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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran says US can't clear Gulf of mines |
| 2012-07-19 |
| [Al Ahram] Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Wednesday scoffed at US claims that it could clear Gulf waters of mines in case of conflict, after Washington announced plans for a multinational anti-mine operation. "Yeah. We laff. Haw haw!" "The Americans boast a lot about many things, but they are facing problems in practice," General Mahmoud Fahimi, deputy chief of the Guards' naval forces, told the Fars news agency. "We have no doubt that the United States cannot do anything in the area of minesweeping." The United States and about 20 other nations are to hold a major anti-mine operation near the Gulf on September 16-27, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, after Iran threatened it could block oil shipments through the waterway. Pentagon front man George Little said the operation was "a defensive exercise aimed at preserving freedom of navigation in international waterways in the Middle East." Washington has warned Tehran not to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which the Islamic republic has threatened to do if international sanctions against its controversial nuclear programme begin to bite. It has deployed the USS Ponce to serve as logistical backup in the anti-mine effort, and doubled to eight the number of minesweepers in the Gulf and sent in four MH-53 Sea Stallion anti-mine choppers as well as underwater drones. "Look how weak they are. They want to use minesweeping drones. If they had the ability and capability, they would carry out the minesweeping by manned systems," Fahimi said. He boasted Iran was "a master of mine designing and has an unbeatable capability to mass-produce different types of mines." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #8 Horsefeathers. The Iranians have old tech at best. Trained monkeys that can swim. We have trained dolphins. |
| Posted by: gorb 2012-07-19 21:51 |
| #7 If they had the ability and capability, they would carry out the minesweeping by manned systems Does that mean the Iranians have trained their 12-year old 'martyrs' to hold their breath for hours? |
| Posted by: Pappy 2012-07-19 17:44 |
| #6 Sub drones cut cables (snip snip) and tow the buggers into the nearest Iranian harbor, then release them. Then, back for more. |
| Posted by: mojo 2012-07-19 13:51 |
| #5 So, they'll just to remove restrictions on drilling at home? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2012-07-19 11:58 |
| #4 RJ - perhaps it could happen now with non-traditional isotopic signature? |
| Posted by: Water Modem 2012-07-19 11:23 |
| #3 A large explosion will "Clear" every mine there is, Say a smallish Nuke, good for about 15-20 Miles around. (seal the ship and don't breathe the Vaporized sea water for a month or so) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2012-07-19 09:48 |
| #2 Wondering how long it would take the US to clear Iran of Mullahs without a land invasion... |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2012-07-19 09:04 |
| #1 Iran's seeming strategeery to isolate the US CVNS + Gator Boyz, etal. to the Sea of Oman + beyond shows they do care about the deadly after-effects of having to detonate Nukes-WMDS near or on their own soil in order to defeat a foreign invasion, occupation force. Fighting major conventional sea war inside the Persian Gulf agz the USN is undoubtedly one of Iran's last L-A-S-T options/resort to save its budding NucProg - its only real or best weapon at this time to counter the US CVNS + Gator Boyz, etal. is the various "Arab/Muslim/Islamic Spring" + the Nuclear Ummah + US-NATO-vs-Russia-China. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-07-19 01:18 |