In other news, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is singing in the imperial shower, ". . .someone left the cake out in the rain. . .I don't think that I can take it. . ."
Posted on 12/30/2006 6:12:01 AM PST by nuconvert
Gulf states to counter Iran with largest exercise ever
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, December 29, 2006
ABU DHABI — The U.S. is advising the Gulf states in preparation for their largest ever military exercise to answer Iran's growing strategic clout in the region.
Gulf Cooperation Council sources said the six Gulf Arab members would conduct an exercise by the regional Peninsula Shield force over the next two months. They said the exercise, hosted by Oman, would contain air, ground and naval components in the Gulf region. All six GCC states have agreed to participate in the exercise, GCC sources said. They said the exercise, planned in coordination with the United States, was approved by GCC leaders in their summit in Riyad on Dec. 10.
GCC member states have been increasingly concerned by Iran's emerging nuclear capability and the success of Hizbullah in its war with Israel.
"The exercise is designed to begin a serious effort at interoperability and regional defense," a GCC source said. "We have been planning this exercise carefully with our allies."
The source said Britain and the United States have been advising Peninsula Shield on the forthcoming exercise. The six GCC militaries employ mostly U.S. and British weapons platforms and also receive training from London and Washington.
The exercise would take place in either late January or early February 2007, the Kuwaiti daily Al Rai Al Aam reported on Thursday. The newspaper said the exercise would be the largest since Peninsula Shield was formed in 1984.
"The exercise would test the command capability of Peninsula Shield as well as establish requirements to develop regional defense," the source said.
Al Rai Al Aam said the GCC was mulling a recommendation to increase Peninsula Shield to 100,000 troops by 2025. Last year, GCC leaders suspended Peninsula Shield and combat troops were withdrawn from headquarters in the Saudi town of Khafer Baaten.
Another GCC recommendation was the inclusion of Yemen in regional defense. Yemen, the poorest country in the region, has long sought to enter the GCC.
"The exercise would take place in either late January or early February 2007..."
Ahmadinejad said there would be a big announcement from Iran in Feb.
Coincidence?
pong
I wonder what US ships are going to be involved?
Massive Deployment of Naval Power directed against Iran:
Eisenhower Strike Group arrives in the "Arabian Gulf" US Military Changes the Name of the Persian Gulf to the "Arabian Gulf"
by Michel Chossudovsky; Global Research, November 3, 2006
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=20061103&articleId=3696
There's been an ongoing build-up in the area for a couple months. Don't know which ships are still there and which have been relieved.
The Navy has referred to the Persian Gulf as the 'Arabian Gulf' for years that I know of. They've received a lot of feedback informing them that there is no 'Arabian Gulf', except in the minds of Arabs.
Actually, I thought they were going to correct it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Gulf
http://arabian-gulf.info/
Per the article "Geopolitics enters into the choice of words: in these dispatches, which are indicative of the US military agenda, the US Navy refers to the "Arabian Gulf" rather than the Persian Gulf. This shift in names is an integral part of the war agenda."
Actually, I was answering flynmudd's Q about USN deployment.
In November they had some joint exercises. Maybe this is round two? My son won't tell me anything. I have to surf the net to even find out where he is. Received an e-mail from the Commander that people shouldn't post on the internet where they are or where they are going. DUH! We sure have some dumb people in this country.
Me too. Thank you. He's definitely seeing the world.
"This shift in names is an integral part of the war agenda"
Here's an article (U.S. Navy press release) from 1999....As I said, the Navy has been referring to the Persian Gulf as the 'Arabian Gulf ' for yrs. It's not a "recent shift in names"
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pnav/is_199903/ai_3309208061
In other news, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is singing in the imperial shower, ". . .someone left the cake out in the rain. . .I don't think that I can take it. . ."
My disagreement is really with Global Research's Michel Chossudovsky for saying that the Navy had recently changed the Gulf's name. Official Navy maps I've seen have been labelling it the Arabian Gulf for quite some time.
I've been researching when the Navy began doing this, and so far, press releases going back to Sept. 1993 are showing it.
Yes, I'll be writing to Global Research about it.
;~ )
Yup!!!!!!
Very appropriate.
Ping.
It's doubtful this is news to you, but thought I'd ping you to this article.
And Happy New Year to you!
The Gulf You Are Looking For Does Not Exist. Try Persian Gulf.
The gulf you are looking for is unavailable. No body of water by that name has ever existed. The correct name is Persian Gulf, which always has been, and will always remain, Persian.
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