Article

2010-06-28 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Report: US warships stationed off Iranian coast

New moon July 12th
As unconfirmed reports of an imminent Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities pick up steam in the Middle Eastern media, a US-based strategic intelligence company has released a chart showing US naval carriers massing near Iranian waters.

The chart, published by Stratfor and obtained by the Zero Hedge financial blog, shows that over the last few weeks a naval carrier -- the USS Harry S Truman -- has been positioned in the north Indian Ocean, not far from the Strait of Hormuz, which leads into the Persian Gulf. The carrier joins the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which was already located in the area. The chart is dated June 23, 2010.

Reports of mass movements of Israeli and US naval warships have been circulating through the media for weeks. On June 19, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported that 12 US and Israeli warships were seen moving through the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

And a report from the Associated Press published Saturday evening cited "unconfirmed" reports from Israeli and Iranian media that Saudi Arabia has allowed Israel to use its territory in preparation for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

"The allegation could not be independently confirmed, and the Saudis deny cooperating with the Israeli military," AP reported.

An article in the Gulf Daily News, largely dismissed by Western observers, did not mention any Saudi involvement but said Israel is preparing to attack Iranian targets from the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Georgia.

The claims that Israel may be preparing for an assault on Iranian nuclear facilities were strengthened this weekend by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who told reporters at the G8 summit in Canada that G8 leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel will "probably" strike Iran.

"Iran is not guaranteeing a peaceful production of nuclear power [so] the members of the G8 are worried and believe absolutely that Israel will probably react preemptively," Berlusconi said, as quoted at Ha'aretz.

Posted by tipper 2010-06-28 00:38|| || Front Page|| [11145 views ] Top

#1 It's adding up.

Posted by Jeremiah Flainter9609 2010-06-28 02:25|| 2010-06-28 02:25|| Front Page Top

#2 HAARETZ > [Pert-Scholar]FOCUS USA: THE USA WILL HAVE TO CONFRONT IRAN, OR GIVE UP THE MIDDLE EAST.

Prob safe to say that, however rough, KIMMIE = DPRK has something similar in mind???

Posted by JosephMendiola 2010-06-28 03:02|| 2010-06-28 03:02|| Front Page Top

#3 Good old American know-how.

Posted by Perfesser 2010-06-28 08:55|| 2010-06-28 08:55|| Front Page Top

#4 Given the current CIC, are they massing to collaborate with Israel or the Mullahs against Israel?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2010-06-28 09:00|| 2010-06-28 09:00|| Front Page Top

#5 Oh please oh please oh please . . .

And bomb the shiite out of the government so Iranians can take over.

Posted by gorb 2010-06-28 09:33|| 2010-06-28 09:33|| Front Page Top

#6 The only reason I am even thinking that this story might even be remotely possible is because of Bambie's falling poll numbers and the losses the dhimocrats are gonna take.

He need something to boost his side and I'm cynical enough to believe he would bomb Iran to do it just for the poll numbers.

Posted by DarthVader 2010-06-28 09:55|| 2010-06-28 09:55|| Front Page Top

#7 Bored of all the rhetoric , lets move - Dont care if Bambi is vote carrying - Its a job that needs to be done unfortunatley

Posted by Bravo two 2010-06-28 10:16|| 2010-06-28 10:16|| Front Page Top

#8 30 years late, but better late than never.

Won't help Chairman Zero in November anymore than bombing aspirin factories wound up helping Clinton. And from a policy perspective, he can be happy about driving up gas prices.

Anyway, it's always a good time to bomb islamists. Good hunting, guys!

Posted by Iblis 2010-06-28 11:37|| 2010-06-28 11:37|| Front Page Top

The chart, published by Stratfor and obtained by the Zero Hedge financial blog, shows that over the last few weeks a naval carrier -- the USS Harry S Truman -- has been positioned in the north Indian Ocean, not far from the Strait of Hormuz, which leads into the Persian Gulf. The carrier joins the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which was already located in the area.

The Navy had already announced that Truman is relieving Eisenhower. That is consistent with the original Eisenhower deployment in January that was to be 6 months.

There is generally a few weeks of overlap when a new carrier battle group is taking over from another.

Reports of mass movements of Israeli and US naval warships have been circulating through the media for weeks. On June 19, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported that 12 US and Israeli warships were seen moving through the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.

