Tuesday - April 21, 2015

doing stuff, Yemen

Ok. Got her down to the dealership to pick up her car. Apparently I solved whatever the issue was, because the mechanics took her little buzz buggy out for 4 test drives and gave it 4 sessions with the magic meter reader, and they came up with nothing. So she’s off shopping. I ran a couple of errands, drove past the locomotive shed of the BR&W RR on the way back to see if Engine 60 was out in the sun - it wasn’t - and then got a refill on the propane tank for the grill. Toasted a few dogs for lunch, and I’ve got some chicken thighs marinating for later, to make some grilled Buffalo thighs. Better than wings, twice as much meat, and actually less expensive.

So let’s see what’s new in the news ... oh look, might be a naval battle shaping up off of Yemen, with us against the Iranians. And them having just shown off their carrier destroying missile system a couple weeks ago. Oh boy!

American warships are prepared to intercept a convoy of Iranian ships suspected of carrying weapons to Houthi rebel forces in Yemen, senior defense and military officials told NBC News on Monday.

An Iranian convoy of freighters, escorted by warships from the Iranian military and Revolutionary Guard forces, appears headed for Yemen, the officials said.

They emphasized that while the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier group would be in position to intercept the convoy, an intercept could also be carried out by Saudi Arabia, Egypt or the United Arab Emirates, which are patrolling the waters off Yemen.

Supported by the United States, Saudi Arabia has led Sunni Arab countries in carrying out more than three weeks of airstrikes targeting the rebels, who are backed by Iran and have seized parts of Yemen.

There is no indication that U.S. or other coalition warships have been in contact with the Iranians, but one official told NBC News, “They know we’re there.”

Some U.S. officials are concerned that the leak of the information is not good, coming at the same time as the United States and other countries try to reach a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

“Since this is now public, the Iranians may feel they’ve been backed into a corner” and attempt to run through any blockade set up by the coalition warships, one official said.

The deployment comes after a U.N. Security Council resolution approved last week imposed an arms embargo on leaders of the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels, who have taken over much of Yemen.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest would not comment specifically on any Navy movements in Yemeni waters, but said the U.S. has concerns about Iran’s “continued support for the Houthis.

“We have seen evidence that the Iranians are supplying weapons and other armed support to the Houthis in Yemen,” Earnest said Monday. “That support will only contribute to greater violence in that country. These are exactly the kind of destabilizing activities that we have in mind when we raise concerns about Iran’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East.”

He added, “Iranians are acutely aware of our concerns for their continued support of the Houthis by sending them large shipments of weapons.”

In a stepped-up response to Iranian backing of Shiite rebels in Yemen, the Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is steaming toward the waters off Yemen to beef up security and join other American ships that are prepared to intercept any Iranian vessels carrying weapons to the Houthi rebels.

The deployment comes after a U.N. Security Council resolution approved last week imposed an arms embargo on leaders of the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi rebels. The resolution passed in a 14-0 vote with Russia abstaining.

Navy officials said Monday that the Roosevelt was moving through the Arabian Sea. A massive ship that carries F/A-18 fighter jets, the Roosevelt is seen more of a deterrent and show of force in the region.

So we will continue to fight another proxy war with Iran in Yemen, or we will now duke it out with them directly? Either way, I’m just ever so glad our great god-king Emperor Obama reached a semi-secret agreement with these nutjobs, who are going to ignore it anyway, and that the whole slew of Republican legislators we HAD TO elect to stop this (and Obamacare too!) rolled over and played dead so fast they got carpet burns. Way to go Team Weasel.

Posted by Drew458     on 04/21/2015 at 12:26 PM   
Filed Under: • Daily Life • Military •  
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