Operation Brimstone ended only one week ago. This was the joint US/UK/French naval war games in the Atlantic Ocean preparing for a naval blockade of Iran and the likely resulting war in the Persian Gulf area. The massive war games included a US Navy supercarrier battle group, an US Navy expeditionary carrier battle group, a Royal Navy carrier battle group, a French nuclear hunter-killer submarine plus a large number of US Navy cruisers, destroyers and frigates playing the "enemy force".
The lead American ship in these war games, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71) and its Carrier Strike Group Two (CCSG-2) are now headed towards Iran along with the USS Ronald Reagon (CVN76) and its Carrier Strike Group Seven (CCSG-7) coming from Japan.
They are joining two existing USN battle groups in the Gulf area: the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) with its Carrier Strike Group Nine (CCSG-9); and the USS Peleliu (LHA-5) with its expeditionary strike group.
Likely also under way towards the Persian Gulf is the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) and its expeditionary strike group, the UK Royal Navy HMS Ark Royal (R07) carrier battle group, assorted French naval assets including the nuclear hunter-killer submarine Amethyste and French Naval Rafale fighter jets on-board the USS Theodore Roosevelt. These ships took part in the just completed Operation Brimstone.
The build up of naval forces in the Gulf will be one of the largest multi-national naval armadas since the First and Second Gulf Wars. The intent is to create a US/EU naval blockade (which is an Act of War under international law) around Iran (with supporting air and land elements) to prevent the shipment of benzene and certain other refined oil products headed to Iranian ports. Iran has limited domestic oil refining capacity and imports 40% of its benzene. Cutting off benzene and other key products would cripple the Iranian economy. The neo-cons are counting on such a blockade launching a war with Iran.
The US Naval forces being assembled include the following:
Carrier Strike Group Nine USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) nuclear powered supercarrier with its Carrier Air Wing Two Destroyer Squadron Nine: USS Mobile Bay (CG53) guided missile cruiser USS Russell (DDG59) guided missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG92) guided missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG86) guided missile destroyer USS Ford (FFG54) guided missile frigate USS Ingraham (FFG61) guided missile frigate USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG60) guided missile frigate USS Curts (FFG38) guided missile frigate Plus one or more nuclear hunter-killer submarines
Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group USS Peleliu (LHA-5) a Tarawa-class amphibious assault carrier USS Pearl Harbor (LSD52) assult ship USS Dubuque (LPD8) assult ship/landing dock USS Cape St. George (CG71) guided missile cruiser USS Halsey (DDG97) guided missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG65) guided missile destroyer
Carrier Strike Group Two USS Theodore Roosevelt (DVN71) nuclear powered supercarrier with its Carrier Air Wing Eight Destroyer Squadron 22 USS Monterey (CG61) guided missile cruiser USS Mason (DDG87) guided missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG94) guided missile destroyer USS Sullivans (DDG68) guided missile destroyer
USS Springfield (SSN761) nuclear powered hunter-killer submarine
IWO ESG ~ Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group USS Iwo Jima (LHD7) amphibious assault carrier with its Amphibious Squadron Four and with its 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit USS San Antonio (LPD17) assault ship USS Velia Gulf (CG72) guided missile cruiser USS Ramage (DDG61) guided missile destroyer USS Carter Hall (LSD50) assault ship USS Roosevelt (DDG80) guided missile destroyer
USS Hartfore (SSN768) nuclear powered hunter-killer submarine
Carrier Strike Group Seven USS Ronald Reagan (CVN76) nuclear powered supercarrier with its Carrier Air Wing 14 Destroyer Squadron 7 USS Chancellorsville (CG62) guided missile cruiser USS Howard (DDG83) guided missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG101) guided missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG73) guided missile destroyer USS Thach (FFG43) guided missile frigate USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7) fast combat support ship
Also likely to join the battle armada:
UK Royal Navy HMS Ark Royal Carrier Strike Group with assorted guided missile destroyers and frigates, nuclear hunter-killer submarines and support ships
Earl of Stirling, Hereditary Governor and Lord Lieutenant of Canada. Author of CASH FOR PEERAGES: THE SMOKING GUN (Lulu Press at www.lulu.com/content/953682). Web site: http://europebusines.blogspot.com/
Iran shares land borders with MANY countries, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It would be impossible to prevent truckloads of Benzene from being sent by all of these countries.
And via the Caspian sea, shipments of Benzene and other materials could additionally be shipped from Russia, Kazakshstan and Georgia as well as Turkmenistan and Armenia.
Oil could also be shipped out via any number of these methods. There are numerous pipelines that lead from Iran and various places in the Middle East up toward the former Soviet Republics.
A naval blockade of a country with this many alternate shipping routes would be hillariously ineffective. The idea of "supporting air and land elements" are a joke too. We are not going to violate the borders and airspace of all these other countries in order to accomplish this blockade.
If this kind of armada is heading toward the Persian gulf, it must have another objective. Either we are going to war right away, or it is saber rattling.
by
Steven Leser (231 articles, 49 quicklinks, 35 diaries, 1800 comments)
on Friday, August 8, 2008 at 6:38:11 PM
The neo-cons want war with Iran. It is a part of their overall grand strategy. It is not really about the Iranian nuclear program or whatever. Any blockade is simply an attempt to start a war.
Stirling
by
Lord Stirling (25 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 143 comments)
on Friday, August 8, 2008 at 11:59:14 PM
Consider This NYT Op-ed Piece In Light Of Recent Development
Israeli Historian Benny Harris's OPed in the NYT:
click here says the Israeli government is contemplating all-out nuclear war with Iran as a last-ditch effort to end Iran's nuclear program. Wouldn't a disastrous US Naval defeat in the Gulf provide the cassus belli for nuclear escalation? We know the neocons don't give a damn about the troops or the "liberated". Why would they hesitate to allow the fleet to be destroyed if it further's their ultimate goal of nuclear war?
I am genuinely horrified by the attitudes of other posters in the comments section of both of these stories. Read my replies to one named OldAtlantic in the comments on Harris' piece in the Times.
We are in deep sh*t. I'm glad I own an acre and a half of Rio Grande Valley bottom land and have 5 wells on the property. If push comes to shove,I can raise enough vegetables on my land to feed me.
by
Ishmael1 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 36 comments)
on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 7:10:47 PM
Yes we are in deep sh*t. I believe that this is all planned by certain neo-con and globalist banking elements. I suspect that the US Navy can take care of itself when push comes to shove, however, I would expect us to take some serious losses (and US DOD war games so indicate). The sad thing is that there are people in power who seek and work for war and have no regard for the lives of those lost and for those injured and those who will lose love ones. It is a good time for prayer.
Stirling
by
Lord Stirling (25 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 143 comments)
on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 7:24:27 PM
The Dominionist version of Christianity they are following says that they must control everything,full spectrum dominance of the world from sea to sea and from the abyssal depths of the oceans to out in space. A world war would unfortunately be something those psychopaths would have no problem with. They want control and will work to get it and maintain it as long as we let them! So far other elements in our gov't haven't figured out that the rules have changed and despots are in charge changing things as they change the country from a republic to a dictatorship. A cabal that has been working for 75 years to get what they want. A war would work in their favor here. Not in ours.
by
nightgaunt (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 322 comments)
on Sunday, August 10, 2008 at 3:52:24 PM
And the Repugnicans are losing. They're loading up the bases and Big George is stepping up to the plate. It's his last chance to help the team come from behind by executing the suicide squeeze and staging the Mother of All Wars.....
by
Kris Malmquist (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 39 diaries, 107 comments)
on Monday, August 11, 2008 at 5:53:08 AM
11 comments
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