Defense Chief Pays Visit to USS John F. Kennedy

[seemslikeadream]

Story Number: NNS041012-02
Release Date: 10/12/2004 11:24:00 AM


By Journalist 1st Class Kayla Thompson, USS John F. Kennedy Public Affairs

ABOARD USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (NNS) -- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the ministers of defense from 18 coalition countries made a stop Oct. 9 aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67), currently deployed to the Arabian Gulf in support of the global war on terrorism.

Rumsfeld and guests took a whirlwind tour of the ship and participated in a video teleconference with a key military component in Baghdad. Rumsfeld then met with the crew of Kennedy in the ship’s hangar bay.

“It is a privilege to have Secretary Rumsfeld and his guests on board,” said Capt. Dennis FitzPatrick, commanding officer of Kennedy. “A former naval aviator, he understands firsthand how much hard work by all of you goes into successfully accomplishing our mission.”

After Rumsfeld was presented with a Kennedy ball cap, making him a member of the crew, Rumsfeld spoke to the Sailors of Kennedy.

“The first time I was aboard a carrier was for the commissioning of USS Hollandia in 1943. I was 10 years old, and my father was the hangar deck officer," Rumsfeld said. "Many years later, I had the privilege of landing aboard another carrier, USS Monterey (CVL 26), this time as a pilot. So it is indeed a personal privilege for this son of a Navy man and an old broken down naval aviator himself, to be with you here on this great day."
more
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=15478

[Parche]

1. uss monterrey

Gerald Ford was on the USS Monterrey, maybe they met then and
that is how Rumsfuher got into politics?

[LisaM]

2. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was CAMPAIGNING for his job...

and we're paying for it.

[Pepperbelly]

3. trashed.is.dumped.aft.of.the.fantail.when.underway.nt

[readmylips]

4. that's my step-son's ship, JFK...

I guess Rumbutt is campaigning making sure those sailors vote for little bush. Don't need to twist my step-son's arm, he loves da bush.

Too bad da bush and da rumbutt don't pay my step-son enough money to support his large family; 4 girls and a kkkristian nutty wife. If it weren't for us, his family would have to go without. They got a roof over their heads because we had to buy them a house. The military doesn't have houses for larger families.

[saracat]

11. I would let them starve, but then I'm not very nice.

[seemslikeadream]

5. ESG 3 Proves Flexibility, Mobility with First Staff Cross Deck at Sea

Story Number: NNS040915-05
Release Date: 9/15/2004 9:00:00 PM



By Lt. Sonja Stone, Expeditionary Strike Group 3 Public Affairs

ABOARD USS ESSEX, North Arabian Gulf (NNS) -- Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 executed the first ESG flag staff cross deck at sea Sept. 9, from USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) to USS Essex (LHD 2).

Once the turnover was completed and the ESG 3 watch was established, Essex Expeditionary Strike Group was officially activated Sept. 10.

Essex will fill a vital role as flagship for Marine Brig. General Joseph V. Medina, commander, ESG 3 and his staff. Medina assumed the duties as commander, Task Force (CTF) 58 June 30. The ESG 3/CTF 58 staff is responsible for Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the Northern Arabian Gulf, to include protection of Al Basrah Oil Terminal (ABOT) and Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT) off the coast of Iraq.

“This is a first, but it makes sense. Our cross deck to Essex supports the Navy’s philosophy of ‘presence with a purpose,’” said Medina. “The purpose of the flag staff is to bridge theater-wide operational plans and tactical execution at the Task Force level.”

The ESG 3/CTF 58 flag staff also provides the ability to simultaneously plan and execute multiple missions, thereby avoiding task saturation at the subordinate levels.

more
http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=15133

31st MEU arrives in Northern Arabian Gulf


Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, September 15, 2004



CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit recently arrived in the Northern Arabian Gulf aboard ships from the Essex Amphibious Ready Group.

1st Lt. Tryiokasus W. Brown, spokesman for the Okinawa-based 31st MEU, said the transit took three weeks, during which the Marines and sailors continued to train “in preparation to assist coalition forces in the global war on terrorism.”

About 1,000 Marines assigned to the MEU departed White Beach Naval Facility on Okinawa aboard the USS Essex, USS Harpers Ferry and USS Juneau in mid-August. The 31st MEU includes the Battalion Landing Team, consisting of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment; 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (Reinforced); and MEU Service Support Group 31.

“Combined with the sailors of Amphibious Squadron 11 in the U.S. Central Command’s area of operations, the MEU continues to represent a force in readiness in the global war on terrorism with ‘Strike from the Sea’ capability,” Brown stated in the release.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=23532&archive=true

[seemslikeadream]

6. Friends and rivals: India, US carry out Naval exercises

Vishnu Som

Sunday, October 10, 2004 (Aboard USS Cowpens):

India and America are holding their latest round of Naval exercises off the coast of Goa.

