US launches huge show of force in Persian Gulf

Originally posted by tombangelta
lol no.

i just said it was convenient.

I know,

i was pulling your leg mate

I know it was a joke, but I don't get it. That is, why someone posted about Snoop being denied a visa?

I am puzzled....

Originally posted by stumason
I know it was a joke, but I don't get it. That is, why someone posted about Snoop being denied a visa?

I am puzzled....

Maybe he is a member of the revolutionary guards?

I seem to think that there maybe somebody inside Iran playing along with the west. It just seems to convenient for the west at this time that iran Captured 12 of their soldiers. Just the perfect oportunity to fire up a war.

Originally posted by stumason
I know it was a joke, but I don't get it. That is, why someone posted about Snoop being denied a visa?

I am puzzled....

lol it was intended as funny , but cant you remember when the Iraq war was starting tons of celebrity's cancelled tours etc.

Originally posted by Souljah
Funny how with all those ships and airplanes and helicopters and submarines and patrol boats and radars and satellites nobody warned those UK marines that they were being surrounded by Iranian patrol boats. And why didn't nobody help them - like that helicopter assigned to their patrol team? I have a gut feeling that they were "allowed" to be taken away - but now it is time to flex muscles...

I think that their capture was semi-deliberate. Only because this is just beneath the supreme justification for sending in troops, or commencing with bombing raids. Anything else that happens from this point on will be viewed, or twisted into a sign of outward aggression.

Give it another month and we will be entrenched in another endless conflict.

I've been offline for a few of days so forgive me if this has been covered here or on a previous thread.

How far away from the base ship (HMS Cornwall) do these patrol boats normally patrol?

I wouldn't have thought it would be out of visual range, in fact surely these boats are used when the main ship is too large and can't close enough.

What sort of craft surrounded these highly manoveurable patrol boats?

Why were no shots fired by either sides?

Is it true those being held are being forced, barbarically, to rewatch the England v Israel game?

Originally posted by Koka
I've been offline for a few of days so forgive me if this has been covered here or on a previous thread.

No worries, I shall fill you in.

Originally posted by Koka
How far away from the base ship (HMS Cornwall) do these patrol boats normally patrol?

They can actually operate a significant distance from the mothership. HMS Cornwall could have been well over the horizon. These boats can operate quite safely in the North Sea a good distance from any ship.

Originally posted by Koka
I wouldn't have thought it would be out of visual range, in fact surely these boats are used when the main ship is too large and can't close enough.

See above

Originally posted by Koka
What sort of craft surrounded these highly manoveurable patrol boats?

IRGC Coastal patrol vessels. Probably similar to US Coastguard sized vessels, but may have just been dinghies. Not larger than a corvette.

Originally posted by Koka
Why were no shots fired by either sides?

ROE the RN operate under would have prevented anything but defensive fire. The standard operational idea is to de-escalate, rather than escalate.

Originally posted by Koka
Is it true those being held are being forced, barbarically, to rewatch the England v Israel game?

That is sick! If they force them to do that the Iranians should pay!

Originally posted by kleverone

Originally posted by infinite
Capturing troops constitutes as an attack.

Unless those troops were in Iranian territory without permission. Iran had every right to capture those troops. I and think that most here would agree that any forceful action by the UK at this point would certainly validate the suscpicion that this was nothing more than bait for Iran. What should happen is Iran should return the troops as a show of good faith and the US and the UK should stay out of their buisness. Or give up their nuclear technology and stop acting like the world took a big vote and decided that the US is in charge with full dictation regarding nuclear ambition.

bravo sir, I agree with you on all aspects of your post. I am finding it hard for anyone to keep swallowing this holier than thou garbage relating to who can or can not have nuclear technology. And If I was a ruler of any country in this day and age I would want each and every benefit afforded to me as are the big whigs in the rest of the world!

rense.com...

MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) -- Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near Iran's borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday.

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[edit on 27-3-2007 by DontTreadOnMe]

Originally posted by infinite


Its very interesting that the US has done this during the capture of British troops in Iran. This could very well be mind games on the behalf of the coalition, but ,with Blairs tough words today regarding the British will take "other options" now with Iran, we could be see the moving towards conflict.

www.jpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Given the facts that the US could care less what happens to it's own, it's a given they could care less about 15 brits, and it's really quite sad. I doubt they are a factor in their overall plan, but may very well be a "good enough reason" to implement it. Why not, everyone's doing it!

