U.S. deploying carrier, bombers to Middle East to deter Iran: Bolton

[rangerrebew]

World News
May 5, 2019 / 9:05 PM / Updated 12 hours ago
U.S. deploying carrier, bombers to Middle East to deter Iran: Bolton
Matt Spetalnick, Idrees Ali
 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is deploying a carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East in response to troubling “indications and warnings” from Iran and to show the United States will retaliate with “unrelenting force” to any attack, national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday.

With tensions already high between Washington and Tehran, a U.S. official said the deployment has been ordered “as a deterrence to what has been seen as potential preparations by Iranian forces and its proxies that may indicate possible attacks on U.S. forces in the region.”However, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was not expecting any imminent Iranian attack.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-idUSKCN1SC01B

[Right_in_Virginia]

The Netanyahu-Bolton team is a dangerous combination.  Very dangerous.

[thackney]

The Netanyahu-Bolton team is a dangerous combination.  Very dangerous.

Dangerous to Iran.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Dangerous to Iran.

Dangerous to American blood and treasure.

[rangerrebew]

I don't believe Iran would hesitate to nuke Israel but they will get only one chance and the nation will, for all intents and purposes, cease to exist.

[skeeter]

I wonder if this recent carrier deployment has anything to do with a highly placed Iranian general defecting to the US late last month. Supposedly he had alot of intel to share...

[Wingnut]

Along with Those 4 B-52's we sent over..it ought to increase the pucker factor in the mullah's tent.

[thackney]

I wonder if this recent carrier deployment has anything to do with a highly placed Iranian general defecting to the US late last month. Supposedly he had alot of intel to share...

I thought that was US defected to Iran.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/us/politics/monica-elfriede-witt-air-force.html

A former Air Force sergeant who defected to Iran did severe damage to American intelligence operations, and is suspected of revealing the names of double agents run by United States military intelligence, some of whom had their cover blown after her defection, according to former counterintelligence officials.

Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, the former Air Force counterintelligence agent, is also accused of exposing the names of eight American military counterespionage agents, and she had knowledge of how the United States intercepted foreign communications, the government’s most important stream of intelligence. She also knew the inner workings of American military operations across the Middle East....

[skeeter]

I thought that was US defected to Iran.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/us/politics/monica-elfriede-witt-air-force.html

A former Air Force sergeant who defected to Iran did severe damage to American intelligence operations, and is suspected of revealing the names of double agents run by United States military intelligence, some of whom had their cover blown after her defection, according to former counterintelligence officials.

Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, the former Air Force counterintelligence agent, is also accused of exposing the names of eight American military counterespionage agents, and she had knowledge of how the United States intercepted foreign communications, the government’s most important stream of intelligence. She also knew the inner workings of American military operations across the Middle East....

According to a Chinese news source Iran's general in charge of counter intelligence approached our embassy in Bahrain on the 22nd of last month asking for asylum, and carrying a trove of confidential stuff. Supposedly he felt exposed because the Iranians had just busted a big spy ring inside Iran recently.

Who knows if this is factual but given our own media's absolute incompetence and exclusive focus on politics I wouldn't be surprised if this escaped their notice.

[thackney]

According to a Chinese news source Iran's general in charge of counter intelligence approached our embassy in Bahrain on the 22nd of last month asking for asylum, and carrying a trove of confidential stuff. Supposedly he felt exposed because the Iranians had just busted a big spy ring inside Iran recently.

Who knows if this is factual but given our own media's absolute incompetence and exclusive focus on politics I wouldn't be surprised if this escaped their notice.

Thanks.  I would expect some Europe Media would pick this up if true.

http://isicrc.org/irgc-basij-and-hezbollah/exclusive-irgc-commander-believed-to-have-defected-to-the-west

[Fishrrman]

ranger wrote:
"I don't believe Iran would hesitate to nuke Israel but they will get only one chance and the nation will, for all intents and purposes, cease to exist."

I disagree.

Even if Iran did attack Israel with nuclear weapons, and if Israel retaliated, at least some of Iran would survive.

But Israel could be essentially destroyed with relatively few nuclear hits.

I recall a comment that [I think] one of the ayatollahs made, about how Iran could lose a third to half of its people, but Iran would still "be there", while Israel would be gone. Like it or not, he's right.

We should have massively attacked Iran at the end of Bush 2's term, in collaboration with Israel (or supported an Israeli mission).

We almost certainly WILL have to go to war with that country eventually.

Remember what Churchill said, why one should fight early when one's chances are best?