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US Warships to Lebanon

The USN isnt releasing false information they just arent reporting the full scope of the deployment as yet. There is a sizeable Russian naval presence in Syria so showing the flag isnt out of the norm.
 
tomahawk6 said:
The USN isnt releasing false information they just arent reporting the full scope of the deployment as yet. There is a sizeable Russian naval presence in Syria so showing the flag isnt out of the norm.

Cost-benefit analysis methinks. Russian navy presence in the AO has not changed significantly in the past couple of weeks - or even months. If the true intention was to 'fly the flag' off Lebanon and Syria, then simply make that the initial mission for ESG8. Why continue planning for a multi-national exercise for 12 months, and then just waltz off at the last moment?

Benefit: chance to wave at some Ruskie matelots.
Loss: Pi$$ off a number of allies by wrecking an exercise.

USS Cole +1 ship is being sent to Lebanon to 'fly the flag', but they are required elsewhere. So, on station for a couple of days before relief by the USS Nassau. Best of both worlds: wave to the Ruskies and keep allies happy by not scrapping the exercise.

No doubt, in a few weeks, as ESG8 heads towards the Suez for transit into Indian Ocean, they may well make a slight navigational detour to pass the coast of Lebanon. That, I'm afraid, doesn't count. :D

And the sub? Was that a Navy porkie or your misjudgment?
 
tomahawk6 said:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/28/us.lebanon/index.html

The destroyer and two support ships are close to Lebanon but out of visual range of the coast, Pentagon officials said. Another six vessels, led by the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau, are close to Italy and steaming toward the other three, the officials.

That, I confess, is a truely novel way of 'flying the flag' - beyond visual range!
 
There is a strong possibility that the other two 'USN' vessels accompanying USS Cole are none other than HMS Westminster and SPS Mendez-Nunez of the Spanish Navy!
 
The JPost has a somewhat different interpretation of the anonymous official's words from Thursday...
Another military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because full details about the ship movements are not yet public, said the USS Cole is headed for patrol in the eastern Mediterranean and that the USS Nassau, an amphibious warship, would be joining it shortly. The officer said a third ship would go later, but he did not identify it by name.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1204213985502&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
 
Yokel said:
Now sending a carrier would send a message......

Depends on whether you keep it hidden over the horizon or let it be seen by the locals. :D

Seems to be a cunning ruse invented by HMG. Tell the press that the 2 carriers have already been built and that they are currently on patrol off country X and country Y, but over the horizon out of eyesight.
 
Yokel said:
Now sending a carrier would send a message......

Of what? The futility of airpower against a determined guerrilla army? :roll:

Think the Israelis already tried sending that particular 'message' to not much avail.

The US should bugger off, even Siniora doesn't want them there - they're making him look even more of a US stooge.
 
Isn't the Cole a Guided Missile Destroyer? and also the same ship that was attacked in Yemeni?

Surely not an ideal "evacuation" boat?

Fcuk em anyway, the choggies p1ssing about with a Cruise armed destroyer during an evacuation probably wouldn't be a good idea!
 
Phase 1: Now that Dubya has decided to get involved, it is a safe bet that this mini-adventure will be grossly mismanaged.

Phase2: As soon as the problem is identified, we are going to throw money at the problem.

Phase 3: If that doesn't work we are going to throw more money at the problem.

Phase 4 to Phase 5657683893839: And then we will continue to throw more money at the problem until a new crisis
pops out of the woodwork....
 
CharlieBubbles said:
Perhaps the Isrealis have told the Armericans where the WMD from Iraq has been stored in Syria!

You are wrong, friend. Everybody knows that all of Iraq's WMD was stored in the little town called Fallujah.

Bombs away!
 
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