Originally posted by semperfoo
But we will have successfully crippled Irans economy. Also the US has the weapon to deal with Irans hardened under ground nuclear facilitys as well.

Semperfoo do you think that a crippled economy would lead to an internal regime change in Iran ?
I guess if Iran's military is virtually wiped out they will be restricted to aiding the insurgency in Iraq rather then seizing sailors. Russia and China would give aid that would be used in an attempted to rebuild the Iranian military.

Military action would take Iran down a peg or two but they would still be a player in the region by default.

There are a few intersesting comments in this thread. One being the cost of these war games. Some people may not realize this but the US miltary spends a great deal of money just operating on a day to day basis. It may not be covered on the news but at any given point in time the US military is training weather that be out in the feild, air or seas. Sure this may have cost a lot but it is just a minor amount of spending when you think about the fact that their is a real war going on.

There was anther comment implying that the US dose not care about a soldier getting killed. This statement is wrong on so many different ways and on say many levels it's not even funny. First of all, on a unit level the lose of a soldier is huge. From greatest to least there are soldiers who lose friends, family who has to deal with the loss, NCO's that have to deal with the loss of a soldier, commanders that have to do the same and write reports on the situation, and it just these things always have to go to higher. On a highest level there is a man who has to deal with the public who is not happy about the US losing another soldier. I can even turn that statement against you in the worst way and say that there are people out there in the US that would dare to go to a soldiers funaral and hold signs that say thank god for IED's (improved explosive devices).

Loss of human life is never a good thing upon anybody. However, the training of US forces to stay ready for battle in the event that US interests (the US population and friends of the US) is needed. In the middle, what ever anybody says, have no dought that this training was needed. On one hatd to give US forces training in any situations they may or may not use in times to come. Also, most importantly, you can bet the Iran was watching closely to see what they are up against.

at one point wasnt there a report where the marines/sailors were takin in a "disputed area" meaning that iran claims it but no one recognizes that claim. were the brits then not "escorted" to iranian waters before being arrested?

i mean, the whole thing sounds fishy to me...i think iran stepped on its crank and if they dont release the sailors then things could get real ugly.

however, im not going to lose sleep until they start building up troops in the region by a lot more. what we have in iraq is NOT enough to support iraq and invade iran.

if we deploy more ground troops, or britain does...then things will get interesting in a "damn this sucks" kind of way.

so, i agree we (brits OR their allies) cant just sit back and take it, i dotn think iran was within their rights to arrest them unless it is PROVEN that they were in fact in irans waters AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT and not after their "escort" and should they fail to release them, of if they harm them then yeah, its butt whoopin time.

i just hope to go diplomacy works this time. i like iranian people and i dont want to see any innocents hurt, but more importantly i dont want to see any more of my bros/sisters in arms in harms way.

but, were i still in uniform and was told i was going on a rescue mission or going after them for the incident, id feel it was a just cause.

thats just me.

I am forced to agree with my good friend, xpert11. If IRAN makes a miscalculation on this very sensitive matter they may very well find their nuclear ambitions blow to smithereens by tripping off the U.K. and the U.S.A. I've seen IRAN make mistakes in the past that were real head scratchers but this looks like the king of the hill of mistakes. I guess the clock is ticking.

Damn, damn damn!!!! Why the hell does the US gov *SNIP* up forign policy so much. Cuba, Iraq, Iran....everywhere we could have friends if we just given their leaders millions of dollars and said "we respect you as a nation." We could still controle them, but now it seems that millitary action is our only option. If this war starts that I prey to god that we dont pussy foot. Start the draft. Destroy every vestage of power in the country ruin their programs and than take it the hell over. It wont be like nam...there is no jungle...urban environments can be flattend. Offer them peace and than just controle the country for 50 years...but let them make the decisions. *SNIP*..this isnt good. Honestly I just want to live at peace in my apartmant and relax....when nukes start flying than were all doomed.

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[edit on 28/3/2007 by Mirthful Me]

G'day all,

I too am alarmed at what is going on with the Iran situation and have just come across the following c/o the Rense.com website which I think could add to the discussion -

www.rense.com...

MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) -- Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near Iran's borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday. "The latest military intelligence data point to heightened U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran," the official said, adding that the Pentagon has probably not yet made a final decision as to when an attack will be launched.

He said the Pentagon is looking for a way to deliver a strike against Iran "that would enable the Americans to bring the country to its knees at minimal cost."

Moscow urges the United States to avoid escalating tensions around Iran over its nuclear program as it could lead to a "clash of civilizations," the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The Russian ministry said the Iran crisis could have devastating consequences for relations between "civilizations," and then the U.S. would have to prove it is not preparing for a "clash of civilizations" by building up "Fortress America," separated from the rest of the world by two oceans and strict border controls.

The water is hot and beginning to boil. What I find interesting here is Russias comments that attacking Iran would have the side-effect of the USA having to implement a "Fortress America" policy to guarantee the security of their citizens. Isn't this what many of us have been saying for ages with the eroding of democratic rights, this attack on Iran may just be the spark that ignites "Marshall Law" in the US and a reason to justify it. Stop the up coming elections until the matter is sorted and here you have Democratic Dictator George Bush.

No wonder they want this war so bad, they not obly want to steal your democratic rights and freedoms, but also all the natural resources that the mid-east has to offer, on the blood of our young men........Disgraceful

[edit on 28/3/07 by Melbourne_Militia]

Originally posted by el fuego

Iran is selling off USD held in the reserves, which is to settle Oil and Fuel contracts with Buyers. Iran is preparing to move to Euros to settle their fuel contracts, as is Russia and China, which represents the largest fuel trading block in the world.
If this moves ahead, the Shift to Euros to settle international contracts will hit the US hard, but it wont be fatal. It will pull the carpet out from the Bush family and their friends empire. This will shift real economic power to Russia, Europe and Asia.

This war is about petro dollars, not any other stated reason.

What you are missing out on is that a deflated dollar will make American exports more attractive and have a positive effect on US industries reliant on exports.
China would lose out since the Chinese economy is strongly reliant on the US $$$. They bought off US bonds and other capital like crazy with their excess capital. This is true of the entire far-east. A deflated US $$ would pull the rug from under their economic plans. Since the Euro will inflate, iran selling in Euros would be less attractive to prospective buyers since their oil would be more expensive.

BTW, Debka now carries the story as well and also claims that the Russians have info about a pending US strike on April 6th.

Originally posted by Burginthorn
The U.S and its allies are paving the way for the NWO, which has been their plan from the outset.

NWO talk is a joke. Of course this is a conspiracy forum so here I go:

THE NWO is coming whether you like it or not. The WARs and politics are about which NWO would you like to see. The US/European NWO, the Islamic NWO? The far east NWO? A Russian NWO?
Which flavor do you subscribe to????

Would a NWO be bad? Will it provide international stability and unification?
I do not know, but if cultural diversity can be maintained along with international stability this may be a good thing.

Philosophically speaking of course.

Melbourne Militia,

Putin has been making these comments louder and louder, and he's too smart not to be saying them for a very good purpose. Check out his comments at the Munich conference last month for example.

Fact is, the Cold War is back, but this time the US is cast in the role the USSR played last time--imperialistic, militarist adventurer/aggressor.

Only this time it's the US that's desperate. Our economy is in a shambles, our debt is about to skyrocket from a geometric progression to exponential, and we need to control the flow of oil or witness a nasty implosion of the whole debt-driven house of cards.

Meanwhile, Putin's put Russia back together: they're sitting on the world's largest oil reserves, and their new military tech is formidable, lots of it better than ours. (Check out the Sizzler/Sunbeam missile, for example, which can sink a Nimitz-class carrier with a conventional warhead, and which the Navy admits it has no defenses against--and guess which countries in the Middle East Russia has given them to...)

If you'll notice, those countries that are either being targeted by the US or that we are attempting to co-opt are also running in a wide crescent around Russia's western and southern borders.

The madness is that the US is creating this situation. We're creating enemies from arrogance and bullying and threats of domination that we could easily have co-opted with money and diplomacy, "soft power."

I'm afraid here that Putin, ironically, is much the voice of reason.

[edit on 28-3-2007 by gottago]