Warships deploy around Arab oil facilities

[sabra]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15442751/

Warships deploy around Arab oil facilities
Britain cites al-Qaida threat to world's largest offshore terminal

LONDON - Coalition naval forces in the Persian Gulf have been deployed to counter possible seaborne threats to an oil refinery in Bahrain and to Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura terminal, which is the world’s biggest offshore oil facility, Britain's Royal Navy said on Friday.

A British navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said a threat from al-Qaida last month to target Gulf oil terminals had resulted in the stepped-up security and vigilance.

Crude oil exports were continuing as normal, industry sources said, describing the deployment as routine.

The Royal Navy issued the warning in a statement to merchant shipping, calling it a precautionary measure after receiving intelligence of a possible threat.

[acmavm]

1. Sounds like things are heating up over there.

[rodeodance]

2. umm.. and yet another Oct. surprize The terror bells are a ringing.

[Eurobabe]

44. Ding dong, ding dong, diversion, diversion

[mike_c]

3. hmmm-- could the "possible threat" have anything to do...

...with an American and NATO naval armada deploying to Iranian waters...?

[havocmom]

5. Gosh, ya think some big hardware and aggression on our part

might be pissing them off?

The neocons just don't understand that other people have opinions and their own defense agendas. Diplomacy is not a profit center so they never try it.

[54anickel]

8. I LIKE that line...Diplomacy is not a profit center so they never try it.

[ronnie624]

40. A very succinct statement:

"Diplomacy is not a profit center so they never try it."

I shall have to remember that one.

[HereSince1628]

10. When you think in terms of the range of F-16's and Tomahawk

missles just how do you separate Bahrainian waters from Iranian waters?

Don't imaginary lines drawn on maps of the sea simply become quaintly irrelevant?

But remember the COP's favorite yell for GWOT! TERRA! TERRA! TERRA! It's the only issue where the GOP has national traction. Why would anyone think they'll not somehow use it in a Hail Mary pass attempt to rescue the elections?

[displacedtexan]

4. And Tony Blair keeps on helping when Bush* needs him.

"British Intelligence has learned that..." sounds eerily familiar.

[fjc]

6. Could be an October suprise.

[geek tragedy]

7. Bush can always be counted on to preserve the safety of

oil company profits.

[Dissenting_Prole]

32. Remember that the oil companies' well-being...

is akin to your own.

Unless you don't drive, or brush your teeth, or eat strawberries, or wear clothes, or use a DVD player, or wash your hair, or ....

If the oil chain is disrupted, life in many places in North America grinds to a halt. It's not just about oil company profits. It's about the entire system.

Not that a good whack upside the head wouldn't be a good lesson for us.

[mmonk]

35. and remember,

a regional war for dollars and control of middle eastern oil can disrupt the flow.

[ronnie624]

41. I'm not sure I understand your point.

Surely you don't advocate dominance and aggression in order to preserve our consumerist culture.

If there is not enough oil to continue our wasteful lifestyles, we are obligated to use less, not steal more in order to perpetuate our "system".

But the facts are, most of the countries with large oil reserves, depend on them as a major source of their national income, and it is very unlikely they are going to suddenly stop selling their oil - unless we threaten to attack them.

[Dissenting_Prole]

49. My point...

is that we shouldn't be so quick to point a finger at the oil companies.

We are all implicated. We are all addicted. And very few of us are willing to make the kind of sacrifices necessary to change our situation.

[FightingIrish]

9. The October Surprise may be another Gulf of Tonkin

[jpak]

11. Yup - Iran will be blamed

and then...

:nuke:

[Brundle_Fly]

16. Didn't I read about exactly this happening

from Seymore Hersch about a month ago...

next Iran will attack and the US M$M will have footage of the attack and start WWIII

[NashVegas]

12. You Know, Now I Think About It

Iran doesn't have to throw a nuke at Israel or anyone else to put a spanner in the works. They could simply cripple all the oil fields within reach.

