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James48

(5,248 posts)

40. It's a narrow area

Thu Dec 29, 2011, 07:55 PM

Dec 2011

The Strait of Hormuz is a pretty narrow area, where all the traffic has to go into one of two one-mile-wide lanes. The top one they travel from east to west. There is a one-mile-wide buffer in-between. Then a one-mile wide path to transit west to east.

IF the Iranians really wanted to close it down, it would be fairly easy for them to simply drop some mines in the water and close it off. It could take weeks or months for us to be sure there were no mines in the area, and for shipping to resume. Remember, it would only take one mine, blowing up one tanker, for all the tankers moving through to stop where they are until it was clear that it was safe to travel. In the meantime, the resulting snarl would ensure gasoline prices doubled to tripled.

Not a fun thing to do.

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Highlight:

LA Times - Breaking News - Showdown between USA and Iran [View all] truedelphi Dec 2011 OP

GOP candidates announce: Obama's handling this wrong Enrique Dec 2011 #1

Republicons occultly dispatch Sen.�David Vitter (R) to the Sea of Onan SpiralHawk Dec 2011 #24

No problem: the administration is doing this correctly PurityOfEssence Dec 2011 #111

You know what? EC Dec 2011 #2

I am. earthside Dec 2011 #5

Why worry? chervilant Dec 2011 #49

lol... amazing. ixion Dec 2011 #6

I am since the Iranians are so unstable. ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #21

There's a 'sarcasm' tag missing from the post you are responding to. ;) AtheistCrusader Dec 2011 #28

I totally agree! SkyDaddy7 Dec 2011 #39

The Iranians are unstable? ronnie624 Dec 2011 #61

Perhaps if you actually looked at what Iran has done under the mullahs, you would have ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #69

It isn't my opinion. ronnie624 Dec 2011 #78

So you support the stoning of gays just for being gay, killing of women for disobeying husbands, ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #81

You make a "statement" and attribute it to me? ronnie624 Dec 2011 #89

Per your own words... ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #91

I support the right of other countries to be free from U.S. aggression, ronnie624 Dec 2011 #95

As am I ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #96

It's the U.S., not Iran, that has its military spread all over the world. ronnie624 Dec 2011 #98

Thank you for your comments cpwm17 Dec 2011 #124

We have conquering armies that Ill-legally Occupy 2/3rd of Irans Borders no aggression there ? bahrbearian Dec 2011 #121

+1 bitchkitty Dec 2011 #103

Why don't we just switch to domestic oil for our needs? Ezlivin Dec 2011 #3

Because we are selling it to China? tawadi Dec 2011 #43

There is no domestic oil as such. All oil, no matter where it's drilled, is sold on the world market truth2power Dec 2011 #53

Thank you! So many have failed to grasp that fact. BeHereNow Dec 2011 #90

+1 so true wordpix Dec 2011 #122

Bingo! dixiegrrrrl Dec 2011 #128

Seems like Iran is picking this fight.... Joe the Revelator Dec 2011 #4

Whose carrier is in their territory? ixion Dec 2011 #7

Who's threating to shut down international trade? And I know of no carrier in.... Joe the Revelator Dec 2011 #8

heh... 'ours' go wherever they want and do whatever they want. ixion Dec 2011 #16

Oh ok... Joe the Revelator Dec 2011 #18

Actually, they don't cleanhippie Dec 2011 #57

lol... yeah, right. ixion Dec 2011 #58

After spending the last 21 years on US Navy ships, my experience says that you have no idea what cleanhippie Dec 2011 #63

history is on my side of this debate ixion Dec 2011 #68

No it is not, but ignorance clearly is ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #71

I'm not disputing there is a well-defined process. ixion Dec 2011 #72

You stated that "they go where ever they want." That is a 100% false statement. cleanhippie Dec 2011 #79

Well, it's not actually. ixion Dec 2011 #85

Well, it is, actually. Perhaps you can provide some evidence of your assertions. cleanhippie Dec 2011 #93

Ok Knight Hawk Dec 2011 #107

Sure it is, if you are making it up as you go along. cleanhippie Dec 2011 #77

lol... ixion Dec 2011 #82

*facepalm* cleanhippie Dec 2011 #88

Citing Chomsky is clear proof you have no idea what you're talking about... Joe the Revelator Dec 2011 #102

How so? Given that he concurs. ixion Dec 2011 #116

What utter nonsense ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #22

If that new Chinese aircraft carrier was parked in international waters outside puget sound AtheistCrusader Dec 2011 #30

We would not be talking about sinking ships in international waters ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #46

Again, your only issue is with the type of response ixion Dec 2011 #76

Our response would be within the international diplomatic and legal framework ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #83

Yeah, maybe it would be like when we bombed Cambodia and Laos ixion Dec 2011 #86

Actually it is the will of the US Civilian Government being implemented by the military. ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #94

Yes, as CiC, that stands to reason. ixion Dec 2011 #118

How About When the U.S. Staged the Gulf of Tonkin Incident or Mined Haiphong Harbor solarman350 Dec 2011 #99

Yep, I was going to include both of those ixion Dec 2011 #117

Um, where were you during the cuban missile crisis? AtheistCrusader Dec 2011 #104

Yeah, and I'm sure if Iran was a few miles off the coast of New York, our govt would be a-okay ixion Dec 2011 #62

Considering that happened when the Soviet Union was still around... ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #70

perhaps not that precisely, but something just as devious... ixion Dec 2011 #75

You statement does not parse ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #84

Sounds like you need to reboot. ixion Dec 2011 #87

If an Iranian ship of some sort was in international waters off the coast of New York ixion Dec 2011 #73

