Posted on 01/09/2012 9:05:29 AM PST by JohnKinAK
US, Russian French and British air and naval forces streamed to the Syrian and Iranian coasts over the weekend on guard for fresh developments at the two Middle East flashpoints. The Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov anchored earlier than planned at Syria's Tartus port on the Mediterranean Sunday, Jan. 8, arriving together with the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and frigate Yaroslav Mudry. To counter this movement, France consigned an air defense destroyer Forbin to the waters off Tartus.
debkafile's military sources report a buildup in the last 48 hours of western naval forces opposite Iran in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea in readiness for Tehran to carry out its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz.
Britain has dispatched the HMS Daring, a Type 45 destroyer armed with new technology for shooting down missiles, to the Sea of Oman, due to arrive at the same time as the French Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.
Our sources report too that Saturday, the giant RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV, took off from the USS Stenning aircraft carrier for surveillance over the coasts of Iran. The Stennis and its strike group are cruising in the Sea of Oman at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran announced it would not be allowed to cross through. This was the first time the US has deployed unmanned aerial vehicles over Iran since its RQ-170 stealth drone was shot down by Iran on Dec. 4. It was also the first time the huge drone was ordered to take off from an aircraft carrier for a Broad Aerial Maritime Surveillance Mission (BAMS).
US military sources reported Monday, Jan. 9 that the Global Hawk's mission is "to monitor sea traffic off the Iranian coast and the Straits of Hormuz." The US Navy was ordered to maintain a watch on this traffic, another first, after Iranian Navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari said in a televised broadcast Sunday night that the Strait of Hormuz was under full Iranian control and had been for years. Also Sunday, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Chiefs of Staff, warned in no uncertain terms that Iran has the ability to block the Strait of Hormuz “for a period of time.” He added in a CBS interview: “We’ve invested in capabilities to ensure that if that happens, we can defeat that.” Gen. Dempsey went on to emphasize: "Yes, they can block it. We've described that as an intolerable act and it's not just intolerable for us, it's intolerable to the world. But we would take action and reopen the straits." Appearing on the same program, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of a quick, decisive and very tough American response to any Iranian attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz.
They both spoke a few hours after a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards said the supreme Iranian leadership had ruled the Strait must be closed in the event of an oil embargo imposed on Iran by the European Union.
debkafile's military sources report the constant escalation of military tension around Iran and Syria in recent days as not just stemming from the rapid advances Iran is making toward production of a nuclear weapon, but from fears in the West and Israel that Tehran and Damascus are in step over their military plans for the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean sectors.
After the Admiral Kuznetsov docked in Tartus Sunday with much fanfare, the Syrian Navy commander Dawoud Rajha was received on the deck by a guard of honor of marines under a flyover of Russian Su-33 and Su-25 fighter-bombers. This was taken as a signal of Moscow's willingness to back the Assad regime up against any Western military intervention as well as a gesture of support for cooperation between Syria and Iran in their operational plans.
Sunday, the Iranian media issued divergent statements about the situation at Iran's underground uranium enrichment plant at Fordo, near Qom: In English, the site as described as going on stream soon, while the Farsi media reported it was already operational.
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Fereydoun Abbasi Davani declared furthermore," …the Islamic Republic is capable of exporting services related to nuclear energy to other countries."
This statement showed that Tehran has no fear of raising the level of its threats to the West up to the point of offering to hand out its nuclear technology to other countries in a gesture of uncontrolled proliferation.
I’ve made no secret about my belief that 2012 is when it starts, and that our current crisis will almost certainly end in WWII type mayhem, but my emotions still have a hard time accepting that the world really could, in my lifetime, see another September 1st, 1939 - only worse.
And it’s not even December 21st yet. ;)
This is, historically speaking, the way the “real thing” begins.
Obama is one of the saviest politicians in history.
Don’t put it past him to toss his Muslim buddies under the bus to boost his ratings before the elections. And by attacking Iran, we would be pleasing the Saudis and their co-religionists.
oh for pity’s sake.
Wouldn’t it have been more cost effective to support the Revolution a year or so ago? brilliant foreign policy...sarc thanks hillary you moron
I agree.
They need to name the next drone THE OBAMA. He drones on and on and on and on and on...........
In DEBKA world the next Middle East war is always 24 hours away, however there is a correlation of forces and events leading to flashpoint sooner than later.
Yep, you are so right.
The most antithetical president to ever convince America that he was an American with Americas interests at heart!
The greatest con to ever hit American shores!
It’s DEBKA. Salt, grain.
I have asked many people how they “feel” about 2012. Most feel a sense of impending doom or some unease at what might happen.
So in the consciousness of my limited group of associates, we all feel something.
Even if NOTHING happens, just the angst of global human groups can set something off, even if it just a run on groceries as DEC 21 approaches.
or not....who knows?
Its Debka...
I believe that if this thing gets hot we are entering the realm of Ezekiel 39 and Revelation. Not to mention the 70th week of Daniel.
Again, that is IMO.
The Bible supports reason over emotion which lies.
Yeah, this IS Debka and I’ve learned to ignore their analysis. If the “facts” as we know them are correct, however...
Lets get rready to rrrrrumble.....:
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
Amen!
I think that if it takes long enough for this to unfold that the presidential election will be one of the catalysts that spark “challenges” within the US.
Either Obama will be so out of it that his “core” will do the Watts riot thing nationwide, or the massive amounts of obvious BS that will be required to make him appear to be a viable candidate will cause the other side to do whatever they do when they’ve “had it”.
Either way, we are approaching “interesting times”.
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