Iran Super Thread- Merged

[OldSolduer]

You are correct - every religion has batsh!t crazy fanatics. Witness the Spanish Inquisition. In fact, some fanatic Christian religious sects are about one step away in beliefs from the fanatic Muslim beliefs.
NO Dancing, NO listening to radios or watching TV, NO modern clothing, No makeup and subjugation of women are some of the things silly beliefs that some of the fanatic Christians cherish.

There - I had to add a few NOs - oh and lets not forget - NO BARBIE DOLLS!!! 

 

[GAP]

You are correct - every religion has batsh!t crazy fanatics. Witness the Spanish Inquisition. In fact, some fanatic Christian religious sects are about one step away in beliefs from the fanatic Muslim beliefs.
Dancing, listening to radios or watching TV, no modern clothing, no makeup and subjugation of women are some of the things silly beleifs that some of the fanatic Christians cherish.

Hey !! I work for them!!  :nod:

 

[Kirkhill]

I can't help but think that the threat to shut down the Straits of Hormuz is an idle one.  What mileage do the Iranians get out of closing the Straits if the Americans defy them? 

"If you Yanks come any closer we're going to shoot the Chinese?"

Strait of Hormuz 
The Strait of Hormuz is by far the world's most important chokepoint with an oil flow of almost 17 million barrels per day in 2011. Located between Oman and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Hormuz is the world's most important oil chokepoint due to its daily oil flow of almost 17 million barrels in 2011, up from between 15.5-16.0 million bbl/d in 2009-2010. Flows through the Strait in 2011 were roughly 35 percent of all seaborne traded oil, or almost 20 percent of oil traded worldwide.

On average, 14 crude oil tankers per day passed through the Strait in 2011, with a corresponding amount of empty tankers entering to pick up new cargos. More than 85 percent of these crude oil exports went to Asian markets, with Japan, India, South Korea, and China representing the largest destinations.

World Oil Transit Chokepoints

 

[GAP]

'US posts elite commandos near Iran'
Article Link

The US-based Wired magazine says Washington has stationed a special team of highly trained commandos near Iran's border for possible sabotage operations.


Quoting a US Army officer speaking on behalf of Special Forces, the report by the magazine's columnist, Spender Ackerman, said a team of “highly trained personnel that excel in uncertain environments” are operating near Iran.

According to Ackerman, the team called Joint Special Operations Task Force-Gulf Coordinating Council (JSOTF-GCC) is now on the ground to instruct local troops in special operations. This is the first time the US has acknowledged the existence of the team, which apparently did not exist before the middle of 2009.

“The primary, day-to-day mission of the team…is to mentor military units belonging to the US oil-rich Arab allies…[which] consider Iran to be their primary foreign threat,” he added.

Ackerman also quoted Maj. Rob Bockholt, a spokesman for special-operations forces in the Mideast, as saying that the task force provides “highly trained personnel that excel in uncertain environments,” and “seeks to confront irregular threats.”

The report said the unit began its existence in mid-2009 - around the time that Iran rejected President Barack Obama's offer of diplomatic dialogue.

“Whatever the task force does about Iran - or might do in the future - is a sensitive subject with the military,” it added.

“It would be inappropriate to discuss operational plans regarding any particular nation,” Bockholt said when asked about a possible link between the unit and terrorist operations in Iran.
More on link

 

[cupper]

'US posts elite commandos near Iran'
Article Link

The US-based Wired magazine says Washington has stationed a special team of highly trained commandos near Iran's border for possible sabotage operations.


Quoting a US Army officer speaking on behalf of Special Forces, the report by the magazine's columnist, Spender Ackerman, said a team of “highly trained personnel that excel in uncertain environments” are operating near Iran.

According to Ackerman, the team called Joint Special Operations Task Force-Gulf Coordinating Council (JSOTF-GCC) is now on the ground to instruct local troops in special operations. This is the first time the US has acknowledged the existence of the team, which apparently did not exist before the middle of 2009.

“The primary, day-to-day mission of the team…is to mentor military units belonging to the US oil-rich Arab allies…[which] consider Iran to be their primary foreign threat,” he added.

Ackerman also quoted Maj. Rob Bockholt, a spokesman for special-operations forces in the Mideast, as saying that the task force provides “highly trained personnel that excel in uncertain environments,” and “seeks to confront irregular threats.”

The report said the unit began its existence in mid-2009 - around the time that Iran rejected President Barack Obama's offer of diplomatic dialogue.

“Whatever the task force does about Iran - or might do in the future - is a sensitive subject with the military,” it added.

“It would be inappropriate to discuss operational plans regarding any particular nation,” Bockholt said when asked about a possible link between the unit and terrorist operations in Iran.
More on link

Gotta wonder about the truth about this. Wouldn't exactly be something the US Government or Military would want as public knowledge.

