Following up on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s bellicose threats toward Iran, Pentagon officials suggested that moving against Iran would require a “whole government solution.” They pointed toward the Pentagon being more aggressive toward Iran in the future.
While officials were not specific about what the Pentagon would or even might do, they condemned Iran’s “malign influence” in the region. Some talked up freedom of navigation operations, which has long been a favored way for the US Navy to pick fights or escalate tensions with rivals.
Purely theoretically, the freedom of navigation exercise is just meant to prove that ships can safely transit certain waters. Though Iran has never impeded anyone’s ships passing around their sphere of influence, the US Navy has favored parking ships along Iran’s maritime borders, and occasionally hugging that border.
Even before the US started this post-nuclear deal desire to pick a fight with Iran, such exercises were common. Often, this boiled down to US warships hugging the Iranian coast until Iranian patrol boats made visual contact. Following that, US officials would condemn Iran as “provocative” for having those boats patrolling their own territorial waters, or “reckless” for getting even a little close to US warships.
Beyond maritime incidents, the comments from the State Department suggest the general preference of the administration is to provoke something inside Syria. A substantial number of US troops are stationed in Syria, and while very few Iranians are there, the US and Israel have often spun every Shi’ite militia as effectively “under Iranian control.”
I-ran the thorn in Uncle Sham’s butt. One stands free at approximalty 242 years old thanks to Louis the 16th and the other over 5000 years old dealing with several empires trying to conquer them. The West just can’t comprehend that just because you have more advance weapon system doesn’t make you more experienced in warfare. Just take a look at the mighty Rome that tried and failed.
Rome failed ?
I’m referring to the Roman Empire.
I think what failed was “pay as you go” empire. Usurped by debt driven empire.
Good point. But Rome spearheaded the frontlines with its mighty Centurion Generals and adnavced battle ready strategy that most neighboring states fell. Yet, after multiple years of fighting they were unable to conquer Persia.
The Strait of Hormuz is going to get some action soon.
Sounds like more noise from the noisemakers. Unless you think the US can run off fracking and refined dirt for more than a couple weeks.
Of course us americans should enjoy that $15.00 per gallon gas.
Maybe we’ll get flying cars!
The US can run off Fracking
The US is now the number one oil producer in the world.
The increase in US oil production is great news. I am very happy about it.
The U.S. is poised to take the title of world’s largest oil producer this year. According to the latest report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), “this year promises to be a record-setting one for the US,” with the potential of surpassing the output of Saudi Arabia and Russia.Jan 19, 2018
U.S. Could Become World’s Largest Oil Producer This Year | Fortune
fortune.com/2018/01/19/us-saudi-arabia-russia-largest-oil-producer-2018/
Then there are electric cars. More good news.
Middle East power has been broken. FOREVER
Check your facts the big fracking finds are now topping out the technology doesn’t work the way it was expected.
Getting better all the time
More efficient all the time. Plus it only has to last 20 or 25 years. By that time the US will be able to turn coal to oil efficient ly
Or by that time electric vehicles will be the standard.
The middle east is not coming back .
Ever
That’s a pretty bold prediction. It assumes that the only thing that matters now — or ever — is energy production.
Let me rephrase it the US will not be at the mercy of energy producing nations anytime soon.
This equals a huge shift in Geo Politics in the US favor. And I am happy about it .
The gang of criminals who runs the US are somewhat nicer than the criminal gangs who run other nations
.
I’m certainly not unhappy about the rest of the world being able to slip the OPEC leash.
But when it comes to geopolitics, I wouldn’t say that it’s SPECIFICALLY in the favor of the US.
In the short term, it’s already starting to be hard on the people of some oil producing countries whose governments let themselves addicted to quick and easy oil cash then didn’t want to stop partying when the price bottom fell out, e.g. Venezuela.
But in the long term, oil not being the cash cow it used to be will force those economies to diversify, which will make them less dependent on superpower customers/sponsors, especially including the US. And being less dependent on the US translates to not having to kowtow to every whim and whimsy that comes out of Washington.
Wear a cup.
If they diversify then they will probably have to adopt better forms of government.
If they do then that would be good for the US. Most dictatorships prioritze political education over all else.
If Iran wants to get away from oil then they will have to adopt a better political system
I guess that depends on what you mean by “good for the US” and “better forms of government.”
The US government doesn’t really seem to care much what form of government another country has, as long as whoever’s in power does exactly what the US government demands, when it demands it, no questions asked. That tends to lead for a preference for dictators who can be more easily bought off than for voters who might turn out to have minds of their own (as Mossadegh, Allende, and Yanukovych learned when the US sponsored coups to reverse the electorate’s decisions in their countries).
