Iran just can’t seem to stay out of the headlines. It is becoming ever-more bellicose and it is preparing for a war which it seems eager to fight. The first link below cites a report from the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence which concluded that if a war erupts in the Persian Gulf, “Iran can shut down the strategic Strait of Hormuz through which more than 30 percent of the world’s oil supplies pass.” The effect of shutting down this flow of oil would cause havoc in world oil and commodity markets and severely impact many world economies dependent on that flow of oil.
This report by the U.S. Naval Intelligence Office was apparently so sensitive and unwelcome politically that the link states the report was pulled from the U.S. Navy’s website within a week. The article doesn’t specify how long Iran could shut down the Straits of Hormuz, but opines that it might be “short-lived.” Even that is an informed guess. The U.S. Navy report not only indicated that Iran had received modern cruise missiles from China which could be used to easily sink oil tankers and possibly U.S. warships, but it cited an entirely new threat from Iran. The report warned that Iran may have acquired from the Russians or Chinese an advanced “super-cavitation high-speed missile torpedo” which travels at 250 knots underwater on the way to its targeted ship. Ominously, the report warns that “The U.S. Navy has no defense against it.” If the Iranians sink a U.S. aircraft carrier or other warships in a future Persian Gulf War, the political damage to the Obama administration and the current U.S. Congress will be immense.
Significantly, the Navy Report apparently didn’t even mention the Russian “sizzler” cruise missiles which have already been shared with China and may also be in Iran’s inventory. It is not known if the U.S. Navy has a defense against that weapon either. With Russia, China and perhaps Iran having a mix of anti-carrier ballistic missiles, anti-carrier “sizzler” supersonic cruise missiles and this new super-fast “missile torpedo,” it is beginning to look like the U.S. military is losing its qualitative edge over its rivals that dated back to the Reagan administration.
One more thing. Just days ago, I did a blog about Iran’s acknowledgment of having (or planning) ten new nuclear plants. Guess what? Iran now is stating they are planning 20 new nuclear plants. Iran is in a big hurry to become a significant nuclear power. Meanwhile, Obama administration is planning on surging tens of thousands more U.S. troops into Afghanistan even though it can’t afford to pay for the war any longer. It is also fighting with Congress to pass an expensive new health-care program which it also has no money to pay for either. Looks like the Federal Reserve Board will have to create more trillions of “funny money” dollars from the black hole in its basement. Some readers are asking me whether Obama is deliberately trying to bankrupt the USA. Given Obama’s reckless spending plans, its a fair question.
Let’s close with a final thought on Iran. As the Americans, the Israelis and the West dither about whether to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, the chances are growing that Iran may strike first. The endless appeasement efforts by the West vis-à-vis Iran will only embolden Iran to be more bellicose, and this increases the odds of an Iranian first strike. What if the war starts with the launch of 200 Iranian cruise missiles and new high-speed torpedoes at U.S. warships, Saudi oil facilities and oil tankers in the Persian Gulf accompanied by a simultaneous launch of 20,000 missiles and rockets by Hezbollah forces in Lebanon vs. Israeli cities? While we hope that this doesn’t happen, it is a real possibility. If that happens, Americans will very quickly learn there are things in this world more important that “American Idol” programs, endless football games on TV and salacious media stories wondering how many women Tiger Woods was reportedly hiding from his wife. If war breaks out in the Persian Gulf, the American establishment media will have to start reporting some real news for a change.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.printable&pageId=117871
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579515,00.html?test=latestnews
