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Showdown Looms in Persian Gulf as US Sends 2nd Aircraft Carrier
Arutz Sheva - IsraelNationalNews ^
| 1/16/7
| Gil Zohar
Posted on 01/16/2007 1:13:35 PM PST by SmithL
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Is the United States gearing up for an attack on Iran? |
The deployment of a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf has analysts speculating that President Bush means to stop Tehran's nuclear ambitions by force if necessary.
The USS John C. Stennis was scheduled to sail Tuesday from its homeport of Bremerton, Washington. When the second carrrier arrives in the Middle East next month, this will be the first time since the U.S.-led Iraq invasion in 2003 that the United States will have two carrier battle groups in the region, according to a U.S. Navy official.
The increase in U.S. forces is a show of strength by Washington in the face of Iran's growing regional assertiveness and a perception among U.S. adversaries that the United States is vulnerable in Iraq, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday.
The Stennis is a Nimitz-class carrier, with approximately 3,200 sailors. It will stop off in San Diego to pick an air wing of more than 80 planes, including F/A-18 Hornet and Superhornet fighter-bombers.
After a monthlong voyage across the Pacific and Indian oceans, the Stennis will join the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is already tasked to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, based in the Gulf sheikhdom of Bahrain, said Cmdr. Kevin Aandahl of the Fifth Fleet.
Once in Middle East waters, the second aircraft carrier will significantly boost U.S. air power in the region and serve as a reminder of U.S. firepower to Iran.
"This demonstrates our resolve to do what we can to bring security and stability to the region," Aandahl said. "That's obviously to dissuade others from acting counter to our national interest."
Washington will maintain two carriers in the Middle East "as long as the situation demands it," Aandahl said. A typical carrier deployment lasts six months.
In a related matter, the U.S. recently deployed a Patriot air defense missile battalion in the Middle East.
As well, at least 16 US F-16 fighter aircraft arrived January 12 in Turkey's strategic Incirlink air base for the first time in three years. According to local Cihan News Agency, the F-16s were accompanied by an early warning system AWACS airplane and tanker airplanes from an American base in Germany. An official at the US embassy in Ankara said the planes had arrived for joint exercises with the Turkish military.
On Thursday, US forces in Iraq detained five suspected members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards operating out of the northern Iraq town of Irbil in Kurdistan.
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TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iran; persiangulf; ussjohncstennis
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To: SmithL
To: BMC1
Can't we get the cows to fart more? The greenies say that's half the problem. Let's make like Kramer and feed 'em "Beeferino"............
22
posted on
01/16/2007 1:29:58 PM PST
by
taxed2death
(A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)
To: MediaMole
Yeah, this is all part of the negotiations at this point. We're making a statement, along with the Israeli leak of their nuclear attack plans, that we're not going to accept Iran with nuclear weapons. There will only be shooting in the next six months if Iran starts it. We could see an attack on Iran in the second half of this year if diplomatic negotiations do not succeed.
23
posted on
01/16/2007 1:30:49 PM PST
by
defenderSD
(Listens to Dvorak on headphones but tells the kids it's U2.)
To: stylin19a
To: SmithL
Better now than after they get their nukes together.
25
posted on
01/16/2007 1:33:54 PM PST
by
3AngelaD
(ic.)
To: coon2000
"W knows he is running out of time to act and so he will."
Might as well, he's screwed either way, and who knows, maybe we'll get lucky.
To: stylin19a
Israeli jets won't fly off our carriers. They're not equipped for that and the pilots haven't been trained in carrier landings. But we could assist Israeli air operations by refueling their jets in mid-air.
27
posted on
01/16/2007 1:34:29 PM PST
by
defenderSD
(Listens to Dvorak on headphones but tells the kids it's U2.)
To: BMC1
Yeah, I had to scrape global warming off my windshield 3 times last week! And I live in Florida!.,.........
28
posted on
01/16/2007 1:34:57 PM PST
by
Red Badger
(New! HeadOn Hemorrhoid Medication for Liberals!.........Apply directly to forehead.........)
To: Ieatfrijoles
I am sure that will work with the terrorists, up to the point where their dull blade saws off your head as you scream in agony.
29
posted on
01/16/2007 1:35:57 PM PST
by
jrooney
( Hold your cards close.)
To: defenderSD
Israeli jets won't fly off our carriers. How about Israeli marked US jets piloted by Israelis?..........
30
posted on
01/16/2007 1:36:09 PM PST
by
Red Badger
(New! HeadOn Hemorrhoid Medication for Liberals!.........Apply directly to forehead.........)
To: Red Badger
Florida huh...you must be a transplanted Wisconsinite.
31
posted on
01/16/2007 1:36:13 PM PST
by
defenderSD
(Listens to Dvorak on headphones but tells the kids it's U2.)
To: SmithL
Maybe we may attack or play back up to certain country start I you know who Israel
32
posted on
01/16/2007 1:36:45 PM PST
by
SevenofNine
("Step aside Jefe"=Det Lennie Briscoe)
To: RightWhale
With the Bush administration's decision to dispatch a second aircraft carrier group to the waters off the Iranian coastFrom http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0701/S00092.htm.
Looks like the entire carrier group is off the coast.
33
posted on
01/16/2007 1:37:16 PM PST
by
Ben Mugged
(Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.)
To: Red Badger
I doubt they can train to land and take off on a carrier that fast. So only if there's some program in place that keeps them trained.
34
posted on
01/16/2007 1:37:23 PM PST
by
Tolsti
To: Red Badger
Not likely...it takes a lot of training to learn carrier landings and it's very unsafe to have any pilots landing on a carrier who aren't fully trained and confident in landings.
35
posted on
01/16/2007 1:37:54 PM PST
by
defenderSD
(Listens to Dvorak on headphones but tells the kids it's U2.)
To: defenderSD
Nope! Southern born and bred........Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida...............
36
posted on
01/16/2007 1:37:58 PM PST
by
Red Badger
(New! HeadOn Hemorrhoid Medication for Liberals!.........Apply directly to forehead.........)
To: Tolsti
Who said anything about landing?........
37
posted on
01/16/2007 1:38:36 PM PST
by
Red Badger
(New! HeadOn Hemorrhoid Medication for Liberals!.........Apply directly to forehead.........)
To: SmithL
38
posted on
01/16/2007 1:38:46 PM PST
by
Gritty
(There is no escape from the war Iran is waging against us, intensifying every passing hour-M Ledeen)
To: defenderSD
They don't have to land on the carriers........
39
posted on
01/16/2007 1:39:22 PM PST
by
Red Badger
(New! HeadOn Hemorrhoid Medication for Liberals!.........Apply directly to forehead.........)
To: jrooney
But it'll go a long way in proving that I'm a better man than they are.
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