 

[OldSolduer]

Hey !! I work for them!!  :nod:

Who? The Spanish Inquistion?

Nobody expects the Spanish.....oh bugger....

 

[exabedtech]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/eu-iran-oil-embargo_n_1223012.html?ref=world&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Other than an outright military attack, nothing could be a more clear declaration of war than this.  I'd like to think we've thought through to the endgame on this one. :facepalm:

 

[sean m]

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/01/19/stop_the_madness?page=0,0

Interesting  article.

 

[tomahawk6]

Iran lost an F-14 today.Flight crew was killed in the crash.

 

[cupper]

This has some interesting potential:


Navy wants commando ‘mothership’ in Middle East

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-wants-commando-mother-ship/2012/01/27/gIQA66rGWQ_story.html?hpid=z1

The Pentagon is rushing to send a large floating base for commando teams to the Middle East as tensions rise with Iran, al-Qaeda in Yemen and Somali pirates, among other threats.

In response to requests from the U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, the Navy is converting an aging warship it had planned to decommission into a makeshift staging base for the commandos. Unofficially dubbed a “mothership,” the floating base could accommodate smaller high-speed boats and helicopters commonly used by Navy SEALs, procurement documents show.

 

[Sythen]

ISRAEL-IRAN CLASH IMMINENT: REPORTS

Reports warn that Israel is likely to launch a military strike on Israel within months unless the rogue state abandons its nuclear ambitions.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his U.S. counterpart Leon Panetta have both warned that an attack is increasingly likely. Speaking to the media Thursday, Barak said recent sanctions against Iran are a positive step, but that Israel is other options.

"Today, unlike in the past, there is a wide understanding in the world that if the sanctions do not achieve the desired goal of stopping the [Iranian] military nuclear program, there will be a need to consider taking action," he said.

Sneha Kulkarni has more on this developing story.

Accompanying video on link

 

[aesop081]

ISRAEL-IRAN CLASH IMMINENT: REPORTS

See if you can spot the mistake :

Reports warn that Israel is likely to launch a military strike on Israel within months

 

[Jimmy_D]

Where is the link?

 

[sean m]

Continuing the topic related to  Mr. Sythen's article,

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service also believes to that Iran is an "urgent" nuclear threat

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/03/iran-is-an-urgent-nuclear-threat-csis/.

Just speculating at the bare minimal level , woudn't an agency like CSIS need human intelligence inside Iran to determine the possibility of Iran's nuclear capability? or would an agency like ours mainly rely on information provided by other foreign intelligence agencies like Mossad. From reading it seems that one role of a HUMINT agency like CSIS is nuclear proliferation, so since CSIS is having a more active presence abroad, if this is alright to ask, could CSIS have first hand knowledge of the Iran's capabilities?

 

[George Wallace]

Continuing the topic related to  Mr. Sythen's article,

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service also believes to that Iran is an "urgent" nuclear threat

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/03/iran-is-an-urgent-nuclear-threat-csis/.

Just speculating at the bare minimal level , woudn't an agency like CSIS need human intelligence inside Iran to determine the possibility of Iran's nuclear capability? or would an agency like ours mainly rely on information provided by other foreign intelligence agencies like Mossad. From reading it seems that one role of a HUMINT agency like CSIS is nuclear proliferation, so since CSIS is having a more active presence abroad, if this is alright to ask, could CSIS have first hand knowledge of the Iran's capabilities?

Now, that would be telling now, wouldn't it and a sure give away as to what our capabilities really are.  I suppose you could be working for a foreign intelligence agency and phishing for info, and again, that would be picked upon.  Do you really want to raise attention to yourself (as if you haven't already) by asking these questions?

 

[aesop081]

a HUMINT agency like CSIS

HUMINT is one thing CSIS does. It is not a "HUMIT agency".

 

[Bart905]

Ok lets say Israel Attacks Iran and Iran responds back with heavy force . America gets involved and as usual Canada will follow . In that case would the CF hire more recruits ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTWDWPf9yCg

watch Iran's Supreme leader give a speech to his military supporters. Scary indeed , 

 

[GAP]

yes...yes...then they'd hire you...... :sarcasm:

 

[Bart905]

ill take that as a No ..

 

[cupper]

Let's not forget that Israel does have a history of taking unilateral military action against other states when it comes to preventing said states from obtaining nuclear weapons.

If Saddam Hussain was still around, he could provide some input on the matter.

The question then becomes, what kind of response could Iran put together. I suspect (read speculate) that it would be a two part / phase plan that involves some sort of overt military posturing / minor attack to "save face", but a second more covert use of their proxy armies of Hezbollah and Hamas to launch a terror campaign. :Tin-Foil-Hat: :2c: