Click to enlarge. |
Zerohedge is reporting on some very interesting positioning of U.S. naval ships:
As the most recently updated naval map from Stratfor demonstrates, the CVN 77 G.H.W. Bush has just entered the Persian Gulf, the first time a US aircraft carrier has passed through the Straits of Hormuz in months. What is also notable is that the LHD 5 Bataan amphibious warfare ship has just weighed anchor right next to Libya: this is odd since the coast of Tripoli had been left unattended for many weeks by US attack ships. And topping it all off is that a third aircraft carrier, the CVN 73, is sailing west from the South China seas, potentially with a target next to CVN 76 Ronald Reagan which is the second carrier in the Straits of Hormuz area. Three carriers in proximity to Iran would be extremely troubling.Zerohedge goes on to report:
CIA veteran Robert Baer, the man played by George Clooney in Syriana, who as Al Jazeera reports, appeared on KPFK Los Angeles, warning that Israeli PM Netanyahu is "likely to ignite a war with Iran in the very near future." It gets worse: "Masters asked Baer why the US military is not mobilising to stop this war from happening. Baer responded that the military is opposed, as is former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who used his influence to thwart an Israeli attack during the Bush and Obama administrations. But he's gone now and "there is a warning order inside the Pentagon" to prepare for war." The punchline: "There is almost "near certainty" that Netanyahu is "planning an attack [on Iran] ... and it will probably be in September before the vote on a Palestinian state. And he's also hoping to draw the United States into the conflict", Baer explained." For the betting public out there, an September CL call may not be the dumbest trade possible...All this is real interesting, but here's the real kicker: Economist Nouriel Roubini has tweeted the link to the ZeroHedge story. As long-term EPJ readers know, I consider Roubini the most connected man in finance. He has a small house warming party and George Soros shows up. To ring in the New Year, he shows up at billionaire Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich's New Year's eve party. He gave Larry Summers stock in his company. Within hours of DSK being arrested, he tweeted that Christine Lagarde would take his place--as she has done. He is a consultant to most of the central banks in the world.
I have never seen Roubini tweeting on foreign affairs before, he is unlikely to be tweeting because he finds the story interesting. The story likely falls in line with what he is hearing from his very in the know network.
Israel-Iran war in September, mark your calendar.
Oil will go sky high, the US navy will take a battering in the straits of hormuz, the US Military in Iraq will be ripped to shredds, all of the middle east will be up and screaming and Osama will be smiling.
ReplyDeleteTerrible: for both the innocent Iranian people who will suffer and die and for the American sailors who will be made a sacrifice by Israeli missiles with Pentagon complicity (9-11 writ way large, and USS Maine one more time)
ReplyDeleteSomeone let Seymour Hersh know. He's busy researching and writing up his next forecast of a US invasion of Iran and might not have heard of this amongst the din of all of his past, incorrect forecasts.
ReplyDeleteBob or anyone,
ReplyDeleteWhat is a September CL call?
thanks
September 2011 would be 9/11, right?
ReplyDeleteWe had our sex scandal a la Chandra Levy for distraction..
Now comes the main course...
I wonder how much this has to do with Ahmadinejad's power struggle with Khamenei of late? There's some interesting memes being pushed online right now, especially about a possible fight between Ahmadinawhackjob and the Iran's Revolutionary Guard, who are supposed to be one of his closest allies.
ReplyDelete[http://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2011/jul/11/ahmadinejad-vs-revolutionary-guards]
It would not shock me if the U.S. Intelligence establishment is either getting ramped up for a confrontation with Iran, or at least getting prepared to take advantage of one with Israel. At least some think tanks, ahem, think so.
Iran: I-srael r-equires a-merican n-aivete`
ReplyDeleteThat's scary, Bob. Your Roubini observations have been pretty spot-on.
ReplyDeleteI just watched all 2.5 hours of the recent YouTube video "Hollywood Speaks Out" documentary on the...inconsistencies in the official narrative on the 9/11 attacks. Very compelling documentary.
I've always had doubts- I called my high school best friend (who bitched me out for a few seconds since it was 6am in AZ when I called him 7 or 8 times before he answered until I told him to shut the hell up and turn on any TV station) as soon as I saw the planes hit, and recall telling him that "this is just the beginning".
After watching the movie...well, my doubts are gone completely. It was 100% an inside job. If that makes me a "conspiracy theorist" then so be it.
To little ole me, WWIII has been going on for some time now, this is just the official start, imho. Afterall, how many countries have to be at war to make it a world war?
ReplyDeleteWhat does it all mean to the Person on the street? Higher gas prices, maybe an extra kick to food and clothing prices? Unless you're in the military it seems like World War doesn't mean anything. And that is part of the plan, I'm sure.
Even crazier is that Iranian State media had articles in the last week about how their officials had been sitting in on NATO meetings for the Mediterranean region, at NATO invitation??!!
ReplyDeleteCertainly any rapprochement between US- Iran would impell Israelis to try and break it apart- like with Syria. US_Syria relations were humming along w/ intel sharing in 2003 then IDF fed US bad info on Syria, leading to a falling out which has since led to all other bad blood.
@Silver Bully,
ReplyDeleteGotta ask you... what makes Ahmadinejad a ''whackjob''? Who are you to decide, or what do you really know about him (besides all that b.s. you read from your local Brainwash Times)?
You, Americans, have been trying to initiate a war with Iran for years now. Obviously you've painted a picture of him as some kind of next bin Laden or even worse (because he's looking to get a nuclear weapon). But did any of you listen to bin Laden or Al Qaeda's reasoning behind their attacks? Did you? They were attacking you because you won't leave them alone. You keep interfering with your billions of dollars and/or weapons. You try to pick the leaders by supporting one group over another. How would you guys feel if, let's say China, would start supporting some kind of Communist Party in U.S. with hundreds of billions of dollars. And ultimately this party will ''win'' elections (either forcefully or not) and then make you their slaves. Wouldn't you turn against China and ultimately attack them? So stop policing the world and mind your own business.
As for Iran, I'm not saying Ahmadinejad is an angel or anything. But Iran has NOT attacked another country nor initiated a war in over 300 years. How come Iran is such a threat all of the sudden? Sure they might fight here or there, but ONLY because other countries attack them OR Americans/British/... keep messing around in the region.
If the west would stay the f**** out of middle east, I'm sure it would be a much-much peaceful region. If they do decide to fight each other every now and then, so what? It's their choice, so let them do it. Without American billions of dollars, none of the groups would get a lot of weapons and man-power to dictate the region - therefore, no new bin Ladens, Husseins or Mubarak's.
PS: As for Israel - a country where a lot of conflicts arise - you should just abandon them. If they feel like fighting all the time, then let them. If they attack Iran, then they just get wiped out and no-more-Israel. So what? Why should we protect some peace-of-s*** country that only keeps the conflicts alive?
Gosh...
PS: I'm not Arab, a Jew or anything. I'm a white native European.
Meh... I'm Iranian and I stopped caring about the "we gonna bomb you" threats from Israel/America a while back.
ReplyDeleteLive and let live. Peace.
Anon 7:43,
ReplyDeleteI had the same question and did some googling--CL is the futures symbol for crude oil.
If anyone's a "whackjob," it's Netanyahu. He leads an incredibly paranoid regime. What kind of regime would impose a blockade on an entire population that literally locks in the Palestinians as Netanyahu is doing to the people of the Gaza Strip, with their right to travel severely restricted?
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of leader would bomb Gaza's water and sewage treatment centers and impose sanctions that prevent their rebuilding, forcing the Palestinians to use untreated water?
And then there's Nutty-Yahoo's association with the "Samson Option":
http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2010/06/16/is-benjamin-netanyahu-rational/
'PS: I'm not Arab, a Jew or anything. I'm a white native European. '
ReplyDeleteWow. Really, I had NO CLUE. Totally in the dark there. Nope. No idea at all. In fact, I thought you were doing your level best to channel Jerry Brown or our current president. You had me going there!
Since I'm still chuckling at all that effort to make me see the light, here's a little something to 'bake your noodle':
'How would you guys feel if, let's say China, would start supporting some kind of Communist Party in U.S. with hundreds of billions of dollars. And ultimately this party will ''win'' elections (either forcefully or not) and then make you their slaves.'
Already been done. It is called the Democratic Party. China is the biggest financier (aside from our own printing press) and Japan (with their printing press) of our military spending.
You didn't think we were out invading the world, killing baby seals, selling drugs, and propping up dictators FOR OURSELVES, do you?
MWA-HA-HA-HA! MWA-HA-HA-HA! **MWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAA!
Ahmadinejad is a "whackjob" terrorist for three reasons:
ReplyDelete1. He is a Statist.
2. He is a sky-daddy-believing religious psychopath.
3. He wants nuclear weapons.
The Global Central Banker Power Elite/New World Order Fascists Terrorist Organisation want a monopoly on whackjob global terrorism and therfore Ahmadinejad must die. The oil will continue to flow from the mid-east or these NWO Elitist - Using USA military - will exterminate you. This is the policy of the New World Order terrorists.
In a world of parasitic ruling whackjobs, I prefer the Central Banker Whackjobs to the Statist/Religious Whackjobs.
To think that a war against Iran will result only in higher gas prices and a few other inconveniences here in the US is extremely naive. In war, there are always casualties, and it's ridiculous to think that no one here will suffer much. 9-11 proved that war can come to our land if only someone is motivated enough to get it done. Do you honestly think that, if the US attacks Iran, they will not find some way to bring the war to us? That's not even mentioning the possibility of nuclear weapons and the resulting fallout, which will be a worldwide catastrophe. The US has already said they will use them against Iran if they feel the need. The one thing no one ever learns is that the idea that you can control war is totally false. Once it starts, it almost always gets totally out of control and takes directions that are totally unpredictable. And what happens if the
ReplyDeleteChinese decide to sell all their US gov't bonds the day after the war starts. The US gov't will be totally unable to wage war because dollars will become worthless overnight. They will have so much unrest on the home front that their military will have to be called home to keep them in power. Then where will their war be?
I'm always shocked at the level of insight I get from the circles in and surrounding LRC.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to feel like I can get some insider knowledge/understanding now and then...especially compared to 10 years ago when I thought CNN & the Big 3 was reporting "news".
I guess I'm saddened by my own inability to have recognized being fully invested in my own propogandization earlier in life...but at least the debates in 2006/2007 with RP and eventually my coming to LRC, this blog and couple of others woke me up and keep me abreast of the real news/possibilities and I can say I've "grown".
Sometimes it's hard to know you're being "steered" when you are in the middle of the herd.(for me it was)
I'm just amazed that some people have the ability to see through it on thier own...and thank God for them...and that I have the ability to at least think rationally enough to absorb viewpoints outside the "norm" when exposed to them.
I suppose when McCain was singing "bomb Iran" and the nation was weary of getting into another war at that time, I thought that was going to be the end of Iran war talk....
I'm amazed @ how much Obama has become aligned with the military industrial complex...and how quite the Left is now that he's in office versus their anti-war stance when Bush was in.
Using NATO as cover for Libyan strikes seemed to half work....but I wonder if the same will be said for Israeli war "support"...I guess we'll see.
Wow...5 active theatre's if you count Pakistan...we are certainly doing more then even Germany at its height of aggression in WWII...the resource expenditure must be much more when the fighting isn't along our boders either...we are supporting 5 theatres half way round the world....egads.
I'll bet the world can't wait for the day the dollar doesn't work anymore.
@European: I think YOU need to learn a better use of pronouns.