This was the Truman battle group being made to sound as it is yet more warships. It isn't. This is the same group being reported twice.

And a report from the Associated Press published Saturday evening cited "unconfirmed" reports from Israeli and Iranian media that Saudi Arabia has allowed Israel to use its territory in preparation for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Which the Saudis then immediately denied ... a denial which WAS confirmed by multiple sources.

"The allegation could not be independently confirmed, and the Saudis deny cooperating with the Israeli military," AP reported.

Which means some reporter simply made it up and ran it up the flagpole to see what kind of reaction it would get in hopes that it would shake a story lose. It didn't.

Someone is trying really hard to create a story out of whole cloth.

Posted by crosspatch 2010-06-28 16:04|| 2010-06-28 16:04|| Front Page Top

#10 LUCKY XMAS GEEZER!

* FREEREPUBLIC > THIRD US CARRIER, 4000 MARINES, SHIPS AUGMENT US ARMADA OFF IRAN.

Again, IMO IRAN will prefer to stay on the GEOPOL = MIL OR MILPOL DEFENSIVE while it nuclearizes unto NUCWEAPS STATE 2010-2012, whereas KIMMIE + DPRK, the country whom the MSM-NET + Perts claim or allege is already in possession of several Nucbombs, is at much higher or serious risk of NEAR-TERM IDEO = PARTY + NATIONAL COLLAPSE THAN IRAN IS. NOKOR NEEDS SUPER-MASSIVE LEVELS OF INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO STAVE OFF COLLAPSE WHICH IS SEEMINGLY NOT FORTHCOMING EITHER FROM THE US-WEST OR CHINA OR UNO [limited quantities only].

NOKOR's agreement wid China setting up FREE TRADE = SPEC ECON ZONES inside NOKOR is likely to intensify + solidify CHIN = FOREIGN influence + control oer NoKor, NOT reduce it as historically promised by NORTH KOREA'S COMMIES-SOCIALISTS MOVEMENT.

By most accounts, NET MIL FORUM POSTERS/BLOGGERS CLAIM:

* Ordinary NOKORS like CHINA + CHIN INFLUENCE = DESIRE TO BE ALLIED + PART OF CHINA.
* NOKOR is already CHINESE is most things save NAME + LEGAL/INTERNATIONAL FORMAL SOVEREIGNTY.
* CHINA sees Nokor as a HISTORIC CHIN VASSAL/BUFFER STATE + INTENDS TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. Beijing will NOT allow the US-ALLIES to mil defeat or conquer Noth Korea regardless of the merits.

RECENT > Netters are arguing or proposing that ECON-TROUBLED NOKOR SHOULD FORMALLY GIVE UP ITS MILITARY SAVE FOR SOME KIND OF LESSOR, NATIONAL PARAMILITARY POLICE FORCE/CONSTABULARY, + FORMALLY TRANSFER DEFENSE OF NORTH KOREA INCLUDING MUCLEAR DEFENSE-SECURITY TO BEIJING + PLA. Good for Nokor's economy, good for CHINA + REGIONAL SECURITY, STABILITY, ERGO IS ALSO GOOD FOR US-WEST AS PER CONTROL OF NOKOR'S NUCLEAR ARSENAL OR DESIRE FOR ONE. China gets WARM-WATER PACIFIC TRADE, NAVAL PORTS + BETTER COMPARATIVE = GEOPOL ADVANTAGES.

Again, at this time, Kimmie + troubled NoKor is more in need of a "GREAT POWER(S)" MIL CONFRONTATION THAN ISLAMIST IRAN IS. A NEW "CHEONAN"-STYLE LIMITED INCIDENT AGZ SOUTH KOREA ONLY MAY NO LONGER SUFFICE [2010-2012].

'TIS A "FICKLE" THING.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2010-06-28 20:57|| 2010-06-28 20:57|| Front Page Top

#11 Ultimately, it comes down to what mainstream North Koreans desire for Noth Korea = THEIR COUNTRY + ETHNIC HOMELAND, which AFAIK is supposed to be Kimmie's great Personal, National duty as DPRK Head-of-State???

Posted by JosephMendiola 2010-06-28 21:02|| 2010-06-28 21:02|| Front Page Top

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