SEA BATTLE FEAR AS IRAN SENDS FLOTILLA TO GAZA

[IndigoSkies 168]

Anything to bring more attention to the situation in Palestine... The world needs to see...

[SupportGeek 21]

You're right, it mentions aid workers. But my interpretation of the article was also that the Iranians aren't sending warships but rather are garrisoning the aid ships with a quantity of "volunteer marines" to resist boarders. This is indeed a much more sinister (and probably more savvy) move than simply sending escort warships. Ahmadinijad knows that if he sends warships the Israelis will sink the warships and bomb Iranian military objects to oblivion. It would be far too simple and easy. Iran wants to escalate the conflict while trying to convince some fools in the international community that it isn't.

This is exactly how Im reading it too.

There is no mention of warships in the article, just a "military escort" which would be the 70 marines.

At least this time there would be no question about what actions will be taken by those on the ships should Israel come aboard.

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

If Iranian warships cross Israel's blockade line, Iran may as well declare war and be done with it.

This is not a peaceful move and is intended solely to heighten tensions. As Iran is widely held to be the major supplier of arms to Hamas, I doubt the Israelis will allow this flotilla to reach Gaza.

This is not what the region needs, when concerted international pressure is needed to drive the region toward what peace is possible.

This move by Iran was predictable. Iran is about to be slapped with more sanctions. It is doubtful that the sanctions will actually accomplish anything meaningful. But the public relations aspect of the sanctions is bad for the Iranian government, especially for public sentiments within Iran. Now, Iran is resorting to an age old formula: Consolidate public opinion against a common enemy: Ahmadinejad is hoping that normal Iranians hate Israel more than they hate him. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Israel would be crazy to let this Iranian flotilla into Gaza. If Israel bloodies Iran's nose, it will be worse for Ahmadinejad's PR than if he aborts the flotilla mission.

[Pooky 3,878]

This is exactly how Im reading it too.

There is no mention of warships in the article, just a "military escort" which would be the 70 marines.

At least this time there would be no question about what actions will be taken by those on the ships should Israel come aboard.

What dealing with ships, the escort is usually a warship/warships escorting the cargo vessels. That is the terminology used. The 70 is the number of relief workers on board the ships.

For a start the cargo ships would be sailing under the auspices of the Red Crescent. Even the Iranians would not be so disrespectful as to put armed troops aboard a Red Crescent vessel. To do so would be to void the protected status of the Red Crescent and to render it an armed military vessel under the flag it flies, i.e. Iran.

In turn, this would leave the ship open to a full military response by Israel, the moment it enters Israeli waters, rather than a stop and search action as was attempted on the first aid flotilla. And if the ships carried armed soldiers, and the Israelis acted in their territorial waters, the world would have little choice but to side with Israel.

Regardless of their actual cargo, the ships will automatically fall under the suspicion of carrying arms, mainly because the whole world suspects Iran of arming Hamas. This guarantees Israeli action to stop and search the ships, or take stronger action if provoked.

Add a warship escort into the mix and you have a real chance of military engagement, which would only realistically have one outcome.

The last thing we need now is an Iranian power play to provoke the Israelis. Public opinion is already against them, so acting against what they will view as an Iranian incursion into their back yard will not phase the Israelis one iota. It will end badly. People will die, just because Iran can't help its overweaning ambition, Turkey can't get over being annoyed at Europe and Russia can't help meddling with the balance in the Middle East.

Someone needs to persuade the Iranians not to proceed with this fool's errand. Before it's too late.

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

Someone needs to persuade the Iranians not to proceed with this fool's errand. Before it's too late.

It amazes me how the human race seems to blunder through one cataclysmic event after another. I doubt that Iran getting spanked by Israel will be more than an arcane historical footnote in fifty years.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

It amazes me how the human race seems to blunder through one cataclysmic event after another. I doubt that Iran getting spanked by Israel will be more than an arcane historical footnote in fifty years.

Judaic extremism is par for the course.

[Pooky 3,878]

Judaic extremism is par for the course.

In this case, so is Iranian opportunism. Only, if Ahmadinejad goes ahead with this little adventure, he's condemning at least some of his own people to death, betting their lives that world opinion will further isolate Israel.

