Regular readers will know of my frequent 'thank yous' to my e-pal, Alan Sullivan, who seemed to be an almost endless source of interesting links around the net on an enormously wide range of subjects. As I write, Alan is dying in hospital of the cancer which has plagued him for some time. His regular readers are anguished in their indecision as to whether to wish him another brief respite or a quick end to his agonies. I tend to the latter.
However, one of his commenters, in a sort of toast to Alan's blog-style, offered up a link to the Asia Times which contained an ominous message. The writer, Victor Kotsev, is convinced that before summer is out the Israelis, with American assistence and a Saudi blind eye, will strike Iran. Kotsev, in his article, links to an analysis by David Moon of the Asia Times dated 1st July in which he spells out how he thinks such an attack will be carried out. Apparently the USA has re-enforced the Gulf area and now has three naval task forces close by. According to Moon:
On June 18, the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman and task group including the German frigate Hessen in the company of an unidentified Israeli naval vessel made a fast transit of the Suez Canal. The Egyptians not only closed the canal to all traffic, all fishing boats where docked, while the Egyptian military lined the banks of the canal. All facets of this passage rank as extraordinary.
As I write, Netanyahu is in Washington and he and Obama are trying to mend fences. According to the WSJ, whilst it's all smiles and handshakes in public there is still considerable tension in private. Quite how this fits with a US-assisted attack on Iran is beyond me but, of course, unless you are privy to the diplomacy no-one can be sure of anything. However, I am pretty sure that of all Israeli prime ministers, Netanyahu, with or without the USA, is never going to allow Iran to gain nuclear weapons - that, I feel, is a given!
Barackmandias!
Posted by: dearieme | Wednesday, 07 July 2010 at 10:02
Indeed: "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
I wonder if he's booked his place at Mt. Rushmore yet?
Posted by: David Duff | Wednesday, 07 July 2010 at 11:02
Although I am in general agreement with you here David, at least on the main points - there's one small problem with that transit of the Suez by an American carrier task force:
http://www.informationdissemination.net/2010/07/picture-of-day.html
Posted by: JK | Friday, 09 July 2010 at 04:28
I know, I know. Different carrier. And I can't seem to find out precisely where the USS Harry Truman was on June 18th. But I know where the ship was on the 8th - Marseille. And unless some things have drastically changed from many, many moons ago, such a visit was likely to have lasted between eight and twelve days - unless American sailors these days have developed allergies that require them to go romping about France wearing swimming goggles.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/06/defense_france_carrier_truman_060810/
Posted by: JK | Friday, 09 July 2010 at 05:41
The habits of sailors anywhere are not the subject of conversation in polite circles - Her Majesty would not be amused!
Posted by: David Duff | Friday, 09 July 2010 at 10:58