U.S. Ships at Hell's Gate (with no plan)

[ProSense]

U.S. Ships at Hell's Gate

--updated below--

Today during the press briefing, Tony Snow said he preferred to "kick the can" down the road on the whole Israeli - Hezbollah thing. We now have the definitive Bush strategy for the Middle East. As for when Condi will show up, well, a week or so, you know, no hurry.



As I wrote a few days ago, the USS Iwo Jima (pictured here) is on its way from maneuvers in the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. Now we find out that it's not just one ship, but also the USS Gonzalez. I'm feeling worse by the minute. A navy destroyer escort for a great big boat filled with juicy targets?

When I heard this news yesterday a cold chill ran down my spine. Here's the upshot: The Orient Queen, a commercial ship hired by the government, will sail into a Beirut port Tuesday escorted by the destroyer USS Gonzales and possibly the USS Iwo Jima. The cruise ship will try to rescue the estimated 5,000 citizens who are so far wanting to leave.

Israel is currently blockading Lebanon, though after first refusing to do so, is now allowing evacuee ships through.

There's more. Bush is also planning or prepared to put around 2,200 U.S. Marines "in the area" to protect Americans, if need be, but that's not the worst of it. We're watching a Middle East Katrina unfold before our eyes. Via MSNBC comes the news that the U.S. State Department can't handle the job: McCormack said the cost of a massive evacuation was beyond U.S. resources.

So to review, we've got a war in Iraq, with Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah going after one another, as the Lebanese government becomes weaker every day. Meanwhile, the indiscriminate bombing by Israel has the Lebanese people moving closer to Hezbollah, with the U.S. admitting we can't handle the situation, which the White House has chosen to kick down the road.

Snip...

UPDATE (2:12 p.m.): One of the things I've been thinking about lately is something that Madeleine Albright writes about in her book. Billmon lays it out today, which I excerpt below. The reality, it seems to me, is that the Israelis and the Palestinians are worn out. The other reality is that Bush has not done the work needed to make the Siniora government in Lebanon strong enough to stand up against Hezbollah. Until Lebanon's central government can push back at Hezbollah, this is all just history repeating itself, especially since Olmert took the bait. Something to keep in mind is who's on each side: Hamas is Sunni and is aligned with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraqi insurgents, Palestinians and Syria; Hezbollah is Shia and aligned with the Iraqi majority and Iran. That's simplistic, but gives you an idea of the players besides Israel and the U.S. Another important point is that Israel, in my opinion, is now backing off because Hezbollah's strength, rocket power and the new distance of their rockets took Olmert and Bush, let me add, by surprise. Now to billmon:

... How far such a realigment could go is anybody's guess. A friend (see above) told me today that he'd heard through the grapevine that the other King Abdullah, of Jordan, recently told Shrub he believed the Sunni-Sh'ia showdown would soon supplant the Israeli-Arab conflict as the defining grudge match in the Middle East.

UPDATE II (2:45 p.m.): Here's an important link: US Embassy Beirut Lebanon


http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=24264

[uppityperson]

1. guarding evacuees is how USA military will get put there.

when will they leave?

[democrank]

2. My head is in my hands.

This is all so tragic...and frightening. Thanks for the update.

[hiro]

3. Freaking incredible.

We're headed into another bloody war...

-H.

[lapfog_1]

4. So much infrastructure is now destroyed

that there is ZERO chance of anyone making it to one of the designated "rally points" for an evacuation unless they are already there.

All day I've seen various talking heads for both the RW media and the mis-administration issue the talking point that of the 25,000 Americans in Lebanon, they aren't sure how many really *want* to get out. I'm guessing that even the ones with dual citizenship want to get out. All of them. Most are families with children. Nobody wants to expose their children to this, no matter what your ties to region are. But a token effort will be made with one old cruise ship and possibly one or two thousand will make it (despite noises from repuke senators, they still have to pay or promise to pay).

As for motive? I think the administration feels that these people aren't REAL AMERICANS because many have dual citizenship. I think that an organization of Lebanese Americans should be on the streets, even in this heat, demanding better treatment of American citizens in Lebanon. If the mis-administration of * is using this as a pretext to enter Lebanon militarily, then they have completely lost their minds... but I wouldn't put it past them. I think they just don't care, much like with the victims of Katrina.

