Saturday, January 06, 2007

Whither The Fish, Asks Ralph Peters...

January 6, 2007 -- "WORD that Adm. William Fallon will move laterally from our Pacific Command to take charge of Central Command - responsible for the Middle East - while two ground wars rage in the region baffled the media.

Why put a swabbie in charge of grunt operations?

There's a one-word answer: Iran.

ASSIGNING a Navy aviator and combat veteran to oversee our military operations in the Persian Gulf makes perfect sense when seen as a preparatory step for striking Iran's nuclear-weapons facilities - if that becomes necessary.

While the Air Force would deliver the heaviest tonnage of ordnance in a campaign to frustrate Tehran's quest for nukes, the toughest strategic missions would fall to our Navy. Iran would seek to retaliate asymmetrically by attacking oil platforms and tankers, closing the Strait of Hormuz - and trying to hit oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates.

Only the U.S. Navy - hopefully, with Royal Navy and Aussie vessels underway beside us - could keep the oil flowing to a thirsty world.

In short, the toughest side of an offensive operation against Iran would be the defensive aspects - requiring virtually every air and sea capability we could muster. (Incidentally, an additional U.S. carrier battle group is now headed for the Gulf; Britain and Australia are also strengthening their naval forces in the region.)

Not only did Adm. Fallon command a carrier air wing during Operation Desert Storm, he also did shore duty at a joint headquarters in Saudi Arabia. He knows the complexity and treacherousness of the Middle East first-hand."

Geez, Ralph. You just had to go and illuminate the clueless, didn't you? Guess someone did. But don't go holding your breath awaiting the Brit navy. Logistic support, maybe. A chopper-carrier? Maybe. Anything of substance? Please now. The Aussies are swell friends but don't have anything capable of making the journey without falling apart, but we'd probably prop-up a well meaning scow of theirs, or two, just to keep the old ANZUS treaty afloat.

Yes, both Limey governments...the Aussies still consider The Queen to be their head of state, don't ya know...are quietly sending over more oars for their collective rowboats but all offers of assistance have to be on the cheap and away from the casualty reports in the morning newspapers. The Poms have their own moslem menace at home to worry about, and one more bus bombing means they are OUT of that neck of the woods and pronto. The poor Australians fell for the socialist style of government and don't have two pennies to rub together, well, they don't have pennies at all but you get the drift. It's cool that everything is rounded off to the even number when you buy something in Oz, and the tax included in the purchase price so you can't see how much you're being stolen from.

But you CAN'T hide dead sailors and Marines.

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