US Carriers amassing off coast of Iran

Report: US warships stationed off Iranian coast | Raw Story

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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.

CIA director Leon Panetta said Sunday that Iran has enough enriched uranium to build two nuclear bombs. In an interview on ABC's This Week, Panetta also said he believed the recent spate of international and US sanctions against Iran will not convince the country to change course on its nuclear program.

"Will it deter them from their ambitions with regards to nuclear capability? Probably not," Panetta said.

Israel and the United States continue to ignore every indication that Iran is not capable of constructing nuclear weapons. Less than a year ago even, a senior US advisor admitted that Iran doesn't have the data to build a nuclear bomb. The facts, however, are not going to hold sway when general paranoia enters into the geopolitical realm.

Israel is demonstrating near suicidal tendencies following the fallout of the Mavi Marmara attack, and wargames have also demonstrated the vulnerability of US carrier groups to Iran's naval defenses. If this does boil down to a confrontation I hope Iran gives a serious black eye to Israel and America's defense establishment.

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The facts, however, are not going to hold sway when general paranoia enters into the geopolitical realm.

Too true.

I can't understand how we (the USA) can keep getting aw ay with stuff like this. Sure I guess situations like these would be considered more of a 'threat' than an action, but really, how long is the world going to stand by and let us do whatever the fuck we want with little to no worldly consequences? Someone or someones are going to get more than upset enough to teach us a lesson eventually.

Israel is a nation filled with many religiously overzealous people, and the U.S.A. is just as bad. I'm tempted to agree with Brady on this one.

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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.

This reminds me of that episode in Metalocalypse where the President is on the news saying that the inmates are going to "possibly" break out of jail, and that it's "definitely, probably going to happen tomorrow. Maybe."

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Shiny McShine

I can't understand how we (the USA) can keep getting away with stuff like this.

We spend more on our military than any other nation in the world. That's how. Hope this helps.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Does Iran have the capacity to make a nuke? Probably not. In fact, I'd be amazed if they're out of the fucking bronze age.

Do they deserve to get a black eye over their chest-thumping, their "hey we're gonna show you guys!" soundbytes by their awful leader. Yeah, definitely.

(I'd like to add "hahaha" to all the people who voted Obama in thinking he was going to make things right.)

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by LeHah

In fact, I'd be amazed if they're out of the fucking bronze age.

Well they're developing nuclear power right now which Israel is probably going to bomb anyways, so I'd put them a bit beyond the bronze age.

There's also reports that Israeli diesel subs are in the area with nuclear warheads. The Iranians have hardened their facilities against conventional bombs knowing what Israel did to Iraq's nuclear power stations, so there are some fears that Israel will use nuclear bunker busters to eliminate nuclear facilities. At which point irony will be dead and bizzaro Earth collides into the planet.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Quite. The rest of the world is happy to sit back and watch you guys throw your weight around the middle east until you've got your hands on all the oil you need to keep ignoring global warming for another generation. You'll fall off your perch eventually, every super-power does, but I suspect it'll be internal strife that ends the US's reign rather than foreign intervention.

Israel however is looking for a kicking and like I said in the other Israel thread, it's only a matter of time before it becomes socially acceptable for Europeans to hate jews again, just like it has been since they first spread out of Africa. The Germans might have excelled at it but most of the rest of the world has been merrily murdering jews for millenia and it's only the support of the US that's stopping it happening now. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the US throws Israel to the circling wolves after they invade Iran in order to deflect some heat away from you guys.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Europe's greatest mistake is buying the notion that Anti-Zionism = Anti-Semitism

It will never be socially acceptable to hate Jews, but knowing the poll numbers I don't blame anybody for hating Israelis.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Grape-Flavored Fun Dip

We spend more on our military than any other nation in the world. That's how. Hope this helps.

Oh rly? Yeah that helps alot

Had you read the rest of my post, let alone the rest of that SENTENCE, you would have read that I asked HOW we can do it with almost NO consequences from other nations, the U.N., anyone. It seems that at some point someone would step up and tell us to knock it off, or something. It can't be that we just threaten anyone with big giant boom-booms and they back down every time.

Or who knows, maybe it is.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

1. Security Council Veto
2. American markets are vital to the world economy
3. Nobody can rival our ability to project force across the world
4. The only countries with force projection capabilities are our allies

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Shin

Quite. The rest of the world is happy to sit back and watch you guys throw your weight around the middle east until you've got your hands on all the oil you need to keep ignoring global warming for another generation. You'll fall off your perch eventually, every super-power does, but I suspect it'll be internal strife that ends the US's reign rather than foreign intervention.

I think that will happen to, mostly because we're slowly losing our rights.

I keep saying to myself "please don't mess with Iran -.-" but whatever. Go for it~...

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Originally Posted by LeHah

Does Iran have the capacity to make a nuke? Probably not. In fact, I'd be amazed if they're out of the fucking bronze age.

They aren't all the way there, as far as I know. There are a lot of required steps that it is a really bad idea to rush, but I'm fairly well convinced they are getting closer. We know that they are producing enriched Uranium right now, and that can be a significant step towards nuclear weapons capability.

That said, I'm far from convinced that Israel will take pre-emptive action. Just because they have done before doesn't guarantee that they will again. I'm sure they would like to, but their plans having been anticipated might do a lot to discourage them, not to mention the fact that Iran has taken somewhat greater precautions than Iraq or Syria in the past.

It seems at this point like Israel's only option is a nuke, and I don't believe they would exercise that option unless they are attacked first. By that of course I would include even an attack by conventional weapons, but I believe they would want to have at least the bare justification of self-defence.

After all, so far two nuclear devices have been detonated which were not part of a test, and both of those were during a war which had been officially declared. It is a pretty big precedent to set if you make it three without an official declaration, don't ya think? The international community just might have words to say about that.

I''m aware this post is at least in part a rehash of a discussion recently had with Styphon, but I like to think I've fleshed out my points enough to avoid total redundancy.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

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The international community just might have words to say about that.

They always have some words to say about it. They can say whatever they damn well please, the real question is "What will the international community do about it?"

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Bradylama

Israel and the United States continue to ignore every indication that Iran is not capable of constructing nuclear weapons. Less than a year ago even, a senior US advisor admitted that Iran doesn't have the data to build a nuclear bomb.

That's... interesting. Actually, any kid with an access to Google has the data to build a nuclear bomb. Heck, I have the data to build a nuclear bomb. What a kid with an access to Google lacks is resources. Now, Iran - Iran has the resources. What Iran needs is time. So, should Israel grant Iran enough time to produce nuclear weapons, given the fact Iran openly and constantly threatens to destroy Israel? I think they shouldn't.

I was speaking idiomatically.