When/if that happens, we'll all be burning coal and fire for heat, as all petroleum resources will be devoted to the military. Fun times. Yeah.

[hang a left]

14. Which is exactly what they will do if they are attacked. nt

[cyberpj]

13. ANOTHER ARTICLE HERE: Coalition watch for oil attacks in Persian Gulf

Oct. 27, 2006, 9:47AM
Coalition watch for oil attacks in Persian Gulf

By JIM KRANE
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Coalition naval forces in the Persian Gulf are on watch for possible terror threats to oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, a British navy official said here today.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said a threat from al-Qaida last month to target Gulf oil terminals had resulted in stepped-up security and vigilance at Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura terminal, as well as a refinery in Bahrain.

snip...
The British navy, part of the Italian-led Coalition Task Force 152 that patrols international waters off the Ras Tanura terminal, sent an e-mail warning on Friday asking merchant shippers in the region of Bahrain and eastern Saudi Arabia to be on alert for suspicious vessels or other activity.

Task Force 152 also contains ships from French, U.S., German and other navies.

The official said the coalition ships were confining their patrols to international waters and had not been invited by Saudi Arabia to patrol inside its territorial waters near the terminal.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/4292245.html

[bluedog]

15. thats the Friday "scare" news...n/t

[cyberpj]

17. NO! They went there at the beginning of Oct for Training Exercises - REMEMBER?

:sarcasm:

They're just there for Training Exercises....

US Officials have announced that, off the Iranian coast, there will be nuclear proliferation ship interdiction exercises of the enormous variety scheduled for the USS Eisenhower Carrier Group as well as ships from the UK and Canada and Arab nations.

The day of the interdiction? Halloween, October 31.

Given the history of The Maine and the Tongkin Gulf False Flag attacks, this will no doubt lead to some response from the Iranians, occurring of their shores--or an attack could be manufactured.

Could this be why Rove promised an October Surprise and he and Bush were so confident of victory?


Naval Interdiction Exercise Said Planned for Persian Gulf
By REUTERS

Facing nuclear disputes with Iran and North Korea, the United States, Bahrain and other states will hold their first naval exercise in the Gulf this month to practice interdicting ships carrying weapons of mass destruction and missiles, U.S. officials said on Oct. 11.

The exercise is taking place as the United States and other major powers are considering sanctions including possible interdiction of ships on North Korea, following a reported nuclear test, and on Iran, which has defied a U.N. Security Council mandate to stop enriching uranium.

The exercise, set for Oct. 31, is the 25th to be organized under the U.S.-led 66-member Proliferation Security Initiative and the first to be based in the Gulf near Bahrain, across from Iran, the officials said.

A senior U.S. official insisted the exercise is not aimed specifically at Iran, although it reinforces a U.S. strategy aimed at strengthening America’s ties with states in the Gulf, where Tehran and Washington are competing for influence.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2171176&C=mideas...


This DailyKos diary has all the frightening details:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/15/131747/82

[bluedog]

18. SHIPS MOVED TO GULF IN SEPT!!

SHIPS MOVED TO GULF IN SEPT!!


, The Nation has learned that the Bush Administration and the Pentagon have moved up the deployment of a major "strike group" of ships, including the nuclear aircraft carrier Eisenhower as well as a cruiser, destroyer, frigate, submarine escort and supply ship, to head for the Persian Gulf, just off Iran's western coast.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061009/lindorff



Notice date:
September 21, 2006

looks like bush and crew were trying to "provoke" an attack to me........