[ShortnFiery]

7. Also they're 2nd class citizens because they likely don't have

loads of cash and invested wealth. They're just part of the "chattering classes."

Some animals are more equal than others. :(

[Hekate]

13. That's not it. * just seriously doesn't give a fart about humanity

The Bush administration abandoned Americans in the tsunami zone. They abandoned Americans in New Orleans and *that* Gulf region.

The problem is that Bushco cares only for people of their own well-moneyed class. All the rest of humanity is negligible in their eyes.

Hekate

[SlipperySlope]

5. At least 17 warships heading for Lebanon...

United Kingdom Destroyer HMS Gloucester


United Kingdom Destroyer HMS York


United Kingdom Frigate HMS St Albans


United Kingdom Carrier HMS Illustrious (Flagship of the Royal Navy)


United Kingdom Assault Ship HMS Bulwark


United States Destroyer USS Gonzalez


United States Assault Ship USS Iwo Jima


United States Landing Ship USS Nashville


United States Landing Ship USS Whidbey Island


Italian Destroyer MM Durand de la Penne


French Destroyer FS Jean de Vienne


French Landing Ship FS Siroco


French Landing Ship FS Mistral


Indian Destroyer INS Mumbai


Indian Frigate INS Betwa


Indian Frigate INS Brahmaputra


Indian Support Ship INS Shakti



Spain and Greece each have at least one warship in the area or enroute, but I don't know the specific ships.

[ShortnFiery]

6. But don't forget all the high tech War Profiteering Companies ...

just love our Navy. Oodles! There's gonna be shit load of money to be made by BushWorld investors this go around. :puke:

[Solo_in_MD]

9. Thats a lot of tonnage for that end of the Med

and there won't be any centralized ATC for the helos...standby, this could get interesting.

[Poll_Blind]

8. Thank you for the analysis you clearly put time, research and...

...above all, thought into. Much appreciated.

PB

[MrTriumph]

10. Is No plan THE plan? Gulf of Tonkin all (not) over again.

Will the terrorists take the bait? Bush is leaving the Americans in Labanon long enough to get hurt or killed. And then....

[babylonsister]

11. I rI was in Guam recently and met a crew from a Navy? carrier. They

said they were en route to Japan, but could have been diverted. :shrug:

[rman]

12. escorted by destroyer - need to protect evacuees from Hezbollah's

submarines and aircraft carriers?

[ProSense]

14. In Break With Bush, Iraqi Leader Assails Israel

July 19, 2006

In Break With Bush, Iraqi Leader Assails Israel

By EDWARD WONG and MICHAEL SLACKMAN

BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 19 - Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq on Wednesday forcefully denounced the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, marking a sharp break with President Bush's position and highlighting the growing power of a Shiite Muslim identity across the Middle East.

"The Israeli attacks and airstrikes are completely destroying Lebanon's infrastructure," Mr. Maliki said at an afternoon news conference inside the fortified Green Zone, which houses the American embassy and the seat of the Iraqi government. "I condemn these aggressions and call on the Arab League foreign ministers' meeting in Cairo to take quick action to stop these aggressions. We call on the world to take quick stands to stop the Israeli aggression."

The American Embassy did not answer a reporter's request for a response.

The comments by Mr. Maliki, a Shiite Arab whose party has close ties to Iran, were noticeably stronger than those made by Sunni Arab governments in recent days. Those governments have refused to take an unequivocal stand on Lebanon, reflecting their concern about the growing influence of Iran, which has a Shiite majority and has been accused by Israel of providing weapons to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group.

The ambivalence of those governments has angered many Sunni Arabs in those countries, despite the centuries of enmity between the Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam.

Snip...

Sunni Arab leaders in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf Countries have complained that since the rise of a Shiite majority governing Iraq, and with Iran pressing ahead with its nuclear program, Tehran stands to emerge as the regional power. Unlike the other countries, Iran has only a tiny minority of Arabs, with Persians making up a slight majority. (Azeris are the second-largest ethnic group there.)

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/19/world/middleeast/19cnd-shiites.html