The Eisenhower Carrier Group in Iranian Waters Really Really Scares Me

[leftchick]

It is complete madness to attack Iran right now, yet in their desperation I believe they just might do it....

:scared:


Iran Attack Looks More Likely as Eisenhower Carrier Group Sails for Iran Theater

<snip>

This build-up of naval power around the coast of Iran, according to some military sources, is in preparation for an air attack on Iran that would target not just Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities, but its entire military command and control system.

While such an attack could be expected to unleash a wave of military violence all over Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and elsewhere against American forces and interests and against oil wells, pipelines and loading facilities, as well as a mining of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, with a resulting skyrocketing of global oil prices, the real goal of this new war by the U.S. would be ensuring Republican control of the House and Senate.

It seems increasingly clear that the Republican Party is going to lose its grip on the House of Representatives, and that it may even lose control of the Senate, barring some dramatic October Surprise by the president. So far, the surprises have been working against Republicans, with the Foley sex scandal, the evidence that Abramoff's bribery reached right into the inner sanctum of the White House, and the deteriorating U.S. position in Iraq.

With the number of House seats reportedly "in play" now rising from 15 to 30 and now 50, President Bush is looking at the possibility of a blow out Nov. 7 that could see him facing a Democratic Congress bent on revenge for five six years of systematic abuse.

<snip>


This means that the worse things look for Republican chances in November, the greater the likelihood that a desperate President Bush will order a disastrous attack on Iran -- one that would have the country enter into a third, even worse, war even as it is currently busy losing two others. But Bush and his gang of cronies don't care about initiating a disaster. They're focussed on the disaster that will hit them if they don't turn around the November election. Sacrificing the country or its young men and women in uniform, or the lives of innocent Iranians, is not a concern, any more than it was when Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=LIN20061009&articleId=3430

[spanone]

1. I think we used to call it 'picking a fight'. Any day now......

Scares the bejeezus out of me.

[wakeme2008]

2. This is normal and happens every 6 months

It is replacing another Aircraft Battle Group there. I would only worry if both stay over a week there.

[readmoreoften]

3. Question. Same report (but updated) says that they are planning

to carry out a military "exercise" in the Strait of Hormuz on Oct. 31st. Is that normal? I'm not being sarcastic. I'm really asking.

[leftchick]

4. I believe the exercises are with Arab countries too

Kuwait and Bahrain?

[libertad]

8. It is completely normal.

The military conducts exercises all the time.

[readmoreoften]

11. What about that guy Colonel Gardiner who insists that we are going to war with Iran.

He seems credible. Any insight?

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?p=gardiner+iran+cnn.com&ei=UTF-8&b=1&oid=9c971df803b0bcee&rurl=feeds.feedburner.com&vdone=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fvideo%3Fp%3Dgardiner%2Biran%2Bcnn.com%26ei%3DUTF-8

[libertad]

16. I think that we probably will, unfortunately. I just don't think that

one should read anything into normal exercises and deployments.

[libertad]

5. This is exactly what I was about to say. It is routine. We always

have a carrier group in that area.

[madokie]

7. the timing is suspect, the motives are so real.

I don't trust it to be so simple as what you say.

[wakeme2008]

9. 6 months ago they did the same thing

The other ABG wants to come home for Thanksgiving.... (I hope Bush lets them)

[libertad]

10. It doesn't mean that something isn't planned, it just doesn't mean

that something is planned. They always do this. Every six months the carrier groups rotate deployments. It has been that way since my grandfather was in the Navy, it was that way when my father was in the Navy and it was that way when I was in the Navy.

[asjr]

6. I totally agree. I have been worried

for quite some time. An invasion of Iran would precipitate the excuse for martial law here. Elections would be suspended. I feel there is no limit to what this administration will do to maintain power.

[Windy]

12. there is another post at DU that Britain is also sending its armada n/t

[readmoreoften]

13. two curious points.

