Aircraft Carrier Parks Next Door To Syria-US Urges Americans To Leave Country Immediately

[Lucille]

There they (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warmonger) go again.

Aircraft Carrier CVN-77 Parks Next Door To Syria Just As US Urges Americans To Leave Country "Immediately" (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/aircraft-carrier-cvn-77-parks-next-door-syria-just-us-urges-americans-leave-country-immediately)


Yesterday we reported that the Arab League (with European and US support) are preparing to institute a no fly zone over Syria. Today, we get an escalation which confirms we may be on the edge. Just out from CBS: "The U.S. Embassy in Damascus urged its citizens in Syria to depart "immediately," and Turkey's foreign ministry urged Turkish pilgrims to opt for flights to return home from Saudi Arabia to avoid traveling through Syria." But probably the most damning evidence that the "western world" is about to do the unthinkable and invade Syria, and in the process force Iran to retaliate, is the weekly naval update from Stratfor, which always has some very interesting if always controversial view on geopolitics, where we find that for the first time in many months, CVN 77 George H.W. Bush has left its traditional theater of operations just off the Straits of Hormuz, a critical choke point, where it traditionally accompanies the Stennis, and has parked... right next to Syria.

[willwash]

The George H W Bush!

[bluesc]

This is not going to end well for our BFF.

[eduardo89]

I hope Russia and Iran give Syria some anti-aircraft missiles. Would be nice to see at least a few NATO jets shot down.

[pcosmar]

My thoughts,,
I can't share them.

:(

[eduardo89]

My thoughts,,
I can't share them.

:(

Please share. This is a safe place. Don't be frightened.

[flightlesskiwi]

is the US trying to provoke Iran to action so Israel has an "excuse" to retaliate?

http://wartard.blogspot.com/2011/11/why-israel-wants-to-attack-iran.html

[pcosmar]

Please share. This is a safe place. Don't be frightened.

It has to do with Bush getting a Sunburn.
Which is very likely considering.

[AuH20]

This schmuck should give back his Nobel Peace Prize.

[Zippyjuan]

The USS George HW Bush is passing through the Mediteranian Sea on its way back home to base. Story from 11/22/11.
http://www.wvec.com/news/military/USS-George-HW-Bush-Strike-Group-to-return-home-134312293.html

USS George H.W. Bush Strike Group to return home
WVEC.com

Posted on November 22, 2011 at 7:44 AM


NORFOLK -- The USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is beginning its journey home.

The group deployed in May, and according to the Virginian Pilot, they're winding down their mission in the Mediterranean Sea to return to Norfolk.

No specific homecoming date has been announced.

This is the aircraft carrier's maiden deployment.

[Zippyjuan]

But probably the most damning evidence that the "western world" is about to do the unthinkable and invade Syria, and in the process force Iran to retaliate, is the weekly naval update from Stratfor, which always has some very interesting if always controversial view on geopolitics, where we find that for the first time in many months, CVN 77 George H.W. Bush has left its traditional theater of operations just off the Straits of Hormuz, a critical choke point, where it traditionally accompanies the Stennis, and has parked... right next to Syria.
It is perhaps ironic to the piece that moving the GHW Bush out of the Strait of Hormuz would actually signal that they don't expect any sort of conflict involving Iran. You see, if the US (or Israel or any other country) were to get into a scrap involving Iran, one of their first moves would be to try to close the Strait of Hormuz which is where 40% of the world's oil passes through. Militarily, they can't fight the US but they certainly could economically by cutting off this oil. If the US were going to try to start something which could involve Iran, they would want to have forces at the Strait to try to keep it open. Thus, the departure of the GHW Bush from there means they don't see any conflict with Iran in the near future.

[paulpwns]

This thread is sick.

[pcosmar]

It is perhaps ironic to the piece that moving the GHW Bush out of the Strait of Hormuz would actually signal that they don't expect any sort of conflict involving Iran. You see, if the US (or Israel or any other country) were to get into a scrap involving Iran, one of their first moves would be to try to close the Strait of Hormuz which is where 40% of the world's oil passes through. Militarily, they can't fight the US but they certainly could economically by cutting off this oil. If the US were going to try to start something which could involve Iran, they would want to have forces at the Strait to try to keep it open. Thus, the departure of the GHW Bush from there means they don't see any conflict with Iran in the near future.

Any US ships within range of the Sunburn variants will be on the bottom within minutes of any conflict there.
There is nothing stopping them from closing the Straits any time they choose.

This is why attacking them in any way is incredibly stupid.

[Zippyjuan]

What is a Sunburn Variant? Some sort of anti- ship missile?

[pcosmar]

What is a Sunburn Variant? Some sort of anti- ship missile?

