US naval movements around Syria. Hizballah moves rockets

[Guest guest]

http://www.debka.com/article/21026/

US naval movements around Syria. Hizballah moves rockets

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report June 14, 2011, 6:46 PM (GMT+02:00)

debkafile's military and intelligence sources report that Monday, June 13, the

US deployed the USS Bataan amphibian air carrier strike vessel opposite Syria's

Mediterranean coast with 2,000 marines, 6 war planes, 15 attack helicopters,

including new V-22 Ospreys, and 27 choppers for landing forces aboard. Also

this week, US naval units went operational in the Aegean, Adriatic and Black

Seas as part of the joint US-Ukrainian Sea Breeze 2011 exercise.

The USS Monterrey cruiser armed with Aegis surface missile interceptors has

additionally been stationed in the Black Sea. Western sources additonally report

a build-up of ship-borne anti-missile missile strength in the Mediterranean

basin.

This huge concentration of naval missile interceptor units looks like

preparations by Washington for the contingency of Iran, Syria and Hizballah

letting loose with surface missiles against US and Israeli targets in the event

of US military intervention to stop the anti-opposition slaughter underway in

Syria.

Moscow, Tehran and Damascus, in particular, are taking this exceptional spate of

American military movements in and around the Mediterranean as realistically

portending American intervention in Syria.

This concentration of US might also the effect of deterring the Turkish

government from going through with its decision to send Turkish troops into

Syria. The plan was to create a protected buffer zone where the thousands of

refugees in flight from the Assad regime's military crackdown would be kept safe

on Syrian side of the border and out of Turkey.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyep Erdogan is averse to be seen working hand in glove

militarily with any US interference in Syria. At the same time, Western

intelligence sources in the Persian Gulf are sure Washington is coordinating its

military movements with Ankara and that Erdogan quietly agreed to place Turkish

bases at US disposal for an operation in Syria.

debkafile's military sources also report that Monday, June 13, Hizballah began

shifting the long- and medium-range rockets it had stored in northern Lebanon to

locations in the center of the country. Western military sources first thought

the Lebanese Shiite group was taking the precaution of keeping its arsenal safe

from a spillover of violence from Syria. Tuesday, however, they learned that

Iranian intelligence had advised Hizballah to remove its rockets out of range of

a possible American operation in Syria.

Tuesday, Iran capped these events with three separate warnings to the Obama

administration against military interference in Syria.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said Tuesday: " The Americans are

not allowed to launch a military intervention in any country of the region

including Syria. "

He accused " Israel and the USA of standing behind the riots in Syria, Iran's

closest ally in the Arab world… with particular aims…of provoking terrorist

groups in Syria and in the region to carry out terrorist and sabotage

operations. "

Another spokesman warned: " Western attempts to set the model of Libya in

Damascus are doomed to failure. "

Iranian Vice President Reza Rahimi accused the United States of preparing and

executing " the slaughter of Muslims " worldwide.

Iran's ground forces commander Brig. Gen. Kioumars Heidari added this threat:

Any new military move by the US in the region will impose heavy costs on the

country far greater than the costs it paid in Iraq and Afghanistan. "

[Guest guest]

Let's see:

We send that cruiser into the Black Sea and tick off the Russians who could sink it if they so chose.

Then we post a troop transport off a hostile coast. Hopefully they are smart enough not to have put it there by itself and that is has support. That class of ship has little in the way of offensive let alone defensive armament. Bombardment by dumb missiles or field artillery could drive it off or even damaging it. Its unlikely such weapons would sink it without a lot of luck. However, if the Syrians have antiship missiles or they send a few planes out with bombs or a suicide run they could badly damage or sink it.

Also, 2,000 Marines won't accomplish much. That many could make a beachhead but that would be about it, particularly with no air or naval gunfire support. They'd end up like Anzio, a beached whale being pounded on by the enemy. They could die heroically in the name of those seeking global war and chaos, but nothing else.

In a message dated 6/18/2011 3:07:00 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

US naval movements around Syria. Hizballah moves rockets