December 27, 2008
Steve Collins
Previous posts have commented on the fact that US and NATO warships were sent to the Gulf of Aden to combat the threat of ragtag pirates operating on tiny surface craft. Previous blogs also discussed the near-disastrous terrorist attack which could have occurred if an Iranian ship loaded with radioactive cargo (reportedly radioactive sand loaded in China) had not been Providentially hijacked by the Somali pirates. It was when the pirates began dying of radiation sickness that the world’s intelligence services realized the real nature of the cargo on the Iranian ship and hurriedly sent warships to the Arabian Sea. If this Iranian ship had detonated itself as a radioactive dirty bomb off the coast of Israel after passing through the Suez Canal on its way to its supposed destination in Europe, the Israeli reaction would very likely have been nuclear. Such cities as Tehran, Qom, etc. in Iran would likely no longer exist if an Iranian-abetted nuclear terrorist strike had hit Israeli territory. Knowing nuclear strikes by the Israelis could be triggered by such a mass-casualty attack upon the Jewish State, the USA and NATO rushed warships to the Arabian Sea. Personally, I think the US and NATO motive was less-motivated by a concern to fight piracy and more-motivated by a need to stop Iranian-sponsored “suicide ships” which could start a nuclear war. Evidence for this conclusion is found in the fact that NATO warships have done precious little to use their power to stop piracy since arriving in the region. Only India’s warship seems serious about opening fire on the pirates.
You may recall that one of the ships highjacked by the ragtag pirates was a vessel that turned out to be loaded with Russian tanks from the Soviet era. The Russian tanks were reportedly destined for the repressive Sudanese government. After this Russian cargo was pirated, a Russian warship also raced to the Arabian Sea. It has recently been reported that a Chinese flotilla (two warships and a supply ship) are also now being sent to the Arabian Sea region (see first link). It has scarcely been reported that Iran intends to do the same thing (see second link). The link reports that Iran sent a warship to “protect its cargo ships.”
Have Russia, Iran and China all suddenly seen seized by an altruistic desire to protect the world’s shipping from pirates? Only the naive would entertain such views. Russia, China and Iran have been embarrassed by the pirates’ seizing ships with clandestine Russian, Iranian and Chinese cargoes which exposed the secret agendas of those nations. You can be sure that their naval vessels have been dispatched to make sure that no more clandestine cargoes get intercepted. NATO forces should watch very carefully the routings of the Russian, Chinese and Iranian warships to try and determine which cargo vessels are being protectively “shadowed” by those warships. Those are the cargo ships most likely to have more clandestine cargoes on them from Russian, Iranian and Chinese ports.
China also surely welcomes the chance to dispatch warships to the sensitive Mideast maritime routes. China is greatly increasing the size and firepower of its navy and the global goal of “fighting piracy” gives it the political cover it needs to start sending its warships to the Mideast’s oil-producing region. Expect more Chinese vessels to sail to global destinations in the future as China’s navy continues to flex its muscles.
Ezekiel 38 prophesies Russia, China and Iran will all be allies in the age-ending “Gog -Magog” alliance which will attack the western world (called “Israel” in the prophecy because the western democracies are mostly descended from the former ten tribes of “Israel”) at the conclusion of this age. The Gog-Magog alliance is now sending its warships to the Arabian Sea to sail the same waters patrolled by NATO vessels. However, I don’t think their real mission is “fighting piracy.” I’ll bet their warships have been sent to protect clandestine Russian, Chinese and Iranian cargoes from both the pirates and from the shadowing NATO ships. China also wants to start positioning its naval fleet to challenge US dominance of the world’s maritime sea routes. Think I’m over-reacting? Read the third link, in which a Chinese Admiral openly acknowledges this is a Chinese naval goal.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,470686,00.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,470630,00.html
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/ea_china0815_12_22.asp
