Iran builds marine offices on disputed island ( Hormuz Strait )

Khaleej Times ^ | 11 August 2008 | AP

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

TEHRAN, - Iranian state TV says the country has set up offices on a Persian Gulf island also claimed by the United Arab Emirates.

Monday's report quotes an Iranian marine official, Ali Taheri Motlaq, as saying Iran has set up two offices on Abu Musa island. He says one is a marine rescue center and the other is a registration office for ships and sailors.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

H/T to the Long War Journal sidebar for pointing to this article.

[NormsRevenge]

Will we have to get an OK from GReenPeace and Save the Whales before we level the “marine rescue center”?

[papasmurf]

This can get very interesting. Very interesting, indeed.

[Sooth2222]

"The island had been a part of Iran from antiquity until the early 20th century,[6] when Britain annexed the island, administering it along with the other British-controlled islands in the Persian Gulf, including what is today the UAE. In the late 1960s, Britain transferred administration of the island to the British-appointed Sharjah, one of the seven sheikdoms that would later form the UAE. After Britain announced in 1968 that it would relinquish its hegemony in the Persian Gulf, Iran moved to reattach the island politically to the mainland. In November 1971, UAE and Iran agreed to give sovereignty to the former but allowed the latter to station troops on the island."

"In 1980, the UAE took its claim to the United Nations. In same year, Saddam Hussein attempted to justify the Iraq-Iran war by claiming that one of the objectives was to "liberate" Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb. In 1992, Iran increased its control by expelling foreign workers who operated the UAE-sponsored school, medical clinic, and power-generating station."

So not much new here, I'm not sure of the point except maybe to remind the oil traders that they occupy an island south of the shipping channels. Since oil is down another $2 now, it's not working.

[thackney]

Trying to set up missles on both sides of the shipping sea lanes?

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/hormuz_80.jpg

[G8 Diplomat]

I watched some thing on Frontline about Iran several months ago, and I remember ex-VP Ali Abtahi mentioning he was at a meeting with a representative from the UAE arguing over an island “the UAE claimed to own.” This was on the morning of 9/11. Seven years later and they’re still going on about it....

Well, this should get real interesting. Way to piss off the Emiratis, Iran.

[swarthyguy]

A cursory look at say Google World news shows action and events all around the world.

It’s as if a stopper’s come off.

From Kashmir and Pakistan and SriLanka all through the Muddled East and the Confused Caucuses to Turkey, people are agitated.

I wonder if worldwide spraying of a Prozac/Cannabis mixture help ease the situation? What the Hey, may as well give the contrails crowd something to scream about.

[swarthyguy]

What are the Emiratis gonna do? They are totally dependent upon the USA.

Not to mention that they also process lots of money in and out of Iran for trade.

Emiratis will fight to the Last American for those islands.

[AU72]

Well we’re too busy not helping Georgia to worry about not helping the UAE.

[Sooth2222]

Meanwhile Ms. Market is unimpressed by this. Oil is down $2, gold is down $36.70 and the Dow is up 109 points.

[Bon mots]

Every 60 years or so the entire world erupts into massive, unbridled warfare, economic and civil strife.

There are all kinds of theories from Kondratieff waves to more esoteric ones, but it’s looking to be accurate.

If Obama loses or God forbid some nutcase (Hillary?) takes a potshot at him, America could erupt into civil strife like never before. Imagine if the election is close like with Gore/Bush and they are counting chads in Florida... when someone like Al Sharpton and Jesse come out and say that the election was stolen from them, the streets will explode.

These kinds of things seem to all occur simultaneously as if there is some sort of convergence of various waves which all work to build a huge rogue wave which has its denouement in warfare and strife.

Putin has already started in his sphere... any month now Israel will blast the Mullahs. China may use this cover to get Taiwan... Obama will lose and America’s cities will burn, Hugo will do something stupid in Latin America - maybe when Fidel dies - which will happen any day now if it has not happened already. Under all this cover, maybe Chia Pet will get some stupid idea or another...

[Marine_Uncle]

Another piece of a very big equation to examine.

[SunkenCiv]

thanks Ernest, and thanks Tennessean4Bush for:

The Chai Count (Good read!)
The Long War Journal | 8/11/2008 | Bill Murray
Posted on 08/11/2008 7:18:03 PM PDT by Tennessean4Bush
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2060290/posts

[Berosus]

I take it that’s not the Chai I can get in Starbuck’s or the local mall.

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks. Will see how things develop. One would expect the Iranians to try to pull off stuff while the focus is on Georgia conflict.