Posted on 11/18/2006 10:15:36 AM PST by PghBaldy
As the American President George W. Bush steps up threatening rhetoric against Iran to force it suspend its nuclear program, calling for worldwide isolation of Tehran until it “gives up its nuclear ambitions,” experts predict that the coming days would see a much violent step by Washington against the Islamic Republic.
What asserts the experts’ fears is the fact that on October 31, two nuclear-powered carriers, the USS Eisenhower and USS Enterprise, arrived in Bahrain, accompanied by their carrier strike groups. And on November 9th, the USS Iwo Jima, and the USS Boxer also arrived.
Is President Bush up to something? Asked Rense.com
On October 11, American officials announced that the U.S., Bahrain and other states will hold their first naval exercise in the Gulf to practice interdicting ships carrying weapons of mass destruction and missiles.
The exercises, organized under the U.S.-led 66-member Proliferation Security Initiative and the first to be based in the Gulf near Bahrain, across from Iran, came as Washington and the European Union member states are pushing for imposing sanctions including possible interdiction of ships on North Korea, following its announcement of carrying out nuclear test, and on Iran, which the U.S., backed by Israel and the EU, claims is preparing to produce nuclear weapons.
Iran considers Washington- sponsored war games in the Persian Gulf, off the Iranian coastline as a provocation aimed at creating a situation of direct confrontation between the U.S. and Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf, although a senior U.S. official insisted that the exercise is not aimed specifically at Iran.
About the exercises, which experts say reinforces a U.S. strategy aimed at strengthening America’s ties with the Gulf states, which Tehran and Washington are engaged in a fierce competition to win influence over, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity claimed:
"It’s an effort to bring a lot of Gulf states together to demonstrate resolve and readiness to act against proliferation."
"Reports say the U.S.-led naval exercises based near Bahrain will practise intercepting and searching ships carrying weapons of mass destruction and missiles.
Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted an unnamed foreign ministry official as describing the military manoeuvres as dangerous and suspicious. The Iranian foreign ministry official said the U.S.-led exercises were not in line with the security and stability of the region. Instead, they are aimed at fomenting crises, he said." (quoted in BBC, 23 October 2006)
But some analysts reject the idea that the U.S. plans for another war while its army is struggling in Iraq after the situation there worsened beyond the Bush administration and its war allies’ expectations.
The Proliferation Security Initiative is a global initiative, launched in 2003 under President George W. Bush with the aim of stopping shipments of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), includes a group of countries willing to share intelligence information to combat proliferation of WMD, including through military exercises.
North Korea has already announced having nuclear weapons capability, but Iran rejects the United States and other major powers’ accusations that its developing a nuclear weapons program, insisting its nuclear program is solely aimed at peaceful purposes, including power generation.
Also...Not to be a pain...
But the Iwo Jima and Boxer are not CV's in the conventional sense...
They do pack a punch in a different way though...
Marines tend to like 'em...
bttt
It would not be surprising if the Iraqi's followed through, in fact it would fit they way everything is going.
Did everyone miss the '03 invasion? The one where we ended up fishing the President of Iraq out of a little hole in the dirt? I don't know how a war could be won in a more convincing fashion. We are still there just as we are still in Japan and Germany but what we are doing is not war. Despite what the media tells us, the war is over and by the way, we won.
The better to bomb you with, silly!
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