Or, in some cases — Iran is one of them — the US government will work overtime to keep a regime it claims to hate in power precisely so that it can whine about regimes that don’t do exactly what the US government demands, when it demands it, no questions asked. If the US wanted the mullahs out of power it would lift all sanctions and let the mullahs be the bad guys keeping the Iranian people from getting PlayStation 4s and Dodge Rams. The mullahs wouldn’t last six months.
But in either case, doing exactly what the US government demands, when it demands it, no questions asked is always the criterion and has been since the end of World War Two, with the exception of Israel. For whatever reason, Israel gets a free pass and, although it hasn’t the power to throw the US up against the wall to show it who’s boss like the US does with its own victims, generally treats the US like the US treats the rest of the world.
I agree that US government policy to Iran helps the Mullahs stay in power
But that is cause the US govt is thoughtless
For the record Europe and South Korea have gotten the best of the US as well. The US runs bug trade deficits with both and US tax payers pay much of the cost of defense for Eurpe and South Korea as well.
Europe was more gung ho about ecpanding Nato than was the US yet the US has taken all of the heat from Russia
A case also of theocrats forever against theocrats. Mullahs against mullahs. Christian ‘holy’ men and ‘holy women against mullahs. Rabbis against mullahs.
Yes, i think. And forever, i expect!
Nothing holy about Ziokoch Inc.
Strange how the MSM and DC politicians and Generals forget how the USA overthrew the elected leader of Iran in 1953 and installed the Shah, all over oil! O, our hands are so clean!!!! 🙁
Today the demands of Iran (Mossadegh) on foreign oil exploration in the country in 1953 is standard (plus often some more) in every oil-producing country. The breakthrough came in Libya with the oilpatch-shaking contract between Occidental Petroleum and the Libyan government (Qaddafi).
Because they know the price of everything, and the cost of nothing.
Any normal person would see that the USA has HUUUGE problems in its Homeland and needs no foreign adventures to use up its alleged exceptional abilities. It could actually try helping its own people (not the very rich and the corporations that now get the perks) and if it had any diplomats left it could even solve some of the international conflicts it causes by (horror!)peaceful means. UNAmerican, I know.
This is an empire in its rococo phase. Everything is bigger, supersized, phalic symbolism everywhere. But ut is competition among the elite, and reasonable ones are walked all over. Real problems are not solved — in fact, there is NO domestic policy in sxistence. They catapulted health care jnto oblivion, passed tax cuts — do there is something to talk about at election.
They’re probably looking to blow down another commercial airliner like they did back in ’88. 290 dead, 66 of them children. But Iran is the terror state.
And H.W. Bush refusing to apologize.
Being a chickenhawk means never having to say your sorry.
Claimed the slow lumbering passenger plane on a scheduled flight was a threat to the US navy ships near Iranian waters….. It would be ridiculous and funny if it didn’t result in the deaths of innocent people just minding their own business. Imagine if the tables were turned and the Iranian military shot down a US passenger aircraft.
The best one I ever heard of when some U.S. military soldiers found them selves in Iranian waters and were captured and arrested .. I have heard American leaders say they don’t think they should have been treated so badly . WHAT a joke imagine if we caught a bunch of Iranian soldiers in small boats around our coast line .Would we question them ? We would never suspect of maybe terrorism . I’am a strong believer in treating your neighbor as you would like to be treated . The United States acts completely insane more often than not . Even with Trump
I see what you mean, Eric, a small boat carrying a group of US soldiers in Iranian waters and stopped by Iranian boats, and the soldiers captured and imprisoned. I remember American leaders complaining they don’t think the soldiers should’ve been treated so badly (I don’t recall any soldier being badly treated).
So, what if a group of Iranian soldiers in a small boat in US waters were caught? Does any intelligent person believe for one second these Iranians wouldn’t be interrogated/tortured? Knowing the history of the CIA, those unfortunate Iranians would’ve undergone brutal tortures, including waterboarding.
We agreed to let China start and run businesses in the USA imagine if they started running dental implant clinics with their new US license dental implant computers . The United state says China steals U.S technology . But this technology bull shit has gone to far when the U.S government started granting patent extensions It used to be a patent protected the inventor for 7 years against competition from copiers . Now days big companies want protection from competition for ever . This has the tendency to make some stuff pretty high priced . Maybe we need to start paying China a royalty on every Pheasant and pig produced in the United States since history begin .
Note…naval incidents are historically the go to false flag…..
I’m thinking a sitting-duck aircraft carrier will be involved, Dave. That would fit right in with the “sinking” of the Maine, the Pearl Harbor “surprise” attack, the phony Gulf of Tonkin incident, etc.
But THIS time the US government would be telling the truth. And any questions would be unpatriotic or even treasonous to ask.
I wonder if the sailors stationed on the older carriers in the ME have any idea…..
Heaven help the crew of the USS Harry S. Truman.
“Remember the Truman” ya, Goebbels would love the ring of it.
I remember back when the Pentagon did what the administration ordered it to do. Seems we have a tail wagging the dog today.