ReplyDelete@European,
ReplyDeleteI agree. The US should not be screwing around in the Middle East. That's why as a Libertarian I support Ron Paul. But you shouldn't bash Americans for what the US government does. We have no real control over those people. Our so called elections are a sham. That's why there are only 2 parties in congress that walk in lockstep with each other. All opposition parties are brutally suppressed. Dissent is very controlled. The US has the least democratic electoral system in the western world.
First of all, I'm sorry for my English. It's not my first language, but I hope you all understand me (or at least 95% of what I'm trying to say). I also speak Swedish, German and Russian. But ya'll right... I should improve on my language skills. Btw... how many language do you guys speak?
ReplyDeleteNow... Silver Bully:
''You didn't think we were out invading the world, killing baby seals, selling drugs, and propping up dictators FOR OURSELVES, do you?''
Nah, I have nothing against Americans. I know a great deal of them and I believe you guys are generally the good guys. However, I think your government is full of dumb people with questionable intentions. Even if they try to do the best thing, it just don't always (read: most of the times) out. Are you seriously trying to argue that you guys didn't send any money and/or weapons to bin Laden & Al Qaeda, Mubarak, Hussein or Gaddafi? Do you really want me to find all the official stories from White House webpage (along with the photos of your presidents shaking hands with all those people)?
''Already been done. It is called the Democratic Party. China is the biggest financier (aside from our own printing press) and Japan (with their printing press) of our military spending.''
Hold the press. Are you trying to say that China and Japan are messing with your governments by providing Democratic Party with all the funds? In other words, the Chinese are dictating you? What are you high on cocaine? (1) China and Japan lent money to Republican Party as well, so it's quite ridicules to try to blame democrats for what has happened to your country (and ultimately to all of us). (2) No way in hell are the Chinese telling Washington what to do. Sure, you guys are f*** now and it will soon be the reality, but the Chinese didn't elect your presidents. However, that's exactly what you're doing in the Middle East.
PS: If I'm not mistaken then China hasn't purchased any new U.S. bonds in 7-8 months. How come, if according to you they are running your government? Do you really believe they just found out about Paypal and still send money to democrats?
And while they're prepping us for war, they can even keep track of which articles are most effective, who reads them, etc. etc. via *oo*le
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-talk-google-news-0718-20110718,0,6917900.story
Anonymous @7:30 said, "To think that a war against Iran will result only in higher gas prices and a few other inconveniences here in the US is extremely naive. In war, there are always casualties, and it's ridiculous to think that no one here will suffer much. 9-11 proved that war can come to our land if only someone is motivated enough to get it done."
ReplyDeleteOnly about 3000 People perished on 911, more People die on the roadways and basically no one bats an eye.
The wars to date haven't really affected a great many People in the U.S., other than being stripped of liberty by their own goberment, so why would it be ridiculous to not expect more of the same?
Anonymous @7:30 said, "Do you honestly think that, if the US attacks Iran, they will not find some way to bring the war to us? That's not even mentioning the possibility of nuclear weapons and the resulting fallout, which will be a worldwide catastrophe."
That's what they said about war with Iraq, but nothing.
We already have nuclear fallout, what's a little more?
Anonymous @7:30 said, "And what happens if the Chinese decide to sell all their US gov't bonds the day after the war starts. The US gov't will be totally unable to wage war because dollars will become worthless overnight."
The end of World Empire, then a renewal, hopefully a free'er one.
I'm Not Iranian and I stopped caring about the "we gonna bomb you" threats from the fear mongers a while back too.
Live and let live. Peace.
Their intentions aren't questionable, European, they are fundamentally evil. They know what they're doing- it has taken me nearly 10 years to finally accept it, but 9/11 was carried out with the assistance of the US Gov't with the intention of fomenting war in the middle east. This is just one more step in the plan.
ReplyDeleteAmericans on the whole aren't evil, just misguided and gullible. They can't accept that their gov't has metastasized into a terminal cancer that seeks worldwide domination and will kill as many innocent people as necessary to do so.
