Posted on 11/19/2012 5:22:18 PM PST by Nachum
Three U.S. Navy amphibious warships are returning to the eastern Mediterranean to remain on standby in the event they are needed to assist Americans leaving Israel in the coming days, according to two U.S. officials.
The officials stressed an evacuation remains an extremely remote possibility and the Obama administration is not currently planning for one. Americans who wish to leave the region now are able to do so using commercial airlines.
But the decision to send the ships even if the event is such a remote contingency underscores the growing concern about where the Israel-Gaza conflict could be headed.
"This is due diligence. It is better to be prepared should there be a need," one official said Monday. Both officials said the ships would be used only for assisting Americans and not for any combat role.
The most immediate impact will be on the ships' crews and the estimated 2,500 Marines on board. They had been scheduled to return to Norfolk, Virginia, just after Thanksgiving; their homecoming will now be delayed several days depending on events, the officials said.
The ships involved are the USS Iwo Jima, the USS New York and the USS Gunston Hall. At the end of last week the ships were west of Gibraltar, before the decision was made to turn them around and send them back to the eastern Mediterranean, where they will remain for now.
(Excerpt) Read more at security.blogs.cnn.com ...
No question that the ships are an implied threat.
Well, if the bad guys are going to do anything, they’ll wait until 5pm Washington time because after that Obama puts on his Buzz Lightyear jammies and goes to bed.
Veiled threat to Bibi? What the heck!
That would be the next step in preparing for an evacuation of non-essential personnel (NEO); charter flights, arranged by the State Department. If you report is accurate—and I don’t have any reason to doubt you—it looks like this NEO is moving from possible, to probable.
What sane American would evacuate to a destroyer instead of a comfy Boeing or even a cruise ship?
No way in hell are these ships there to assist evacuations, no they are under orders from Obama to paint Israeli targets with their radar and to be intimidation.
They had best be careful, America lost a warship some years ago...I’m just saying that I would support Israel all the way on this and those captains should consider where their patriotic duty must lead them.
My thinking after listening to this pilot was first that this would be for important U.S. personnell in or around Jordan then also, for first family of Jordan as the Arab Spring is now threatening the “monarchy” of Jordan.
I was to be one of these tourists in the next few weeks until I cancelled due to upcoming violence, even massive violence.
As much as I loved the retelling of her trip and would love to see all the things she saw (with an excellent tour guide I might add)...that part of the world is pretty iffy.
I wonder if the tours reschedule when something like this happens. Probably not.
You most likely made a good choice in cancelling. Now, back when I was ten feet tall and bullet proof and could run like the wind...I wouldn’t think twice. :)
Exactly the point that needs to be made here. Why would the US send ships to evacuate Americans from Israel? Only if there is going to be an attack on Israel. An invasion by Arab armies does not seem imminent so what could it be then? Missiles from Hezbollah and Iran in addition to the ones from Hamas? Is there something that the White House is hoping for that Israel should be preparing against?
And to use American citizens as human shields.
Maybe intelligence pointing to a large transfer of Al Quds forces from Iran to Syria to prop up Assad has been discovered to be in the works?
Israel could not tolerate that and a war between Syria and Israel could break out bringing Syrian chem-bio weapons into play (not to mention likely Saddam weapons inventory).
The US would definitely have to get US citizens out then and there are lots of dual US-Israeli citizens.
Note the Der Speigel story indicating that Turkey is “expected” to imminently request Patriot missile batteries to be transferred from NATO inventory to its border with Syria and that German troops may be required to man them.
Things look to be getting hotter during the “end game” for the Assad Regime in Syria!
The odd thing is IIRC, Obama and/or Hillary took their time with evacuating people from one of the Arab Spring countries. I remember at the time they waited longer than seemed prudent- I think it was Egypt. Now, they do this? Either they know something is coming very soon, or there is a political reason. Probably good time to fill up gas tank.
Just a little transportation, in case it’s needed.
With 2500 Marines aboard.
*cough*
I have a friend that works with the same company as I do and he returned robust awl today. He said his flight was delayed from landing but is in Haifa now. We work for a Fortune 500 oilfield service company and they are anything but lax about security.
I have a friend that works with the same company as I do and he returned robust awl today. He said his flight was delayed from landing but is in Haifa now. We work for a Fortune 500 oilfield service company and they are anything but lax about security.
I have a friend that works with the same company as I do and he returned robust awl today. He said his flight was delayed from landing but is in Haifa now. We work for a Fortune 500 oilfield service company and they are anything but lax about security.
I have a friend that works with the same company as I do and he returned robust awl today. He said his flight was delayed from landing but is in Haifa now. We work for a Fortune 500 oilfield service company and they are anything but lax about security.
I have a friend that works with the same company as I do and he returned robust awl today. He said his flight was delayed from landing but is in Haifa now. We work for a Fortune 500 oilfield service company and they are anything but lax about security.
I have a friend that works with the same company as I do and he returned robust awl today. He said his flight was delayed from landing but is in Haifa now. We work for a Fortune 500 oilfield service company and they are anything but lax about security.
Yes indeed. But the question is, who is he threatening?
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