1736972/posts?page=14#14

[gonzo]

Guess we'll have to read it later. Matt's doing his show now.........FRegards

[toomanygrasshoppers]

ping

[IronJack]

Boy, gonz, you've spent some serious midnight oil on this. Good observations, and certainly a credible theory. I'm not sure what to make of it ...

[gonzo]

Good catch, Jan. I forgot to add the ops in and around the Persian Gulf. That's why we're there!

Thanks for the link! That's one I wanted. Stay well, sweetie............FRegards

[JSteff]

"by invading Iran from Iraq"

That would require a single area of Iraq, with massive facilities, where we could be sure there were no Iran sympathizers.

How likely is that? The troop and material requirements would be enormous just to secure an area in Iraq that large.

Hard to believe we because neither have the resources there, nor the reserves here to undertake that sort of operation. Does anyone believe that all the troops and civilian contractors involved could keep quiet about that sort of effort?

This is let alone that fact we have not been able to secure the Iraq oil facilities.. except the off shore platforms (go Navy!).

[gonzo]

Thanks, John. Yer right - many late nights trying to snoop around without screwing-up, and I lose my bookmarks!

Just ... Damn! Stay safe and well, pal............FRegards

[photodawg]

Well, that's my opinion, and I'm stickin' to it! I hope President Bush is working on something like this.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Wishful thinking...it would effectively prevent armegeddon, but most likely will not occur. What will occur is disengagement in Iraq combined with a deal with Iran to control Iraq in return for Israeli right to exist if they return Golan Heights and west bank to Syria and Palestinian state. Threat will be that if this is violated we will use nukes to take out Iran nukes and Syria. Ballistic missile defense might be deployed in Russia, and possibly Saudi Arabia. Us troops might even be allowed to have bases and support in Sunni areas of Iraq. This will be done behind scenes through Baker et al.Iran will accept this because they will play us for fools until the beef up their nukes to be able to wage war and wipe out Israel and Europe. That will take years of development and coordination between nuke and missile programs. This fantasy, of course, is no more likely than gonzo's. God only knows what will happen.....be prepared for anything and Pray.

[gonzo]

Re - #14: 'Go Navy' is absolutely right! The first ops would be by air, but the Navy will be doing some heavy-hauling thereafter.

As far as boots and their stuff on-the-ground goes, the men and materials are already there, and it's about time that the Iraqi gummint took care of their own problems.

Thanks............FRegards

[GOP Jedi]

How does Bush do these things now without getting impeached? Is Israel on it's own RE Iran now?

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

There's more: A Chinese sub apparently was able to sneak-up on the USS Kittyhawk today, within torpedo range, then surfaced and waved! Just heard on DRUDGE!

Umm. Are we allowed to sink Chinese subs that shadow our ships? We are not at war with China so far as I know. I thought that our navy used to play chicken every now and then with the Soviets but I don't think we sank them.

[Peach]

I think that we know where all the Iraqi WMD's are buried in Syria, and that they're Chem and Bio weapons, that we'll burn later.

There's an almost perfect storm brewing.

And you're right about those WMD; nearly everyone tasked with finding Iraq's WMD believes they are in Syria.

Moshe Yaalon, who was Israel's top general, said Iraq transported WMD to Syria six weeks before Operation Iraqi Freedom began.

John A. Shaw, a former U.S. deputy undersecretary of defense for international technology security, said Russian Spetsnaz units moved WMD to Syria and Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

"While in Iraq I received information from several sources naming the exact Russian units, what they took and where they took both WMD materials and conventional explosives," Mr. Shaw told NewsMax reporter Charles Smith.

Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Michael DeLong was deputy commander of Central Command during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In September 2004, he told WABC radio that "I do know for a fact that some of those weapons went into Syria, Lebanon and Iran."

In January 2004, David Kay, the first head of the Iraq Survey Group which conducted the search for Saddam's WMD, told a British newspaper there was evidence unspecified materials had been moved to Syria from Iraq shortly before the war.

"We know from some of the interrogations of former Iraqi officials that a lot of material went to Syria before the war, including some components of Saddam's WMD program," Mr. Kay told the Sunday Telegraph.

Also that month, Nizar Nayuf, a Syrian journalist who defected to an undisclosed European country, told a Dutch newspaper he knew of three sites where Iraq's WMD was being kept. They were the town of al Baida near the city of Hama in northern Syria; the Syrian air force base near the village of Tal Snan, and the city of Sjinsar on the border with Lebanon.

In an addendum to his final report last April, Charles Duelfer, who succeeded David Kay as head of the Iraq Survey Group, said he couldn't rule out a transfer of WMD from Iraq to Syria.

"There was evidence of a discussion of possible WMD collaboration initiated by a Syrian security officer, and ISG received information about movement of material out of Iraq, including the possibility that WMD was involved. In the judgment of the working group, these reports were sufficiently credible to merit further investigation," Mr. Duelfer said.

In a briefing for reporters in October 2003, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper Jr., who was head of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency when the Iraq war began, said satellite imagery showed a heavy flow of traffic from Iraq into Syria just before the American invasion.

"I think the people below Saddam Hussein and his sons' level saw what was coming and decided the best thing to do was to destroy and disperse," Lt. Gen. Clapper said.