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What are the four U.S. Carriers doing in the Gulf?
Al Jazeera ^ | November 18 | Staff

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.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bombirannow; iran; israel; persiangulf; wot
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To: PghBaldy

Ain't nothin' prettier!

In another lifetime I was a Navy Wife. We were assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk out of San Deigo. That ship is awesome, and I recommend anyone who ever has a chance to tour a carrier to jump at the chance. It's an amazing feat of engineering; a regular "floating city."

And it doesn't hurt that those Navy pilots are darn handsome, polite and sexy as h#ll! ;)


41 posted on 11/18/2006 10:45:31 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: PghBaldy
I'm just glad that someone over there is losing sleep wondering what the carriers are up to.
42 posted on 11/18/2006 10:48:00 AM PST by BallyBill (Serial Hit-N-Run poster)
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To: PghBaldy
What are the four U.S. Carriers doing in the Gulf?

Their job?

43 posted on 11/18/2006 10:48:19 AM PST by EGPWS (Lord help me be the conservative liberals fear I am.)
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To: FLOutdoorsman

11. KA-BOOM!

(Repeat step 11. as needed.) :)


44 posted on 11/18/2006 10:50:42 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: Rumplemeyer
LOL

Your post made me laugh! Laughter a good thing, Thank you.

45 posted on 11/18/2006 10:51:15 AM PST by BARLF
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To: usmcobra
Thanks. It's been a few years. I was on the old U.S.S. Boxer twice in the 1960's as part of a Marine Battalion Landing Team. The old Boxer, as you know, was converted from an aircraft carrier to an LPH. It would hold two marine rifle companies and a headquarters company. As a carrier, the Boxer was the first to launch a jet aircraft.
46 posted on 11/18/2006 10:52:25 AM PST by Brad from Tennessee (Anything a politician gives you he has first stolen from you)
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To: PghBaldy

uh, its al jazeera. what makes anybody think that what they are reporting is actually true? like the iranians claiming we have special forces in Tehran trying to overthrow their government?


47 posted on 11/18/2006 10:56:02 AM PST by bpjam (Don't Blame Me. I Voted GOP.)
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To: FLOutdoorsman
-- Increased delivery of Pizza to Pentagon

I'm redirecting 25% of my portfolio to Domino's Pizza!

48 posted on 11/18/2006 10:56:53 AM PST by EGPWS (Lord help me be the conservative liberals fear I am.)
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To: PghBaldy

Don't worry, they're redeploying to Okinawa.


49 posted on 11/18/2006 10:58:33 AM PST by GadareneDemoniac
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To: 7thOF7th

LOL


50 posted on 11/18/2006 11:00:01 AM PST by DoughtyOne (Victory will never be achieved while defining Conservatism downward, and forsaking it's heritage.)
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To: FLOutdoorsman

fake 'em out and order Chinese takeout!


51 posted on 11/18/2006 11:02:26 AM PST by rahbert
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To: namsman

Carrier Ping!


52 posted on 11/18/2006 11:02:50 AM PST by SW6906 (6 things you can't have too much of: sex, money, firewood, horsepower, guns and ammunition.)
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To: Logic n' Reason

its a chefs ultimate cook off to a captured audience!


53 posted on 11/18/2006 11:03:28 AM PST by himno hero
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To: PghBaldy
Not a problem. Just use a proxy server:

http://www.publicproxyservers.com/page1.html

If you use Mozilla (Firefox) as your browser just go to Preferences>Advanced>Proxies and check Manual Proxy Configuration. Enter your server of choice from the link above. That's for the Mac version. The Windows version should have something similar as should other browsers. To test it go here: http://internetfrog.com/index.asp?source=g

54 posted on 11/18/2006 11:06:22 AM PST by Jed Eckert
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To: FLOutdoorsman

So, what kind of pizza do they like most at the Pentagon? =)


55 posted on 11/18/2006 11:10:07 AM PST by Just Lori (Blessed are the peacemakers: ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, MARINES, COAST GUARD!!!!)
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To: Logic n' Reason
What are 4 carriers doing in the Gulf?

WEhen we want you to know--Will tell you

56 posted on 11/18/2006 11:14:59 AM PST by radar101 (LIBERALS = Hypocrisy and Fantasy)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
In another lifetime I was a Navy Wife. We were assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk out of San Deigo.

A funny story..

I worked with a woman who's husband had been Navy pilot.

Her first visit to his carrier she had to use the bathroom real bad.

Since there were no 'lady's restroom' the husband stood guard by the door while wife used the Men's room.

She had never been a Men's room before and on coming out asked her husband

"Who are those little showers along the wall for?"

57 posted on 11/18/2006 11:16:19 AM PST by Vinnie (You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Jihads You)
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To: PISANO

So ... do you TALK like THIS in your REAL LIFE? I'll bet you DON'T!!! So please don't DO it to US, OK?


58 posted on 11/18/2006 11:18:57 AM PST by r9etb
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To: SW6906

59 posted on 11/18/2006 11:22:59 AM PST by radar101 (LIBERALS = Hypocrisy and Fantasy)
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To: PghBaldy

I wonder how many Trident Subs are there?


60 posted on 11/18/2006 11:25:54 AM PST by TOneocon
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