[cyberpj]

20. self deleted

[Occulus]

36. Oh, but

"that happens like clockwork, every six months"

"we WILL NOT attack Iran"

"this happens all the time"

:D

[pberq]

19. Kick & Nominated - don't let this story get lost with the weekend

[cyberpj]

21. 4 ARTICLES POSTED BY NAVY IN SEPT/OCT:

Navy Manpower, Training & Education Master Chiefs Visit Middle East
Story Number: NNS060926-05
Release Date: 9/26/2006 10:12:00 AM
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=25755

MPT&E Continues Tour of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s AOR
Story Number: NNS060927-04
Release Date: 9/27/2006 9:19:00 AM
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=25777

MPT&E Senior Enlisted Complete Tour in NAVCENT AOR
Story Number: NNS061002-08
Release Date: 10/2/2006 11:51:00 AM
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=25842

MPT&E’s Top Senior Enlisted Tour North Persian Gulf
Story Number: NNS061002-07
Release Date: 10/2/2006 11:48:00 AM
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=25841

[Individualist]

22. kick

[Efilroft Sul]

23. The window of opportunity for this kind of surprise is closing fast.

Many of us here have been watching the stories about warships deploying to the Persian Gulf very carefully. We put on our tin-foil hats and suspect a made-for-TV event a là Gulf of Tonkin will happen so Bush can strike Iran and perhaps get a two-fer with Syria. That all may or may not happen, but if this kind of October Surprise is going to happen, I think that it has to take place no later than next Wednesday. This is for a few reasons:

1. The Republicans need something to happen within the last week before the election so races can draw tight. As we suspect, a race has to get close enough so Diebold can steal it.

2. This isn't something meant for the Friday News Dump. It has to happen so people can watch it non-stop on TV for days leading up to the weekend. That way, people follow the story (suck up the propaganda) over the weekend before the election. By Sunday's football games, you'll see hundreds of thousands chanting "USA! USA! USA!" in the stadia.

3. It gives grassroot leftists like International ANSWER enough time to plan massive protests. Agent provocateurs will infiltrate crowds and incite riots, which lead to mass arrests and maybe even a declaration of martial law here or there. In the tin-foil extreme, lots of Democrats get rounded up and held until after the election and close races are thrown to the Republicans even without the help of Diebold.

Just be prepared for anything, folks. They're not going to give up their power without a fight.

[jpak]

27. Yup

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2433295

[glitch]

29. All possible with this crowd, except 1. races don't actually have to draw tight

they just have to have some kind of excuse to say they did. The corporate media then picks up that baton and the rest becomes their own reality. But only if we buy into it.

[dos pelos]

43. Very plausible scenario..

They are way behind in the polls,not a close race at all.They have a history of manipulating the public by jingoisim/fear.There is now avaliable The Military Commisions Act, so nasty demonstrators,leftists ,even democrats can be arrested by executive whim,held indefinitely without cause,sent before a military tribunal and sentenced without right to appeal.The Democratic members of the House and Senate voted for this Act.What interests did Democratic legislators represent in passing the Act?The interests of the people?These Quislings offer to tie the hangmans knot for him.The hangman smilingly accepts.
So,if your item #3 above comes to pass next week,we may see the application of recent Democratic Party enabled legislation come into play.The Military Commisions Act is Law.Not a tin foil extreme.A tyrants tool waiting for application.The Republican Party is evil,but the Democratic Party has lost its way in collaboration.Remember,this country was founded on resistance to tyranny.

[cyberpj]

24. LET'S RECOMMEND THIS TO THE TOP - K&R. nt

[patcox2]

25. They should rename the area "the gulf of Tonkin."

That would be funny.

[Fovea]

26. Remember

the Maine ... er the Cole ... uh the Kingdom of Bahrain! Yeah, that's it.

[teryang]

28. Anti-terrorist training naval build up coincides with "real" threat?

Terrorist aircraft hijacking exercises on 911?

Is it training or not? The Revolutionary Guard has hundreds of uncoventional armed small boats. Is it time for a turkey shoot? What are the embarked USMC forces for?

This has the earmarks of a deception plan.

[reprobate]

30. Three words: Sunburn missile, aircraft carrier, WWIII. OK, six words.

The sunburn missile can't be stopped, can sink an aircraft carrier, and that would start WWIII, with this crew of morans in charge.