The ONLY person in DC that can even slow their vile plans down is Ron Paul. I fear for the future of the world.
@Anonymous (10:31 AM),
ReplyDeleteI agree! I never meant to say that American people themselves are evil (sorry if that was the point you guys got). By ''you Americans'' I referred to the US government. Just as ''the Russians'' were the Soviet Union ''government'' a few decades ago. As mentioned above, I have nothing against American people; they are a very friendly, helpful and kind people. And so are the Russian people - I know probably hundreds of native Russians and they are all very-very good people. The governments are the root of all evil.
I've seen what governments can do. I've seen the Soviet Union and I've lived in it for a few years. It was a total nightmare and I'm very sad to see that the U.S. is going down the same road (or the Nazi Germany's road). Hitler was elected by the people, until the government grew out of proportions. If you google ''world defense spending'', then the charts are just terrible. U.S. government has a lot of potential to make the Nazi Germany look like a kindergarten. Sadly!
@ European,
ReplyDeleteYou need to distinguish between the American people and the American government (USG) The USG makes lots of decisions with other people's money of which the American people do not approve. Thus all the propaganda about mushroom clouds, etc. Some of the American people are not fooled by the USG. I wish it were more.
I'm going to have to dust off my copy of the Brookings Institute "Which Path to Persia" report and see what the Globalists have been planning all along. I'm certain it's laid out in there. False flag attacks, phony demonstrations, getting one up on China and Russia by this power grab for the Anglo-Establishment scum... The war plan was the nuclear option if all of the other lies, propaganda, fake demonstrations, etc. didn't work.
ReplyDeleteEuropean: I wasn't referring to your English, I was referring to your finger-pointing at "we" Americans, who are responsible for all of the ills that . . . um, WE are complaining about along with you.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see the lapdog corporate press fall in line when the shooting starts on this one. It'll be the Perfect Storm of Israeli terrorist-sympathizers, military-industrial, Neo-con warmongers and and oil/banking imperialists.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt the Iranian civilian population will be slaughtered by the tens of thousands and the brainwashed, jingoistic American people will eat it up like some Sons-of-Guns reality-tv show.
Unfortunately, the U.S. will go to war with Iran when that tinhorn Israeli crackpot, Benjamin Netanyahu, decides. The U.S. government seems to be self-destructing.
ReplyDeleteThat a**hole Netanyahu lectures the POTUS in the Oval Office and then is INVITED to speak to a JOINT SESSION of Congress during which he gets standing ovations. He essentially dictates U.S. foreign policy, his compadres control U.S. elections with their money, and the growing minorities in our "blissfully diverse" society have nothing but contempt for the descendants of those who built this country.
Our culture is degraded, our government is dysfunctional and appears incapable of reforming itself, all this while the economy and international relations worsen.
We are ripe for takeover by a man-on-horseback. Just hope it's not Netanyahu or his ilk!
A bit off the subject here, but it is also a shame that our military personnel, brave though they may be, are treated as expendable by the military brass, no matter who the pres is. The last Bush presidency proved that the CONS really don't respect the military (they just say they do). Remember that military benefits were reduced 3 times during the last CON job of a presidency! Oh, incidentally, I hope you are aware of the fact that in 2002, the CONS created a special tax break as an incentive for our factory owners to ship jobs to China. The effort was VERY successful, wasn't it? They want our economy and job situation to remain bad at least until next year's election. Notice they are not doing anything for jobs. They just claim that millionaires and billionaires create jobs...not true! That has been proven to be a bogus claim during the last 8 or 9 years.
ReplyDeleteI do not understand why people do not wake up to the manipulations of Israel and the jews in USA? Are they blind?
ReplyDeleteI am using the normalcy bias to call bullshit on this one. If Israel could have attacked earlier why didnt they (they would have been in a better position to do so sooner rather than later). Why not before Obama got elected like Bolton said, or before they put Busherer online (like Bolton said). The only answer is that they cant.
