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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
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
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1
posted on
01/16/2007 1:13:38 PM PST
by
SmithL
To: SmithL
2
posted on
01/16/2007 1:16:27 PM PST
by
unkus
To: SmithL
Oil prices are too low. We gotts make 'em spike again some how. This mild winter is killing the quarterly profits.
3
posted on
01/16/2007 1:17:35 PM PST
by
taxed2death
(A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)
To: unkus
Maybe we are going in as the supporting role for another? (ie: Israel)
To: SmithL
I hope Imajihad is stupid enough to attack an American carrier in the Persian Gulf. We will give him the opportunity to test those recently purchased Russian anti-aircraft systems.
5
posted on
01/16/2007 1:18:27 PM PST
by
Ben Mugged
(Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.)
To: taxed2death
What mild winter? I guess all that ice and snow is global warming.
6
posted on
01/16/2007 1:19:03 PM PST
by
BMC1
(11/7/06 THE DAY WE LOST THE WAR. TERRORISTS AND THE TERRORIST LOVING DEMONCRATS ARE NOW IN CONTROL.)
To: SmithL
WOW!! That is a whole bunch of whoop a$$. Make ya go hmmmm?
7
posted on
01/16/2007 1:19:06 PM PST
by
WorkerbeeCitizen
(Religion of peace my arse - We need a maintenance Crusade - piss on Islam)
To: Mo1; SmithL
8
posted on
01/16/2007 1:20:00 PM PST
by
onyx
(DONATE NOW! -- It takes DONATIONS to keep FR running!!)
To: princess leah
I think that is a real possibility. Something is up when that much fire power is deployed. Add the submarines and somebody could get their butts kicked.
9
posted on
01/16/2007 1:22:03 PM PST
by
unkus
To: SmithL
Nothing is going to happen. The administration has made no political preparations for an attack on Iran.
Goading the mullahs into a suicidal attack... that's another matter.
10
posted on
01/16/2007 1:22:52 PM PST
by
MediaMole
(9/11 - We have already forgotten.)
To: SmithL
11
posted on
01/16/2007 1:24:09 PM PST
by
frogjerk
(REUTERS: We give smoke and mirrors a bad name)
To: unkus
Not many will get this...but "Somebody gonna get hurt real bad."
12
posted on
01/16/2007 1:25:26 PM PST
by
AntiKev
("No damage. The world's still turning isn't it?" - Stereo Goes Stellar - Blow Me A Holloway)
To: princess leah
Targeted attacks against Iranian assets supporting the Iraq insurgency?
This would be entirely justifiable at this point, the Iraqi government is now (finally) loudly complaining about Iranian interference. It would serve the secondary purpose of sobering up Iran regarding the consequences of not being serious about freezing its nuclear program: Message to Ahmedinajhad: We're more than ready to go the the mat if you continue on your course.
But how would the rest of the Islamo/Arab world respond? Short-term? Long-term? Do we care?
13
posted on
01/16/2007 1:26:09 PM PST
by
cookcounty
(The "Greatest Generation" was also the most violent generation.)
To: taxed2death
Oil prices are too low. We gotts make 'em spike again some how. This mild winter is killing the quarterly profits.You can't be serious.
To: SmithL
makes sense.
Israeli jets needs a shorter hop into Iran.
To: Ben Mugged
attack an American carrier in the Persian Gulf Part of the carrier group might be in the Persian Gulf, but the carrier itself will be several minutes away by supersonic air.
To: BMC1
We havn't had a single snow flake here in ct (yet). If this is global warming... I'm all for it!
Let's pollute like maniacs!
17
posted on
01/16/2007 1:26:32 PM PST
by
taxed2death
(A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)
To: MediaMole
Nothing is going to happen. The administration has made no political preparations for an attack on Iran.
What do you mean, MM? What political preparations could they make when every effort in the WOT gets blasted? Didn't W's last Iraq speech have some code lingo for Iran is next? Just asking.
18
posted on
01/16/2007 1:27:42 PM PST
by
Miss Didi
("Good heavens, woman, this is a war not a garden party!" Dr. Meade, Gone with the Wind)
To: MediaMole
I disagree, something is coming Iran's way....it is absolutely required. W knows he is running out of time to act and so he will.
19
posted on
01/16/2007 1:27:44 PM PST
by
coon2000
To: taxed2death
I'm not into pollution and I'm not into this global warming crap either.
20
posted on
01/16/2007 1:28:11 PM PST
by
BMC1
(11/7/06 THE DAY WE LOST THE WAR. TERRORISTS AND THE TERRORIST LOVING DEMONCRATS ARE NOW IN CONTROL.)
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