So fasten your seatbelts. We might not come down in the same row.

[lovuian]

31. Dubai needs to protect themselves

having our navy and our children defent them is crazy

[BeHereNow]

33. Anyone remember the last scene in Syriana?

I do believe it was Oscar Wilde who said something about
"art imitating life," or was it "life imitating art..."

BHN

[moodforaday]

34. k&r (nt)

[Theres-a]

37. Kick nt

[grasswire]

38. I wonder how many trillions of dollars are spent on politically motivated...

...military maneuvers in this administration's tenure?

Rove apparently has the power to spend the military down.

Too bad Congress wouldn't refuse to fund some of this crap.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

39. "Crude oil exports were continuing as normal..."

Thank God!

[kitty1]

42. Apparently Oct 31 is the date for these so called exercises conducted

by the Proliferation security initiative. The U.S. led Naval exercises will practice intercepting and searching ships for weapons of mass destruction. This is the first time the excercises have taken place in the Gulf so close to Iran.
Now these so called excercises are morphing into a deterrant to an actual viable threat by Al Qaeda on oil refineries in the area.
Interesting.
The following is excerpted from Gloabal research.ca
War Games http://www.globalresearch.ca
Concurrent with ths concentration of US Naval power, the US is also involved in military exercises in the Persian Gulf, which consists in "interdicting ships in the Gulf carrying weapons of mass destruction and missiles"

The exercise is taking place as the United States and other major powers are considering sanctions including possible interdiction of ships on North Korea, following a reported nuclear test, and on Iran, which has defied a U.N. Security Council mandate to stop enriching uranium.
The exercise, set for Oct. 31, is the 25th to be organized under the U.S.-led 66-member Proliferation Security Initiative and the first to be based in the Gulf near Bahrain, across from Iran, the officials said.
A senior U.S. official insisted the exercise is not aimed specifically at Iran, although it reinforces a U.S. strategy aimed at strengthening America’s ties with states in the Gulf, where Tehran and Washington are competing for influence"

USS Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG 5) to arrive in Arabian Sea
The USS Boxer (LHD 4), --which is the flagship for the Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG 5)-- which left Singapore on October 16, is scheduled to join the two other naval strikes groups. ESG 5 is comprised of USS Boxer, Bunker Hill, USS Dubuque (LPD 8), USS Comstock (LSD 45), USS Benfold (DDG 65), and USS Howard (DDG 83). ESG 5 also includes PHIBRON 5, the 15th MEU, Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WHEC 726).

My country, Canada is also joining the group.
Canada is part of the Expeditonary Strike Group (ESG 5)

Canada is formally participating in this military deployment under the disguise of the "war on terrorism". The Canadian Navy has dispatched Frigate HMCS Ottawa, which is now an integral part of ESG 5, under US Command. It is worth noting that particular emphasis has been given to medical evacuations and combat medical support suggesting that a combat scenario could be envisaged.
We'll see what develops on Oct 31 I guess.

[kestrel91316]

45. Prediction: "Iranian-based terrorists" will attack and destroy

several oil facilities in the Persian Gulf two days before the election. On election day, Bush will nuke Iran. No one will even notice the Diebold shenanigans.

[kimmerspixelated]

47. Sadly,

I think you may be right.

[sarcasmo]

46. Kick, for this Countries #1 addiction.

Other peoples Oil.

[kitty1]

48. Does anyone really think that Al Qaeda would be stupid enough..

to coincide their planned terrorist attacks in Arabia at the same time that a flotilla of war ships from around the world are performing exercises in the vicinity.
If anything,they would lay low around there.
The Iranians are not stupid either. They know very well that to engage the U.S. directly even if provoked over there would be deadly.
I'm sure their navy is looking at all the logistics of what might play out in the gulf, and will be very careful how they play their hand right now. They don't want to play into Bush's.
It would be interesting to see if Russia or China were allowed to take part in these exercises. I would be a bit surprised if they were included if something was going down.