US Navy denies reports of offensive military build-up in Gulf

[Poiuyt]

Manama The US Navy's top Persian Gulf commander on Monday
denied reports of a US naval offensive military build-up in the
region, affirming however that the coalition was keeping a close
watch on increasing Iranian naval exercises in Gulf waters.
Commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command and the
Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, Vice Admiral Patrick Walsh, said that this
was "an unprecedented time of instability and insecurity in the
region," with tension in Somalia, Lebanon, Eastern Mediterranean,
Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran.

more -

http://rawstory.com/news/dpa/US_Navy_denies_reports_of_offensive_02192007.html

I guess the carriers that we have been sending in are there for R&R

[oldtimecanuk]

1. Well he's Fucking lying because there is at least 2 Carrier Groups ...

there now, and as I understand 1 on the way or maybe there by now.... If that's not a military buildup, I don't know what is.....

ww

[Rex]

4. From what people say here on DU, it will take 4 groups and so

we can all watch and see, because you cant hide such big maneuvers. Personally I still hope it is an expensive bluff, but that was back when we had just one carrier there and one on the way. :(

Each group is an army by itself, people here don't know just how much firepower we have over there.

[TomClash]

7. Wouldn't the number of carrier groups be related to the mission scope? nt

[Rex]

9. Yes, and in order to have the ability for continual bombardment

of a country like Iran, you would need 4 groups. Or so people say around here. I dunno, I think the size of the firepower from our Navy is well underestimated.

[TomClash]

11. I know. I have read the same posts.

But 4 carrier groups totals almost 1000 sorties a day. Plus there are bases in other countries from where the USAF could attack Iran evne without flyover rights.

It is quite possible 4 carrier groups are already there.

[PDJane]

12. They're either there or on the way,

according to the Brits. The new statesman says this week:

"British military sources told the New Statesman, on condition of anonymity, that "the US military switched its whole focus to Iran" as soon as Saddam Hussein was kicked out of Baghdad. It continued this strategy, even though it had American infantry bogged down in fighting the insurgency in Iraq.

The US army, navy, air force and marines have all prepared battle plans and spent four years building bases and training for "Operation Iranian Freedom". Admiral Fallon, the new head of US Central Command, has inherited computerised plans under the name TIRANNT (Theatre Iran Near Term).

The Bush administration has made much of sending a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf. But it is a tiny part of the preparations. Post 9/11, the US navy can put six carriers into battle at a month's notice. Two carriers in the region, the USS John C Stennis and the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, could quickly be joined by three more now at sea: USS Ronald Reagan, USS Harry S Truman and USS Theodore Roosevelt, as well as by USS Nimitz. Each carrier force includes hundreds of cruise missiles.

Then there are the marines, who are not tied down fighting in Iraq. Several marine forces are assembling, each with its own aircraft carrier. These carrier forces can each conduct a version of the D-Day landings. They come with landing craft, tanks, jump-jets, thousands of troops and, yes, hundreds more cruise missiles. Their task is to destroy Iranian forces able to attack oil tankers and to secure oilfields and installations. They have trained for this mission since the Iranian revolution of 1979.

Today, marines have the USS Boxer and USS Bataan carrier forces in the Gulf and probably also the USS Kearsarge and USS Bonhomme Richard. Three others, the USS Peleliu, USS Wasp and USS Iwo Jima, are ready to join them. Earlier this year, HQ staff to manage these forces were moved from Virginia to Bahrain.
......

Traditionally, the top nuclear job went either to a commander of the navy's Trident submarines or of the air force's bombers and missiles. Today, all these forces follow the orders of a marine, General James Cartwright, and are integrated into a "Global Strike" plan which places strategic forces on permanent 12-hour readiness."

http://www.newstatesman.com/200702190014

[happyslug]

13. We used Four Carriers during Desert Storm

But at that time we only had limited basis in Saudi Arabia, we now have extensive bases throughout Iraq (Even in Southern Iraq occupied by the British). We also have air bases in the Caucasus, Turkestan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Officially we have no bases in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia but bases are available. All these Countries either border Iran OR was within easily flying distance. Except for Pakistan the US already has bases in these areas technically helping fight the Taliban and/or the insurgents in Iraq, but all are available for Iran. My point is we do NOT need more than 2 carriers given the number of Air Bases within reasonable flying times to any area in Iran (and lets not forget the various US bases among the Gulf Coast Countries which can also be used).

[Rex]

14. I would think they would want numbers much higher than GWI

They have the hardware, just not the manpower. At least that is my hope.

[liberal N proud]

2. So what are we doing, sending all our carriers over there for vacation?

[PDJane]

3. Oh, Please.

The carriers are just there for the heck of it? Right. The Stennis, the Ronald Reagan, all those......they're just watching? Right.

[Initech]

5. Well, duh! Of course they're going to say that!

[oldtimecanuk]

6. Do any of these "Shit for Brains type people" even know how to...

tell the truth anymore? Who the hell do they think they are kidding anyway? I guess there are a good number of people that really have no clue as to what is going on in the world, but don't think you will find this on DU....

ww

[sweetheart]

8. oh, i believe him

I believe all the authorities in the US military, they never lie,
no i really believe him, they never lie, i'm well now, i fell better,
theirs is the only truth, war is all there is, and all we can pray for
is them and their war, bigwar(TM) and its corporate providers.

[niceypoo]

10. Bush denies plans to attack Iraq -- Thursday, May 23, 2002

Bush denies plans to attack Iraq
US President George W Bush says he does not at the current time have any concrete plans to attack Iraq.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200205/s562785.htm

we've all been here before...

[happyslug]

15. Map of US Bases in and Around Iran (Why they is no need for 4 Carriers today)

http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?read=32187

The numbers of Bases has expanded since this map was made in 2003 and the Carriers in the area has changed.

P.S. sorry about the map being from a "end of times" site, but it was the first one I ran across, I will continue to look for a better and newer one.

Here is a more detail map, but takes a while to download:

[Marrah_G]

16. What a liar

I refuse to believe they are calling naval officers out of retirement, planting them on ships off the coast of Iran, to "keep an eye on things". But then again this administration never lies.......does it?

I knew the second I found out my brother was on his way to the gulf that an attack on Iran is imminant unless something drastic happens to change the course this administration has set us on.