eXpat wrote:papa moose wrote:eXpat wrote:12 American Warships, Including One Aircraft Carrier, And One Israeli Corvette, Cross Suez Canal On Way To Red Sea And Beyond
I don't see the signifigance of this, okay it was the biggest disruption to shipping in the Suez canal for many years but to what end?
The egyptian army providing cover onshore would sort of rule out an invasion of Egypt, also if this was an egyptian invasion it would be far easier and safer to attack from the Med.
So could be an invasion force heading for Iran... why forewarn the enemy this way, why not make a scheduled crossing that no one would have paid any attention to?
On the other hand if this carrier group is just heading to trade places with the Eisenhower (which is a reasonable explanation) why the big rush?
So what is up?
Power display
papa moose, whatever their private talks are, either supporting Mubarak or asking him to step down, that was a display of the stick, that tactic has been used since the times of the ironclads.
I understand what you are saying but i am struggling to understand their message.
I mean the last i heard the is a 3 way power struggle going on, rioters, police and army.
A show of force is unlikely to impress the rioters as they have been "out-gunned" since day one.
The police (aka Mubarack) IMO seem to be the most likely target of the threat, but again they seem to be "out-gunned" by the Egyptian army already, so a second more powerful force doesn't really change their situation.
That only leaves the Egyptian army as a possible target of this subtle threat.
IIRC the army isn't breaking it's neck to oust Mubarack but at the same time they haven't stamped out the rioters.
So what is Uncle Sam's implied threat?
"Support Mubarak and stamp out the rioters or else we will kick your arse, kick the rioters arse and make sure our good buddy keeps his cushy job"
...or is it...
"Kick that slime ball Mubarack to the curb or else we will come in and kick him and you both in the arse"
I mean if the US followed thru on either of these threats it would just bog them down in another unwinnable conflict (or would it be a
'police action'), whichever of the above threats is the actual, the rioting locals will not be eternally grateful for being "rescued". It will not be Pairs 1944, it will be Baghdad or Karbul 2010.
Is there another plausible threat that i am missing?
"That really annoying person you know, the one who's always spouting bullshit, the person who always thinks they're right?
Well, the odds are that for somebody else, you're that person.
So take the amount you think you know, reduce it by 99.999%, and then you'll have an idea of how much you actually know..."