US raises stakes on Iran by sending in ships and missiles

[cali]

Tension between the US and Iran heightened dramatically today with the disclosure that Barack Obama is deploying a missile shield to protect American allies in the Gulf from attack by Tehran.

The US is dispatching Patriot defensive missiles to four countries – Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait – and keeping two ships in the Gulf capable of shooting down Iranian missiles. Washington is also helping Saudi Arabia develop a force to protect its oil installations.

American officials said the move is aimed at deterring an attack by Iran and reassuring Gulf states fearful that Tehran might react to sanctions by striking at US allies in the region. Washington is also seeking to discourage Israel from a strike against Iran by demonstrating that the US is prepared to contain any threat.


The deployment comes after Obama's attempts to emphasise diplomacy over confrontation in dealing with Iran – a contrast to the Bush administration's approach – have failed to persuade Tehran to open its nuclear installations to international controls. The White House is now trying to engineer agreement for sanctions focused on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, believed to be in charge of the atomic programme.

Washington has not formally announced the deployment of the Patriots and other anti-missile systems, but by leaking it to American newspapers the administration is evidently seeking to alert Tehran to a hardening of its position.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/31/iran-nuclear-us-missiles-gulf

[Hardrada]

1. I'm losing track of all the wars our elite get us into and which ones

they are thinking about. The swine.

[aquart]

2. Show of force. Standard tactic.

Nothing to get excited about.

[Flaneur]

3. Yeah, I never get concerned when some armed thug appears across the street.

[Fumesucker]

4. Yeah, especially when the thug has just beat the crap out of your next door neighbor..

And totally trashed his home..

Nothing to worry about there..

:eyes:

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. I find the whole "leak" to be sensationalist

I find it amusing that deploying Patriot batteries to protect or troops and allies is a shocking development. I would have thought the absence of these weapons systems would have been a bigger story. In fact, haven't Patriot systems been in the region since Gulf War I?

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. US is just aggravating the piss out of Iran

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I wouldn't doubt that the USA has subs in the Gulf and the Mediterranean just itching to launch some deadly ballistic missiles - already programmed for Iran destinations . .

and yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if there are nuclear armed subs lurking around over there too.

I believe the USA WANTS Iran to attack someone, just so the USA can have a half-assed excuse to blast the hell out of Iran.

Remember, USA didn't even HAVE a good reason to attack and invade Iraq, but they did it anyway.

But Iran is a little tougher, so the USA is just building up more arms and troops while poking a stick at Iran, just waiting for them to bite.

And I'm afraid that they may bite the way the West keeps aggravating them.