Showdown Looms in Persian Gulf as US Sends 2nd Aircraft Carrier

Arutz Sheva - IsraelNationalNews ^ | 1/16/7 | Gil Zohar

[SmithL]

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.

[RightWhale]

Have a nice air war this spring. It will get boring after the first hour, but if it keeps you out of trouble it isn't all bad.

[jrooney]

No I am part of: the donks being in power with their current leadership and their party's mentality when we are at war against the most dangerous enemy that we have ever faced is a complete disaster. There is NOTHING good about the donks being in power PERIOD.

BTW, Jveritas understands the value of freedom and the dangers of terrorism. He volunteers his time and energey to translate the captured documents from Iraq, so the truth of them will someday come out. Jveritas is a hero and deserves nothing but respect for the work he does.

[dforest]

Failed logic. They don't care what you think.

[Ben Mugged]

I hope they aren't.

Iran is killing our soldiers in Iraq. They are killing Israeli's in Palestine and Lebanon. They are funding terrorism worldwide. They are funding the spread of socialism in South America. They are developing nuclear weapons specifically to threaten the United States. We have technically been at war with them since they attacked our embassy and kidnapped our embassy staff while Carter was president.

It's time to stop burying our head in the sand and get the butt kicking started.

[melancholy]

Have a nice air war this spring. It will get boring after the first hour, but if it keeps you out of trouble it isn't all bad.

That's very nice of you.

You have no more arguments, I take it. Good, and have a nice, sarcastic evening!

[Ben Mugged]

Yep, some serious posturing. To what end I wonder......

[CindyDawg]

Yeah but what's this about hoping they strike one of our carriers? We don't need that or our men and women harmed before going in and kicking butt. Read your post. Isn't that enough, already?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Most likely in March

[taxed2death]

Presidents come and go. The movers and shakers in Washington stay on from one administration to the next. Of course you already know this. Look how long Rummy and Cheney have been kickin' it in Washington (25+ years). We're in good hands. I'd bet Rummy will pop back into the scene (behind the scene) before long. What's he gonna do, take up needle craft?

If the Republicans stopped acting like "donks" they'd still be in power. That's the cold hard facts. Seems like some wishy washy folks in the mushy middle figured out "why vote for a cheap imitation of a donk (RINO) when I can vote for the real thing".

As far as Jveritas goes....kudos to him.

[Ben Mugged]

A strike against any of the carrier group has next to zero chance of actually getting through and causing damage. However, the strike is an overt act of war placing Iran in a particularly vulnerable position and inviting a counterstrike. Remember, because we are there and have been threatened, we are prepared for their strike. The carrier group was designed to handle just this sort of threat.

[El Gato]

This mild winter is killing the quarterly profits.

What mild winter? The citrus is frozen in southern California, it's snowing and/or sleeting on the Gulf Coast, and the temps are near freezing in the Rio Grande valley, where it could kill more fruit (But it currently looks like they'll just barely dodge that bullet.)

[EQAndyBuzz]

"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."

We should announce the deployment of a squadron of F22's to the area. Imajihad will wet his pantaloons.

[RightWhale]

What mild winter?

It has been a mild winter. What's a couple of winter days here and there?

[EQAndyBuzz]

'attack an American carrier in the Persian Gulf"

The Iranians can sink the entire fleet. Use Chinese subs. Apparently one got within 5 miles of a carrier off the China coast.

[CommerceComet]

Question for you navy guys: are those two ships in the top, left of the picture zig zagging? It looks like it from their wake. The wake from the Stennis is straight as an arrow. If they are zig zagging, why?

[RightWhale]

Iran won't be using Chinese subs. One thing about a carrier fleet when they feel in danger: they can use sonar and whatever else all they want. Subs have to be quiet.

[taxed2death]

It's been extremely mild in the NE.

[ConorMacNessa]

It doesn't look to me like theyre zigging - I think their wakes, which are much narrower than that of the Stennis, are being broken up by wave motion.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Didn't Iran use to use Chinese Silkworms?

[RightWhale]

Iran probably has 1000 Silkworm clones. How many can they launch before they are shut down?