ReplyDeleteThey are probably running simulations and game-theory exercise. Look at Israels positon on nuclear weapons, everyone knows they have them but there is enough doubt to force them to join the NAPT. Israel cant attack Iran but needs to make it look they can, Israel is not actually threatened by Iran but needs to make it look they are so they can divert attention from the Palestinian issue. Thats reality
I thought Israel ALREADY attacked Iran. Wasn't that what Stuxnet was all about?
ReplyDeleteTo one of the many Anonymouses:
ReplyDeleteCL is the ticker for Light Sweet Crude Oil futures. There are call and put options for these futures. So one way to make a leveraged long bet on oil is to buy CL calls.
None of you have it right - try reading Revelation... it isn't Israel who is going to attack - it is Iran who is the agressor and China joins the fight against Israel. Israel is saved through God's intervening - what our role will be is not clear, but certainly we will get involved.
ReplyDeleteI set up a Google alert for 'oil bourse' some time ago. Lately it's been telling me that the bourse is now selling crude...
ReplyDelete@ European
ReplyDeleteThe Islamic Republic of Iran initiated a war against the United States 32 years ago. When the faction which would become form, and become the reigning party of The Islamic Republic rebelled in 1979, they attacked the United States Embassy. By The Law of Warfare, that is an act officially recognized by all signatory parties as an act of belligerency or war. So sorry, your claim they haven't done anything in 300 years is erroneous at best, and more likely a deliberate lie on your part.
I'm not in favor of war with Iran at the moment, we have far bigger fish to fry here at home. HOwever, a state of belligerency has existed between the United States and Iran for over 3 decades. It has just never been brought to fruition, thankfully.
There's a lot of finger pointing toward Israel in this thread. Yes, Israel has the fourth most powerful military in the world, after the US, Russia, and China, and they have nukes. But this is not because they are war mongers. It is simply necessary for their survival. If Israel looses a war, they will cease to exist. They don't want war. The cost in lives and money is just too much for them to bear. I assure you, if Israel attacks Iran, it is because they believe their very existance is in jeopardy if they don't. And I'm not so sure Obama, with his anti-Israel attitudes, would be willing to intervene. If he did, it would be more for the opportunity to neutralize Iran than to help Israel.
ReplyDeleteThis could actually be a move to finish off gaddafi. The extra carrier in the
ReplyDeletepersian Gulf is a backup/warning to any mideast military opposition.
Seems like SOP since we are the NATO military wing and our objective is eliminating gaddafi.
Also this is probably a reaction to Iran's HUGE support of terrorist organizations which have been ramping up their offensive after the elimination of OBL.
Also realize that Syria may be next after
libya and the threat to all US operations in the mideast will escalate if NATO targets the Assad regime.
Just because that Guy Nouriel Roubini is connected doesn't mean he knows jack about anything. Most of the High Up types have a skewed view of the world. Let a Man like me run the joint for a few days and all will be peaceful. Yes, its not how loud you talk, its how accurate your missiles are.
ReplyDeleteIt is September already and nothing's happened dont give us false hope if you are not sure about that :(
ReplyDeleteReport just came out and the ships are headed to the Atlantic ocean by Iran... Should be interesting!
ReplyDeleteMy take is, as an American who studied US foreign policy, some kind of conflict will arise. WW3? I doubt it. With so much money in this globalized world in the hands of a few, who see no borders but opportunity, they use their main weapons, fear and the media, to make a profit.
The real victims here are the people- of Iran, Israel, and the US. We cannot do much anymore to stop the realities going on with true world power.
Sometimes history is the best teacher of all, especially in war and the ruling of people.
As Machiavelli said in "the prince"- the best way to rule and manipulate the masses is through religion and nationalism. To me it's kind of funny that these corporate multi national entities are using BOTH of them at the same time... Simply masterful... And evil.