The world needs peace, not provocation.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

In this case, so is Iranian opportunism. Only, if Ahmadinejad goes ahead with this little adventure, he's condemning at least some of his own people to death, betting their lives that world opinion will further isolate Israel.

The world needs peace, not provocation.

Ahmadinejad is just a figurehead. He doesn't make the rules in Iran, he follows them.

[Pooky 3,878]

Ahmadinejad is just a figurehead. He doesn't make the rules in Iran, he follows them.

The end result is just as assured, whoever is pulling the strings

[Sofiyya 1,687]

The end result is just as assured, whoever is pulling the strings

The end result is just what they want. Look up Twelver Shi'ism or the hidden imam on a reputable website, and you will discover why.

[Pooky 3,878]

The end result is just what they want. Look up Twelver Shi'ism or the hidden imam on a reputable website, and you will discover why.

But the end result won't play out the way they want. If anything, they'll make Israel look good (or better than they currently are) and make themselves look foolish. I doubt even sympathetic Arab nations will think otherwise, no matter what they say in public. It will look like a foolish adventure.

Regardless, such provocation, designed to raise tensions, needs to be stopped, preferably before the shooting starts.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Ahmanutjob is truly that, an Islamic zealot extreme wack job. Of course since Islam is a religion of peace, we have only peace to fear.

Excerpt from Telegraph UK article in 2006...

The most remarkable aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad's piety is his devotion to the Hidden Imam, the Messiah-like figure of Shia Islam, and the president's belief that his government must prepare the country for his return.

One of the first acts of Mr Ahmadinejad's government was to donate about £10 million to the Jamkaran mosque, a popular pilgrimage site where the pious come to drop messages to the Hidden Imam into a holy well.

All streams of Islam believe in a divine saviour, known as the Mahdi, who will appear at the End of Days. A common rumour - denied by the government but widely believed - is that Mr Ahmadinejad and his cabinet have signed a "contract" pledging themselves to work for the return of the Mahdi and sent it to Jamkaran.

Iran's dominant "Twelver" sect believes this will be Mohammed ibn Hasan, regarded as the 12th Imam, or righteous descendant of the Prophet Mohammad.

He is said to have gone into "occlusion" in the ninth century, at the age of five. His return will be preceded by cosmic chaos, war and bloodshed. After a cataclysmic confrontation with evil and darkness, the Mahdi will lead the world to an era of universal peace.

This is similar to the Christian vision of the Apocalypse. Indeed, the Hidden Imam is expected to return in the company of Jesus.

Mr Ahmadinejad appears to believe that these events are close at hand and that ordinary mortals can influence the divine timetable.

The prospect of such a man obtaining nuclear weapons is worrying. The unspoken question is this: is Mr Ahmadinejad now tempting a clash with the West because he feels safe in the belief of the imminent return of the Hidden Imam? Worse, might he be trying to provoke chaos in the hope of hastening his reappearance?

The 49-year-old Mr Ahmadinejad, a former top engineering student, member of the Revolutionary Guards and mayor of Teheran, overturned Iranian politics after unexpectedly winning last June's presidential elections.

The main rift is no longer between "reformists" and "hardliners", but between the clerical establishment and Mr Ahmadinejad's brand of revolutionary populism and superstition.

...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/1507818/Divine-mission-driving-Irans-new-leader.html

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Considering that fact that neither zealots, extremism or terrorism are "Islamic", there is nothing to fear from the faith.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

This is similar to the Christian vision of the Apocalypse. Indeed, the Hidden Imam is expected to return in the company of Jesus.

Interesting quote, and indeed, true. Many Christians seek to hasten the return of Jesus by provoking destruction of the Dome of the Rock and the rebuilding of a Jewish temple there in order to speed the End of Days.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Considering that fact that neither zealots, extremism or terrorism are "Islamic", there is nothing to fear from the faith.

There is everything to fear from the delusions of Iraq's deranged President and true leadership of Shia Islamic clerics. If you wish to distance Islam from that, so be it. But it seems like a hopeless task to an outsider.

I know, I know, not all Muslim's believe the same things and the same way.