Concurrent with ths concentration of US Naval power, the US is also involved in military exercises in the Persian Gulf, which consists in "interdicting ships in the Gulf carrying weapons of mass destruction and missiles"

The exercise is taking place as the United States and other major powers are considering sanctions including possible interdiction of ships on North Korea, following a reported nuclear test, and on Iran, which has defied a U.N. Security Council mandate to stop enriching uranium.


The exercise, set for Oct. 31, is the 25th to be organized under the U.S.-led 66-member Proliferation Security Initiative and the first to be based in the Gulf near Bahrain, across from Iran, the officials said.
A senior U.S. official insisted the exercise is not aimed specifically at Iran, although it reinforces a U.S. strategy aimed at strengthening America’s ties with states in the Gulf, where Tehran and Washington are competing for influence"

(Defense News, http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2171176&C=mideast)

<snip>

Tehran considers the US sponsored war games in the Persian Gulf, off the Iranian coastline as a provocation, which is intended to trigger a potential crisis and a situation of direct confrontation between US and Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf:

"Reports say the US-led naval exercises based near Bahrain will practise intercepting and searching ships carrying weapons of mass destruction and missiles.

Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted an unnamed foreign ministry official as describing the military manoeuvres as dangerous and suspicious.

Reports say the US-led naval exercises based near Bahrain will practise intercepting and searching ships carrying weapons of mass destruction and missiles.

The Iranian foreign ministry official said the US-led exercises were not in line with the security and stability of the region. Instead, they are aimed at fomenting crises, he said." (quoted in BBC, 23 October 2006)

[leftchick]

18. fomenting crises indeed!

I agree with the Iranian FM official.:(

[global1]

14. I Know * Is The Commander-In-Chief - But If There Was Any Time Ripe......

for mutiny of our military - this is it. If * and *Co believe that they need to start something with Iran before Nov 7th to save the Repug party and their asses - this has to be apparent to the highest levels of the military and they need to make a stand to save this country. They have to refuse to obey their Commander-In-Chief if he orders them to threaten, invade or attack Iran. The millitary top brass have to know that it is literally ordering a death sentence for our forces in the area and worse yet - economic ruin to the U.S. They have to know that * has lost his mind and they have to stop him.

[file83]

17. Don't think for a second the Naval Commander Myers (link to bio)

Commander of the Eisenhower Battle Group

...hasn't had any concerns whether his commander in chief (Bush) is nuts or not. He's way, WAY smarter than Bush. He holds a masters degree in National Security Affairs from the Naval War College and Salve Regina University. He's been commanding ships and fleets all over the globe for the last dozen years.

Don't think for a second that this guy would send his battle group into death trap because of Bush's stupidity. I don't.

[readmoreoften]

21. They didn't send the Eisenhower. That's been retracted.

I think it was, the ijo jima (?) they sent.

Why does this guy need to know about covert operations? What would he have to do with anything? And you think any of these commanders would refuse orders based on hunches and conspiracy theories-- even if there was a chance they could be correct.

This guy and the other naval commanders wouldn't have a good goddamn thing to do with a "remember the maine"-style attack. I'm not saying I think it's going to happen. I actually don't. There are too many people speculating that it IS going to happen to actually pull something like that off. But if it were going to happen, I doubt these men would have any prior knowledge.

[Poiuyt]

15. Thom Hartmann was talking about the Eisenhower group near Iran

and the October surprise. It seems that Karl Rove has a fascination with the presidency of William McKinley. Remember what happened when McKinley was president?

"Remember the Maine!"

That event provided an excuse to go to war with Spain even though the explosion on the Maine was an accident and not due to any attack.

[Individualist]

19. Al Qaeda threat to oil facilities announced today

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15442751

MSM reich wing cheerleaders are playing this up and, of course, are saying nothing about the buildup of naval power that started earlier this month. Quite a "coincidence" less than two weeks prior to the election, don't you think? When I heard that, I felt sick and thought - here we go. It's starting. As you said, leftchick, the cabal wouldn't hesitate to initiate a disaster.

[malaise]

20. Bush and Blair again

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2495531