According to The Telegraph, an “armada of international naval power” has converged on the Persian Gulf for maneuvers, and to protect the maritime lines of communication through the Strait of Hormuz (read oil). I suspect that an additional mission may be to exploit whatever the outcome is of a potential Israeli-Iranian conflict.
This is an article full of peculiarities. We are told, for instance, that there are three U.S. carrier task groups in the Persian Gulf, “each of which has more aircraft than the entire complement of the Iranian air force.” Also, the “battleships” escorting the carriers include “ballistic missile cruisers.” We are also informed that also present is the British destroyer HMS Diamond, which cost a cool £1 billion (It presumably “pounds” opponents into submission, for lack of ballistic missiles.)
The main part of the exercise is supposed to take place today as Obama finally condescends to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to “discuss the Iranian crisis.” Allegedly,
“[b]oth Downing Street and Washington hope that the show of force will demonstrate to Iran that Nato and the West will not allow President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian leader, to develop a nuclear armoury or close Hormuz.”
And the conclusion?
One defence source told The Sunday Telegraph last night: “If it came to war, there would be carnage. The Iranian casualties would be huge but they would be able to inflict severe blows against the US and British.
“The Iranian Republican Guard are well versed in asymmetrical warfare and would use swarm attacks to sink or seriously damage ships.”
And, mainly,
“This is a conflict nobody wants, but the rhetoric from Israel is unrelenting.”
I knew it. It’s those Jews again!
Cognitive Dissonance 