Romanian Oil Rig Comes Under Iranian Fire

Washington Post ^ | 8/22/06

[Prophet in the wilderness]

If this is anything, it looks like Iran is trying to skate on thin ice as long as they can without getting hurt.
They may try little wars like this month in Lebanon and little skirmishes to test the world, Israel, and the USA, to see how far they can provoke until someone or some country does anything about it.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Makes me wonder if and when Iran does go after Israel , that, they at the some time will try to cripple the worlds oil supply by going after the oil states in the Persian gulf like U.A.E.
Who's to say that they might just going after the gulf states before they hit Israel ?

[Toadman]

I'm glad they helped out those persnickitty colonist against the British...

I do get your point though. They haven't been very helpful to anyone since then. My favorite French dig is the quote by Schwartzkoff:

"Going to war without the French is like going hunting without your accordian."

The only source for that is www.francesucks.com so I don't know how accurate it is.

[diverteach]

I've been trying to find further info in maritime law on where international waters start. If I remember correctly, here in the US, international waters starts 5 miles from land. Wouldn't this be the same for all countries?

[Windcatcher]

"The "French" of that day would spit on the Frenchmen of today."

I'm sure they've been spinning in their graves for some time now...

[GeronL]

Let a nuke on Tehran be a message to them

[carumba]

Carter has no street cred. Sour grapes yakking. Hey, I know, lets help Iran and North Korea get nookyaler reactors if they promise to be nice.

[Dixie Yooper]

"If we hit their nuke facilities be prepared for all hell to break loose in the Gulf"

If I were King of the USA:

1. Get our troops out of South Korea so they are not exposed to future radiation clouds.
2. Redeploy 1/3 of Troops to western Afghanistan
3. Redeploy 1/3 of Troops to eastern Iraq
4. Redeploy 1/3 of Troops to Eastern Lebanon
5. Remove North Korea from face of earth
6. Invade Iran
7. Invade Syria
8. Give Tribes in Afghanistan/Pakistan 1 day to give up Osama
9. Hang him right after he is turned over
10. Throw the UN out of US.

[ketelone]

...While the swiss have allied with the French, and attacked the Moldovans, killing many in the traditional swiss manner, by pouring molten cheese down their eyes.

[steve8714]

Don't forget the non-lethal weapons.

[conservative blonde]

Well they certainly haven't saved anyone else in my life time. I guess they are down to 200 now for the Lebanon board patrol. I am sure they will be more of a hinderance than any help.

[conservative blonde]

Thanks for the laugh for the day. The quote sounds like Schwartzkoff. I bet he did say it.

[PghBaldy]

It wasn't on rigs. It was on tankers, already pumped, IIRC. It was a Gulf newspaper story from a few weeks ago.

[Erasmus]

Good one. I also like "Imam Adman."

[Osage Orange]

Not in Romania...........

[Don Joe]

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Have we completed adding Romania to NATO?

According to Wikipedia, we have, since March 29, 2004.

So, I guess if Romania wants us to, all of NATO is at war with Iran now.

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My guess is that this is precisely what Iran intended, and expected, i.e., initiate WWIII via an attack on a least-expected avenue, an attack on a small NATO member nation.

Definitely an Archduke Ferdinand maneuver (or rather, a Gavrillo Princip maneuver).

However, don't expect anything to happen from it. NATO will stand down, and if Romania is so naive as to think that "Membership has its Privileges"... well, they'll find out otherwise.

This "failure" of Iranian strategy will of course serve to further embolden them, now that they know that "the west" really will absorb a punch without retaliation.

[cartan]

[…] if Romania is so naive as to think that “Membership has its Privileges”…well, they'll find out otherwise.

If Romania actually calls for help, then NATO must act. If it looks even remotely like NATO won't actually come to aid its members when they are attacked, then NATO will be instantly rendered worthless. However, I am sure that the big players at NATO will all be talking to the Romanian government now to make sure they'll keep their mouths shut…

[Don Joe]

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If Romania actually calls for help, then NATO must act. If it looks even remotely like NATO won't actually come to aid its members when they are attacked, then NATO will be instantly rendered worthless. However, I am sure that the big players at NATO will all be talking to the Romanian government now to make sure they'll keep their mouths shut…

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I'll betcha two ducklings and a chick (the ol' Hovabator's been earning its keep) that NATO won't do anyting other than hand wringing, issue "serious" statements ("Don't make us warn you again -- because if we have to, we will!"), and do nothing.

The west has been emasculated. This ain't yer grampaw's NATO anymore.

Saying that NATO "must act" is like saying that "la migra" (AKA "ICE") "must act" when they find "illegals" in this country.

"Must" and "does" do not frequently intersect in certain venues.

[cartan]

NATO is not the UN. If they act like that even once, they can immediately dissolve. There is no reason to assume that NATO's members somehow don't like NATO anymore and want to destroy it like this.

No, if they don't act, which they probably won't indeed, then only because Romania is convinced not to ask NATO to. Or perhaps because attacks outside America and Europe somehow don't count.

[Don Joe]

*sigh*...

Go ahead, believe what you want to believe. Be my guest.