Can't stand the irony any longer

[Cain]

The USA has finally found an international law it is willing to support:

The US Navy has said it will not tolerate disruption to a vital oil-trade route, following an Iranian threat to close it.

Iran warned it would shut the Strait of Hormuz if the West imposed more sanctions over its nuclear programme.

The US and its allies believe Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon - a charge Tehran denies.

Reacting to Iran's warning, a US Fifth Fleet spokeswoman said it was "always ready to counter malevolent actions".

The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf - and the oil-producing states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - to the Indian Ocean. About 40% of the world's tanker-borne oil passes through it.

The US maintains a naval presence in the Gulf, largely to ensure the transport of oil remains open.

"The free flow of goods and services through the Strait of Hormuz is vital to regional and global prosperity," spokeswoman Rebecca Rebarich told the BBC, adding that the Navy would be ready to act if required.

"The US Navy is a flexible, multi-capable force committed to regional security and stability, always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."

The freedom of navigation referred to here is the freedom nations have agreed to under the transit route provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  Those of you who clicked the link will note there are two particular nations who have not in fact ratified this convention.  They are:

- The USA, and
- Iran

So, yes.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

I know this may sound completely ignorant, but I have to ask as it is the first thing that I think when I read this.  Is the US getting "tuff" now so as to maintain, put in place a military presence there?

Addendum.....

Modified to add, by there, I mean physically in Iran, not the gulf.  As I was under the imprseeion we were bringing a large majority of our troops home from the mideast.

Sorry for not being more clear.

[Cain]

    The Dude: Walter, what is the point? Look, we all know who is at fault here, what the fuck are you talking about?
    Walter Sobchak: Huh? No, what the fuck are you... I'm not... We're talking about unchecked aggression here, dude.
    Donny: What the fuck is he talking about?
    The Dude: My rug.
    Walter Sobchak: Forget it, Donny, you're out of your element!
    The Dude: Walter, the Chinaman who peed on my rug, I can't go give him a bill, so what the fuck are you talking about?
    Walter Sobchak: What the fuck are you talking about? The Chinaman is not the issue here, Dude. I'm talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line, you DO NOT... Also, Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.
    The Dude: Walter, this isn't a guy who built the railroads here. This is a guy...
    Walter Sobchak: What the fuck are you...?
    The Dude: Walter, he peed on my rug!
    Donny: He peed on the Dude's rug.
    Walter Sobchak: Donny you're out of your element! Dude, the Chinaman is not the issue here!

[Freeky]

    The Dude: Walter, what is the point? Look, we all know who is at fault here, what the fuck are you talking about?
    Walter Sobchak: Huh? No, what the fuck are you... I'm not... We're talking about unchecked aggression here, dude.
    Donny: What the fuck is he talking about?
    The Dude: My rug.
    Walter Sobchak: Forget it, Donny, you're out of your element!
    The Dude: Walter, the Chinaman who peed on my rug, I can't go give him a bill, so what the fuck are you talking about?
    Walter Sobchak: What the fuck are you talking about? The Chinaman is not the issue here, Dude. I'm talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line, you DO NOT... Also, Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.
    The Dude: Walter, this isn't a guy who built the railroads here. This is a guy...
    Walter Sobchak: What the fuck are you...?
    The Dude: Walter, he peed on my rug!
    Donny: He peed on the Dude's rug.
    Walter Sobchak: Donny you're out of your element! Dude, the Chinaman is not the issue here!

I really need to watch this movie...

[Triple Zero]

    The Dude: Walter, what is the point? Look, we all know who is at fault here, what the fuck are you talking about?
    Walter Sobchak: Huh? No, what the fuck are you... I'm not... We're talking about unchecked aggression here, dude.
    Donny: What the fuck is he talking about?
    The Dude: My rug.
    Walter Sobchak: Forget it, Donny, you're out of your element!
    The Dude: Walter, the Chinaman who peed on my rug, I can't go give him a bill, so what the fuck are you talking about?
    Walter Sobchak: What the fuck are you talking about? The Chinaman is not the issue here, Dude. I'm talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line, you DO NOT... Also, Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.
    The Dude: Walter, this isn't a guy who built the railroads here. This is a guy...
    Walter Sobchak: What the fuck are you...?
    The Dude: Walter, he peed on my rug!
    Donny: He peed on the Dude's rug.
    Walter Sobchak: Donny you're out of your element! Dude, the Chinaman is not the issue here!

