Strait of Hormuz

[Lefty]

As most everyone has heard by now, Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz and is conducting war exercises with its naval forces, such as they are. There are some interesting discussions on other sites which basically argue the merits of US Navy vs. Iran, whether "somebody" (US, Israel, UK, France, or any combination thereof) should "do something" now or later, and whether anyone (guess who?) has the political will to do anything under any given set of circumstances.
Apparently the threat of tightened sanctions against Iran's oil revenues is sufficient to stir up the mullahs, which has led to discussions of who will do what if Iranian oil shipments are disrupted.

Curious to read people's opinions here.

IMO, the US has the capability to negate the Iranian Navy hands down, pre-nuclear. IMO, the US should stand by Israel and conduct covert ops to undermine and subvert the mullahs (maybe we are already). IMO, the more the mullahs squawk about the sanctions, the more the US should do to strangle them economically. IMO, the US should stand ready to squash the Iranian military when they make an overt act of hostility.

Your turn.

[RangerX]

Nope, you pretty much covered it.

I have to wonder if we have any insurgency efforts underway there, as a large percentage of the population is very pro-West and sick to death of living under Achmedinnerjacket & the mullahs.

[colt1rgr]

Lefty, IMO, your opinions are SPOT ON. There is eventually "gonna be a killin'." Just has to be I'm afraid. When you have a rabid dog runnin' down the street ya put it down. Period. Its comin', just hope Assclown has "left the building" when it does.

[K.Ingraham]

There is absolutely nothing new here, Iran has BTDT so many times already, what we need to worry about is some neocon chickenhawks blowing the latest hot air up into something more than it is.

[Jim]

Yes, the 5th Fleet is taking care of business as usual. This has been an ongoing hotspot for many years, and it will continue. We live in interesting times.

[Caruthers]

Check out the Dates...........and who it was. Nothing new in the muslim world. History will always repeat itself with out leaders being educated on the past mistakes.

In March 1785, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to London to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman (or Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). Upon inquiring "concerning the ground of the pretensions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury", the ambassador replied:

It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every mussulman who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise. He said, also, that the man who was the first to board a vessel had one slave over and above his share, and that when they sprang to the deck of an enemy's ship, every sailor held a dagger in each hand and a third in his mouth; which usually struck such terror into the foe that they cried out for quarter at once. [12]

Jefferson reported the conversation to Secretary of Foreign Affairs John Jay, who submitted the Ambassador's comments and offer to Congress. Jefferson argued that paying tribute would encourage more attacks. Although John Adams agreed with Jefferson, he believed that circumstances forced the U.S. to pay tribute until an adequate navy could be built. The U.S. had just fought an exhausting war, which put the nation deep in debt. Federalist and Anti-Federalist forces argued over the needs of the country and the burden of taxation. Jefferson's own Democratic-Republicans and anti-navalists believed that the future of the country lay in westward expansion, with Atlantic trade threatening to siphon money and energy away from the new nation on useless wars in the Old World.[13] The U.S. paid Algiers the ransom, and continued to pay up to $1 million per year over the next 15 years for the safe passage of American ships or the return of American hostages. Payments in ransom and tribute to the privateering states amounted to 20% of the U.S. government's annual revenues in 1800
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[colt1rgr]

Arguing with muslims is like arguing with liberal dems. I make a point to never argue with a crazy person. Only thing they truly understand is blunt trauma. I think it was Metallica who once said "Sad but true!"

[boscounderfoot]

Arguing with muslims is like arguing with liberal dems. I make a point to never argue with a crazy person. Only thing they truly understand is blunt trauma. I think it was Metallica who once said "Sad but true!"

Maybe you should try acting like an adult instead of arguing with people. The fact that you don't agree with their position on a certain topic is irrelevant, they have the same right to form an opinion as you do and don't deserve to have some ass-clown in their faces telling them they're fucked up. It's uneducated, knee-jerk reactions like this that make this country one of the most hated in the world.

[colt1rgr]

Arguing with muslims is like arguing with liberal dems. I make a point to never argue with a crazy person. Only thing they truly understand is blunt trauma. I think it was Metallica who once said "Sad but true!"

Maybe you should try acting like an adult instead of arguing with people. The fact that you don't agree with their position on a certain topic is irrelevant, they have the same right to form an opinion as you do and don't deserve to have some ass-clown in their faces telling them they're fucked up. It's uneducated, knee-jerk reactions like this that make this country one of the most hated in the world.

I take it when you were getting KOALA-FIED something inside of you snapped and you decided that you really liked all that tree hugging?

[rgrokelley]

Arguing with muslims is like arguing with liberal dems. I make a point to never argue with a crazy person. Only thing they truly understand is blunt trauma. I think it was Metallica who once said "Sad but true!"

Maybe you should try acting like an adult instead of arguing with people. The fact that you don't agree with their position on a certain topic is irrelevant, they have the same right to form an opinion as you do and don't deserve to have some ass-clown in their faces telling them they're fucked up. It's uneducated, knee-jerk reactions like this that make this country one of the most hated in the world.

Ironically we are also the country that everyone in trouble looks to first, when nature destroys all. How can we be hated, and loved at the same time? Easy, the world is not a single person. Some hate us, some love us. When I went to Normandy and many other places that suffered unspeakable horror, and they found out I was an American, the doors of hospitality opened wide.

You haven't been here long, but I notice that you seem to dislike what most on this site believe in. Why is this?

[rgrokelley]

As for Iran blocking the Straits of Hormuz... that is almost comical. They did this before, you know. They weren't real thrilled that we were backing Iraq during their war against them. They threatened the same thing. Our response was to reflag the Kuwaiti tankers with American flags. They attack them, we would destroy them. It didn't turn out too well for them at that time.

[smokn38]

I'm holding out for an Arab Spring 2012 edition in Iran.

[Steadfast]

I'd like to see the US send Ron Paul in a rowboat with his newsletter crew rowing in advance of our fleet by several hours.
Let Iran try something.