Yes. Commonly called a carrier killer missile. Supersonic anti-ship missile. Several manufacturers and Iran has their own Homegrown variety as well as Chinese models.
The US has NO KNOWN defense against them.

[Zippyjuan]

Thanks for the info. Looks like they tested one in February. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8309873/Iran-test-fires-new-supersonic-missile.html

[pcosmar]

Thanks for the info. Looks like they tested one in February. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8309873/Iran-test-fires-new-supersonic-missile.html

That seems to be one of (the several) new models. Looks like they increased the range.

Iran has little offensive capability,, but they do have robust defensive capability.

[eduardo89]

What is a Sunburn Variant? Some sort of anti- ship missile?

Based on soviet designs.


The Sunburn Missile
*
I was shocked when I learned the facts about these Russian-made cruise missiles. The problem is that so many of us suffer from two common misperceptions. The first follows from our assumption that Russia is militarily weak, as a result of the breakup of the old Soviet system. Actually, this is accurate, but it does not reflect the complexities. Although the Russian navy continues to rust in port, and the Russian army is in disarray, in certain key areas Russian technology is actually superior to our own. And nowhere is this truer than in the vital area of anti-ship cruise missile technology, where the Russians hold at least a ten-year lead over the US. The second misperception has to do with our complacency in general about missiles-as-weapons probably attributable to the pathetic performance of Saddam Hussein's Scuds during the first Gulf war: a dangerous illusion that I will now attempt to rectify.
*
Many years ago, Soviet planners gave up trying to match the US Navy ship for ship, gun for gun, and dollar for dollar. The Soviets simply could not compete with the high levels of US spending required to build up and maintain a huge naval armada. They shrewdly adopted an alternative approach based on strategic defense. They searched for weaknesses, and sought relatively inexpensive ways to exploit those weaknesses. The Soviets succeeded: by developing several supersonic anti-ship missiles, one of which, the SS-N-22 Sunburn, has been called "the most lethal missile in the world today."


Very interesting read on the missile and Iran's defensive capabilities and what israel attacking Iran will mean for the USA
http://www.rense.com/general59/theSunburniransawesome.htm

[european]

This schmuck should give back his Nobel Peace Prize.

hear hear

[DamianTV]

This schmuck should give back his Nobel Peace Prize.

+Rep

Actions speak louder than words. Oh yeah, how are we doing on closing down Gitmo? That's right. Didn't happen. Predictable Liar Lies Predictably.

[Zippyjuan]

+Rep

Actions speak louder than words. Oh yeah, how are we doing on closing down Gitmo? That's right. Didn't happen. Predictable Liar Lies Predictably.

When they tried to close down Gitmo Congress passed legislation preventing it. They are at fault too.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/61549-congress-uses-spending-bills-to-halt-gitmo-closing


Congress uses spending bills to halt closing of Guantanamo Bay prison

By Walter Alarkon - 10/04/09 02:42 PM ET


Lawmakers are using their authority to direct federal spending to prevent the Obama administration from closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

In their race to complete a dozen appropriations bills for the fiscal year that began this week, members of both chambers are including policy language aimed at halting the administration’s decision to transfer prisoners from the Cuban facility to prisons in their districts.

The latest example came on Thursday when the House instructed conferees negotiating with the Senate on a final version of the Homeland Security spending bill to include language prohibiting the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to U.S. soil. The bill already includes a provision prohibiting the detainees from air travel within or to the United States.

Appropriators have placed Guantanamo provisions into at least four other bills. The Senate Defense spending bill, which has yet to pass the chamber, and the House-approved version would also block the use of federal money for the transfer of detainees to the United States. The House Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations bill and the State Department spending bill would block 2010 federal funding for the closure of the prison. Those bills have been passed by the House and are awaiting Senate action.

Rep. Harold Rogers (Ky.), the GOP appropriator who called for Thursday’s House vote on Gitmo, said the restrictions are needed to prevent the entry of terror detainees to the United States. The Obama administration has pledged to close the prison, but it hasn't told lawmakers what it would do with the detainees. Rogers and Republicans have used the uncertainty to suggest that the detainees could end up endangering Americans in their own communities.

[CaptainAmerica]

is the US trying to provoke Iran to action so Israel has an "excuse" to retaliate?

http://wartard.blogspot.com/2011/11/why-israel-wants-to-attack-iran.html U.S. is isolating Iran as much as possible and last month there was a news article about 20,000 troops massing at the Kuwait border near the Persian Gulf right next to Iran.Strategically,an assault on the Persian Gulf area of Iran would put the U.S. in control of nearly all of their oil pipeline.http://www.parstimes.com/images/iran_petroleum_facilities_2004.jpg

I don't know whats going to happen but the U.S. already imposed sanctions on Iran and I don't know any specifics,I do remember Ron Paul saying that currently Iran is unable to get very much oil.