But though both countries have made remarkable strides in their military equation there are some who believe that both sides still consider each other regional rivals waging a turf battle for control of the Indian Ocean.

Even exercises as basic as the current ones, would have been unthinkable just a few years ago when diplomatic ties between the two sides were tepid at best.

Growing ties

Today though, the Navies of the two sides are involved in a series of relatively advanced annual exercises held off India's West Coast.

This year's exercises called Malabar 4, feature an American nuclear attack submarine, a frigate and the USS Cowpens - a cruiser equipped with state of the art radars and surface to air missiles.

....

And clearly, the Navy is wasting no time in implementing this doctrine. The cream of the Western Fleet – six ships and one submarine – are presently operating in the Persian Gulf – a region which the Navy says is well within its sphere of influence.

Some of these ships will sail into the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, a move bound to irritate the US.

more
http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=India%2C+US+carry+out+Naval+exercises&id=61827

[Minstrel Boy]

7. Is the Kennedy in place for a pre-election strike on Iran?

Okay, here goes.

For what it's worth, this is the latest from "The Voice of the White House" - "comments from a reporter assigned to the White House press corps":

October 10, 2004: “This time, friends, I have some very important news for all of you. Unlike the usual silly gossip that goes on around the White House, intermingled with loud praying, this is really news. We are about to embark on another war! Yes, it has been decided and carefully planned. Who are we going to war with? Iran. Background here: (I am taking this from a paper which I have to return)

Thesis: Iran hates the United States and Israel. Iran has atomic weapons and missiles (the Shahab, courtesy of North Korean/Russian technicians) It can easily reach Tel Aviv. It can also reach US troop concentrations in Iraq. Israel is scared shitless. Their pressure groups have leaned on the White House, with a great deal of assistance from Cheney and the Neocons. The actual plan is this:

The U.S. has no troops available for an Iranian adventure and the Israelis would rather not lose any warm bodies so…it has been firmly decided that both Israel and the U.S. will launch a surprise attack against 1., Iranian missile sites, 2. Iranian nuclear facilities and 3. the leadership of Iran located in and around Tehran. How will this be done? By aircraft attack using U.S. developed “smart bombs” and the so-called “bunker-buster” bombs designed to destroy underground reinforced concrete facilities .We just sent these to Israel. Because of the political ramifications, the Israelis will conduct the main strikes, supported by U.S. aircraft as needed. The aim will be to wipe out any vestige of nuclear weaponry, its delivery system and all the Iranian leaders capable of starting any attacks on Israel (mostly Tel Aviv…too many fellow Muslims in Jerusalem.) Since it would be a problem for Israeli Air Force units to fly round trip from Israel, the solution will be to launch these attacks from U.S. aircraft carriers located in the Persian Gulf area. As I write, the super carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) is now in the Persian Gulf along with the so-called Essex Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) <31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (SOC)> which consists of:: USS Essex (LHD 2) USS Juneau (LPD 10) USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) USS Mobile Bay (CG 53USS Hopper (DDG 70) USS Preble (DDG 88) The initial attacks will be an early-morning surprise attack launched to coincide with religious services in Tehran’s Muslim mosques with the idea of catching not only the leading Mullahs inside but a large number of their congregations as well. One attack will concentrate on these religious centers and the other will hit both the underground nuclear facilities and identified (courtesy of U.S. satellite shots) missile launching sites. The U.S. will supply observation and radio surveillance aircraft with radar-jamming capacities operating out of Turkey and Italy. The entire attack is scheduled to last no more than one hour with at least three waves of Israeli aircraft utilized. No warning will be given to the Iranians and no declaration of war. The possible deaths of foreign diplomats in the attacks has been discussed and accepted as part of the price. This attack has the full support of the President who wants it launched before the elections. He can then make a speech to the American people stating that the evil Iranian nuclear weaponry has been destroyed by the Israelis with the full cooperation of his government as part of his heroic war against terrorists. Believe me, that speech has already been written and I have seen a copy of it. The brass here feels that this will have a tremendous impact on the American people, just before the elections. No U.S. ground troops will be used; Bush will stress that this is a joint U.S.-Israeli anti-terrorist project. Part of the speech deals with ongoing Shiite Iranian physical support of their Shiite brethren in Iraq and that by knocking out the Iranian nuclear weaponry, at the same time, they are protecting GIs from ongoing guerrilla warfare. The brass is literally rubbing it’s hands and drooling over what they see as Bush’s Final Victory. I have seen a negative report copy from someone in the Pentagon that says if the Iranians get wind of this little game, they might strike first and they might also realize that large numbers of vulnerable American troops are concentrated inside Iraqi cities, prime targets for a nuclear tactical attack. These people are literally insane and I really hope you don’t delete this. Something really has to be done to stop these maniacs before we all die of radiation sickness!”

http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a1130.htm

[seemslikeadream]