We scrupuously tolerate that which is within international law OmahaBlueDog Dec 2011 #106

You do know that sort of thing happens all the time, right? (nt) Posteritatis Dec 2011 #109

Qatar usrname Dec 2011 #66

Scratching one's head... truedelphi Dec 2011 #9

And the Iranian people are oppressed by a crazed lunatic hell bent on picking a fight with... Joe the Revelator Dec 2011 #10

Unlike our wonderful nation, which had a guy from Texas with an IQ of room temp, truedelphi Dec 2011 #12

Our crazy leader was voted out, their crazy leader rigs his elections. Joe the Revelator Dec 2011 #15

But thousands of people did die due to our crazyleader's recklessness... KansDem Dec 2011 #20

Agree on people dying for Bush's stupidity.... Joe the Revelator Dec 2011 #23

I have seen how all the many nations and their people's have fared after we truedelphi Dec 2011 #42

Pol Pot was a US ally? Zorro Dec 2011 #67

Of course not. LiberalAndProud Dec 2011 #92

Then talk to Trudeau, the Doonesbury cartoonist, who truedelphi Dec 2011 #112

Please see response 112, two spots down from this. truedelphi Dec 2011 #114

it will never be time to move on when it comes to election rigging, caging, and other newspeak Dec 2011 #132

Thank you KansDem - truedelphi Dec 2011 #113

You don't think U.S. ellections are rigged?? Devil_Fish Dec 2011 #101

Thousands? Knight Hawk Dec 2011 #108

Actually, "our crazy leader" lost two elections, and yet was inaugurated both times. JackRiddler Dec 2011 #136

Is that in Fahrenheit or Celsius? Turbineguy Dec 2011 #55

+1 gazillion and furthermore- BeHereNow Dec 2011 #25

You forgot to mention chervilant Dec 2011 #50

Here's a link to such a map - the tiny black boxes etc are truedelphi Dec 2011 #11

What's cool is that Business Insider is crediting DU as the source of the graphic! dixiegrrrrl Dec 2011 #131

That was cool, wasn't it. n/t truedelphi Dec 2011 #134

the USA = world's biggest bully, causing it all nt msongs Dec 2011 #51

So, with the Straits of Hormuz being an "economic lifeline" Ruby the Liberal Dec 2011 #13

In a word? China BeHereNow Dec 2011 #27

Okay, so then let them plead their case to China Ruby the Liberal Dec 2011 #33

It will be very interesting to see how China reacts, or doesn't. BeHereNow Dec 2011 #34

Spot on analysis. truedelphi Dec 2011 #41

And Russia. dixiegrrrrl Dec 2011 #129

Yup that one too. n/t BeHereNow Dec 2011 #133

Here is an excellent read about the China/Iran/Russia pipelines and agreements. BeHereNow Dec 2011 #38

Thanks! Ruby the Liberal Dec 2011 #52

Also...the countries we have been "challenging" are because of the currency issue. dixiegrrrrl Dec 2011 #130

all the more reason to start finding other sources of energy leftyohiolib Dec 2011 #120

The MIC consumes the most oil on the planet- BeHereNow Dec 2011 #125

The Strait of Hormuz is about 26 miles wide. Old and In the Way Dec 2011 #14

Pure economic and military suicide; closing the Straight of Hormuz. gordianot Dec 2011 #17

Here we go again. nt TBF Dec 2011 #19

So the Strait of Hormuz is the new Gulf of Tonkin? US OUT OF ME !! nt 99th_Monkey Dec 2011 #26

Bite your tongue! BeHereNow Dec 2011 #32

Why can't int'l shipping just go through the territorial waters off coast of UAE? 99th_Monkey Dec 2011 #36

After all the bullshit wars we've been put through slay Dec 2011 #29

Meh.... Xolodno Dec 2011 #31

Different reason Knight Hawk Dec 2011 #110

War with Iran 90-percent Dec 2011 #35

Add to that the very real possibility that our supply lines could easily be cut (Iraq to coalition_unwilling Dec 2011 #37

It's a narrow area James48 Dec 2011 #40

BY the way- James48 Dec 2011 #44

The Iranians are very afraid of Obama jaysunb Dec 2011 #45

How dare they locate their country so close to our carrier! Scuba Dec 2011 #47

More... Scuba Dec 2011 #48

simple question anakie Dec 2011 #54

They tracked a carrier? BootinUp Dec 2011 #56

I guess you think Iran has been trading all of their oil for vodka and plastic toys. A Simple Game Dec 2011 #60

Anyone recall Richard Perle? Criminal at large? BeHereNow Dec 2011 #64

Fair ones. Sure kills on commercial shipping, not so much on military vessels ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2011 #74

This is a bigger deal than you might think. AtheistCrusader Dec 2011 #105

long past time for the adult in the playroom to step in. sadly this appears to be Russia. marasinghe Dec 2011 #59

I like your thinking cpwm17 Dec 2011 #126

Next war coming right up! workinclasszero Dec 2011 #65

Seen this movie before 90-percent Dec 2011 #80

The real question is, will the rest of the world finance another war in the ME, considering last 2? got root Dec 2011 #97

another Gulf of Tonkin "incident" is all the US gov needs to start another war wordpix Dec 2011 #123

Guess the only question is what month does it start. sarcasmo Dec 2011 #100

Iran is a very beautiful country eyewall Dec 2011 #115

Iran also has a milennia old traditon of planting truedelphi Dec 2011 #135

Wisest Solution 90-percent Dec 2011 #119

there was a good documentary (PBS) on Iran before little boot's reign of terror newspeak Dec 2011 #127