I really need to watch this movie...

You totally do. If anyone were to ask me "what's yuor favurite moovie?" I'd tell them The Big Lowbiscuit. Evem of you thonk that you haerd all the quotable bits thre's sos many ofthem that the movie is super mega hyper ultra auwespme anyway!

SO WHJATYCH IT DAMNIT!!!

[Freeky]

Right after I posted that, I borrowed Roger's copy he got for Christmas and watched it.

Oh my god, why did I deprive myself of the genius in it for so long?   

[Chairman Risus]

So, short of war, what could the Navy do

"to counter malevolent actions"

?

[ñͤͣ̄ͦ̌̑͗͊͛͂͗ ̸̨̨̣̺̼̣̜͙͈͕̮̊̈́̈͂͛̽͊ͭ̓͆ͅé ̰̓̓́ͯ́́͞]

Is this a good example of an economic choke point?

[Cain]

Risis, undertake their own malevonent actions.

Net, exactly.  Along with the Malacca Straits and the European-American banking system, this is a part of the world where a massive screwup could definitely result in, say, $300 for a barrel of oil.

Now, some analysts state that Iran does not have the military power to go toe-to-toe with the Fifth Fleet.  Now, as it happens, I actually agree with these analysts: the Iranian Naval and Air Force cannot compete with the US Navy, on their own terms.  But whoever said they were going to fight fair? 

It is also worth noting that Iran has been buying up a large number of Sunburst missiles since about 2005.

[Rumckle]

  But whoever said they were going to fight fair? 

I'm not really surprised, but I still find that hilarious.

[Cain]

Millenium 2002 was great, from the Red Team point of view.  While the stuff with the motorcycles wasn't that clever, the way they used fishing boats and airplanes, having them circle around aimlessly while the fleet closed in, then executed a perfectly coordinated attack on the Navy's boats...that was clever.  One massive hit, crippled the fleet entirely.  The aircraft carriers were the first to go, as you would expect.

It's not clear exactly how much was learnt from the exercise, by the Navy.  I suspect not much, as the Navy are very much proponents of hi-tech, electronic and networked warfare, and this is very much on the low-tech end of things.

Also



Oil prices are already rising.

[Cain]

Please note that out of all the above mentioned routes, only two are not under the control of US military allies, the Bab el Mandeb and the Straits of Hormuz.  Hormuz, of course, has Iran, potentially fucking things up for everyone, and the Bab el Mandeb has the Somalian pirates/Al-Qaeda in Yemen/Eritrea issue.

I'm sure these are completely unrelated to US security concerns in those regions though, because it's all about human rights and women and democracy and stuff.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Please note that out of all the above mentioned routes, only two are not under the control of US military allies, the Bab el Mandeb and the Straits of Hormuz.  Hormuz, of course, has Iran, potentially fucking things up for everyone, and the Bab el Mandeb has the Somalian pirates/Al-Qaeda in Yemen/Eritrea issue.

I'm sure these are completely unrelated to US security concerns in those regions though, because it's all about human rights and women and democracy and stuff.

Personally, I have no issue with the US Navy keeping shipping lanes open.

The hypocrisy is fun, sure, but still.

[Cain]

Well, on the one hand, I don't mind, since we are, of course, an oil-based economy and so the black gold is utterly necessary to our continued "prosperity" as a species.

On the other hand, control is control and, well, the US simply cannot be trusted with power anymore, and its complete inability to actually enforce Pax Americana on the foreign bandits means that attempted actions in those regions will probably just end up creating more enemies and making sure less oil gets through, fucking up the entire global economy.

Oil price shocks will probably drive Europe into a far deeper recession than it is already heading for, for example, in turn causing an uglier nationalist backlash and increasing our dependency on Russian supplies.  That would be a, uh, sub-optimal outcome, to put it midly.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Well, on the one hand, I don't mind, since we are, of course, an oil-based economy and so the black gold is utterly necessary to our continued "prosperity" as a species.

On the other hand, control is control and, well, the US simply cannot be trusted with power anymore, and its complete inability to actually enforce Pax Americana on the foreign bandits means that attempted actions in those regions will probably just end up creating more enemies and making sure less oil gets through, fucking up the entire global economy.

1.  Of course America can't be trusted with power.  Unfortunately, we have it.  May as well put it to use.

2.  While our performance in the last view wars has been less than stellar, the one thing we CAN do is naval operations, once the leash is off.