8. Dyer: Will an attack on Iran be the real October Surprise?

American intelligence sources are busily leaking hair-raising tales of Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. Norman Podhoretz, editor of Commentary and godfather of the neo-conservatives, tells an interviewer: "I am not advocating the invasion of Iran at this moment, although I wouldn't be heartbroken if it happened." Israel has recently taken delivery of 500 "bunker-buster" bombs from the United States - just the thing for destroying deeply buried nuclear facilities. Is the long-predicted "October Surprise" that clinches the U.S. election for President George W. Bush going to be an attack on Iran?
Some senior Iranian military people seem concerned about it, and last month Yadollah Javani, head of the Revolutionary Guards political bureau, reassured Iranians that neither the U.S. nor Israel would dare to attack their country. "The entire Zionist territory, including its nuclear facilities and atomic arsenal, are currently within range of Iran's advanced missiles," he said. "Therefore, neither the Zionist regime nor America will carry out its threats."
Some of this is obvious nonsense. Norman Podhoretz's grasp of military realities is inferior to that of the average beauty queen. The United States is far too over-stretched militarily in Afghanistan and Iraq to contemplate invading Iran, which is much bigger and stronger than both of them put together, and Israel cannot invade Iran, having no common border with it.
There will not be an invasion. Yadollah Javani is also talking through his hat. Iran's Shahab-3 missiles can reach Israel and strike at American forces all over the Middle East, but as Iran certainly has no nuclear weapons at the moment, that only means that it can drop a few high-explosive warheads on them, without much in the way of accuracy, if it doesn't lose its missiles on the ground first. There is no effective Iranian deterrent to American or Israeli air strikes aimed at destroying the country's nuclear facilities, which is far more likely than an actual invasion. What is conspicuously lacking (as in the case of Iraq) is any reason for arguing that an attack is urgent.

...

An attack now would be driven by political calculations. Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would be seriously tempted to launch a "pre-emptive" strike against Iranian nuclear facilities if he could get a green light from the U.S., as it would eliminate a potential threat to Israel's nuclear weapons monopoly in the region and also boost his popularity in a difficult period at home. From

...

When all the relevant decision-makers on both sides of the argument have something to gain politically from a certain action, it becomes a possibility. No more than that, for the moment, and the final decision would have to be made in Washington even if it were Israelis who did the actual bombing.
But if George W. Bush's poll numbers are looking shaky in mid-October, the possibility of that sort of an attack on Iran probably rises considerably.---
more
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_2421473

[KoKo]

10. I wondered why Rummy was over there. I figured he was up to something

just like the rumors that Bush went over there for Thanksgiving and it was really to check out Saddam whom many speculated had already been captured.

The neocons have been all over C-Span for the last 6 months heavily pushing how dangerous Iran is. And our own Democratic Candidates keep talking about Iran and No. Korea.

I think he has to clear this action, with Congress though..at least with the committees. I just don't see how he can get away with it. But, given that he keeps saying we are "At War" I guess he thinks he has a blank check.

Let's hope something comes out from somewhere to stop this. What happens to all the radiation that's released. Surely the AEIA and the UN will have some say so in this and the countries on the border. Plus Iran and Russia have close ties.

I think it's possible. I even posted after I saw the NeoCons on C-Span carrying on one day that he was going to invade Iran or bomb them. But, given how badly things are now going in Iraq with No WMD found and the election so near...I just don't know how he can get away with it. If our Democrats let him, then we know that it was all planned that way from the beginning. I hope that isn't true.

Let's hope someone stops him. Shuddering....

[seemslikeadream]

9. Israel 'should attack nuclear sites in Iran if diplomacy fails'

From Ian MacKinnon in Jerusalem


A PRE-EMPTIVE Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear installations would be fraught with risks and difficulties, but it would set back significantly Tehran’s development programme, a respected think-tank in Tel Aviv said yesterday.

....

After news that Israel would take delivery of the precision-guided bombs capable of destroying underground targets, some analysts argued that the diversity of Iran’s facilities and poor intelligence would make a raid impossible.

Yet despite the problems of such an operation, Ephraim Kam, the Jaffee Centre’s deputy head, said that it would put the programme back for a year or more and should not be ruled out if diplomatic pressure failed to halt Iran’s research.

....

If Iran succeeds in putting its nuclear programme to military use, the Jaffee Centre says that it could dramatically destabilise the balance in the region, leading other countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria, to develop their own atomic installations.

Because of the threat that a nuclear Iran would pose, Dr Kam argues that if the IAEA and the international community fail to halt Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, Washington should intervene militarily, a prospect that seems to be growing. However, if the US shirked the challenge, Israel might have no choice but to act.

....

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, the Iranian Vice-President, had his resignation accepted yesterday, after saying that he could not work with the conservative-dominated parliament. A close ally of the reformist President Khatami, he first tendered his resignation in February.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1306552,00.html