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2007-11-03 Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Britain to send aircraft carrier to Gulf early 2008
LONDON - A Royal Navy aircraft carrier is to be sent to the Gulf in early 2008, the defence ministry in London said Friday but added that its deployment was not linked to possible military action against Iran. A ministry spokesman told AFP that HMS Illustrious will head for the Gulf accompanied by the Type 42 destroyer HMS Edinburgh and the Type 23 frigate HMS Westminster. Also involved in Operation Orion 08 will be two minesweepers and three support vessels from the Royal Fleet Auxilliary.

“There is going to be a deployment east of Suez,” the spokesman told AFP by telephone. “It’s routine. It was planned one or two years ago. It’s absolutely not linked with Iran.”
"No, no, certainly not!"
The ships will sail in the Gulf, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea for about six months, with the operation designed to demonstrate Britain’s commitment to maritime security and ability to work with other world navies, he added.

But the Daily Telegraph newspaper said the deployment of British ships in such sensitive waters “may coincide with a crucial period in the West’s confrontation with Iran” over its disputed nuclear programme. “Observers believe that the spring is the last possible moment for President George W. Bush to order military strikes against Iran’s nuclear programme,” it said in a report from Manama, Bahrain.
Posted by  2007-11-03 00:26|| || Front Page|| [11143 views ]  Top

#1 Its might nice of the Brits to give Iran more hostages.
Posted by Mike N.  2007-11-03 00:34||   2007-11-03 00:34|| Front Page Top

#2 Ouch, Mike. Ouch.
Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious  2007-11-03 01:01||   2007-11-03 01:01|| Front Page Top

#3 NOSI.org > US NAVY eying PIE-RATES eying a Japanese ship. First twas a NORTH KOREAN freighter, now a JAPANESE ship. *HOLLYWOOD HAS JUST FOUND ITS PLOT/STORYLINE FOR ANOTHER
"PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" FLICK??? No, life of STEPHEN DECATUR???
Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-11-03 01:19||   2007-11-03 01:19|| Front Page Top

#4 “There is going to be a deployment east of Suez,”

!
Those woids!
Posted by Thomas Woof 2007-11-03 02:29||   2007-11-03 02:29|| Front Page Top

#5 Also involved in Operation Orion 08 will be two minesweepers

We always send two minesweepers out on routine deployments with the carriers.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-11-03 03:00||   2007-11-03 03:00|| Front Page Top

#6 Maybe Sarko will send the De Gaulle? That would certainly reaffirm French and US relations.
Posted by Besoeker 2007-11-03 04:31||   2007-11-03 04:31|| Front Page Top

#7 So, it'll take the Brits perhaps 5 months just to prepare for such a deployment!
Posted by Duh! 2007-11-03 10:21||   2007-11-03 10:21|| Front Page Top

#8 Besoeker, the French top-line carrirer strike aircraft have recently made traps and cat launches off the deck of the Enterprise (when it was underway in the Med just a couple of months ago on the way to the gulf). It even made a port call in France. Big change for us and the French with Sark there.
Posted by OldSpook 2007-11-03 12:33||   2007-11-03 12:33|| Front Page Top

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