[Zippyjuan]

As it was when the US entered the Iraq war, Kuwait is being used as a staging area for troop extractions so yes, there has been an increase in troops there. But they want them out of Kuwait as soon as possible.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/23/world/meast/kuwait-us-troops/

U.S. military works to get troops home faster from Iraq
By Chelsea J. Carter, CNN
November 24, 2011 -- Updated 0315 GMT (1115 HKT)

Camp Virginia, Kuwait (CNN) -- The U.S. military is ordering that soldiers crossing from Iraq into Kuwait be returned home at a faster rate, a move that comes as commanders work to break up a bottleneck of troops who have been pouring across the border ahead of a year-end deadline to withdraw, CNN has learned.

"The order is to have these soldiers off the ground in Kuwait as soon as possible," a military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told CNN. The official, based in Kuwait, was not authorized to speak to the media.

"They don't want these soldiers sitting around here. They want them home."

The official did not immediately know whether the military was moving up or adding flights for troops from Kuwait.

The order follows President Barack Obama's announcement last month that he would pull virtually all troops from Iraq by year's end, meeting the terms of a U.S.-Iraqi security pact that set a December 31, 2011, withdrawal deadline.



Iran is more than twice as big as Iraq and more heavily armed. Even if there were 20,000 soldiers in Kuwait (I can't verify that number), that would be not nearly enough to launch an invasion. We had as many as 50,000 in Iraq.

As for numbers, this report quotes:

About 1,200 troops are permanently based at Camp Virginia. The population has swelled, at times, to more than four or five times that number.


Five times that number would be 6,000.

[Danke]

Yes. Commonly called a carrier killer missile. Supersonic anti-ship missile. Several manufacturers and Iran has their own Homegrown variety as well as Chinese models.
The US has NO KNOWN defense against them.

Oh man. Don't believe what you read on the Internetz.

Ever heard of jamming/deception?

Even our small fighter aircraft radars can detect missiles. The carriers are not defenseless.

And of course the biggest reason not to shoot at the US military, especially a large asset like a carrier, retaliation.

[flightlesskiwi]

Based on soviet designs.




Very interesting read on the missile and Iran's defensive capabilities and what israel attacking Iran will mean for the USA
http://www.rense.com/general59/theSunburniransawesome.htm

i read this article. and he says this
It will hardly matter if Washington gives the green light, or is dragged into the conflict by a recalcitrant Israel. Either way, the result will be the same. The Iranians will interpret US acquiescence as complicity, and, in any event, they will understand that the real fight is with the Americans.

in all technicality, and from what i understand, by the end of this year, Iraqi air space will be controlled by Iraq and not the US-- thus, if Israel flies across Iraq airspace to enter Iran, the US is not held liable.

i wonder if this is why the US decided to be more speedy about troop withdrawal, to try and attempt to not get sucked into what Israel may be plotting with Iran...?

[pcosmar]

Oh man. Don't believe what you read on the Internetz.

Ever heard of jamming/deception?

Even our small fighter aircraft radars can detect missiles. The carriers are not defenseless.

And of course the biggest reason not to shoot at the US military, especially a large asset like a carrier, retaliation.

Exocets have already been proven quite effective. Iran has plenty of those type as well. Actually they have multi-level defenses from High Tech to low tech ,old school. It is a redundant system in every area.

As to retaliation,, I suspect that if they are used at all it will be IN Retaliation.

From a purely tactical position, attacking Iran would be a very stupid thing to do.

[Danke]

Exocets have already been proven quite effective. Iran has plenty of those type as well. Actually they have multi-level defenses from High Tech to low tech ,old school. It is a redundant system in every area.

As to retaliation,, I suspect that if they are used at all it will be IN Retaliation.

From a purely tactical position, attacking Iran would be a very stupid thing to do.

No tactically an easy target. Strategically stupid.

[XNavyNuke]

Yes. Commonly called a carrier killer missile. Supersonic anti-ship missile. Several manufacturers and Iran has their own Homegrown variety as well as Chinese models.
The US has NO KNOWN defense against them.

Damn, where's that yellow hankie emoticon?!? The Sunburns can be defended against, the Navy just chooses not to keep a squadron deployed to do so. Its a business decision by the war merchants. The AIM-54 (Mach 5) linked with E-2C data is capable of intercepting Sunburns unlike the SM-3 (Mach 2.5) controlled by Aegis. Its kinda like the same decision whereby they tried to foist M4's on the USMC.

XNN