U.S., Russia and Norway Plan Joint Naval Drills

May 27, 2012 - Norway and Russian recently completed a big joint training exercise called "POMOR-2012." It ended on May 17.

The U.S. will join both nations in a three-way exercise in August in what is called "Northern Eagle 2012."  Naval officers from Norway and Russia recently with their U.S. counterparts in  Murmansk, Russia (map) to make preparations for Northern Eagle 2012.

Russian destroyer "Admiral Chabanenko"
Udaloy II class destroyer (newest Russian destroyer class)
Photo: Trude Pettersen

"The exercise will start from Bodø in Northern Norway on August 18," according to Barents Observer. "The Russian side will participate in the exercises with the same vessel as in POMOR-2012, the destroyer 'Admiral Chabanenko'....The exercises will also include use of Russian Su-33 jet fighters and Ka-27 helicopters, American Sea Hawk helicopters and Norwegian F-16 jet fighters and Orion surveillance planes, the Russian Defense Ministry’s web site reads."

Northern Eagle 2012 also include a U.S. Arleigh Burke class Aegis destroyer, reports AvioNews. Aegis destroyers are "the most balanced surface warships ever built, with the weapons, electronics, helicopter support facilities, and propulsion, auxiliary and survivability systems," says GlobalSecurity.org.

They "are equipped with the MK-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), GlobalSecurity says, "which fires a combination of up to 96 Standard surface-to-air, Tomahawk surface-to-surface missiles and VLA antisubmarine missiles; and AN/SQQ-89 Undersea Warfare System, with a bow-mounted AN/SQS-53C sonar system."

The Norwegian Navy will play a Nordkapp frigate in the naval games, "as well as hosting naval aircraft and helicopters from the three navies." The Admiral Chabanenko returned at  Russia's Northern Fleet (NF) main base at Severomorsk (map) on May 23.

Idiot U.S. Navy Official Blabs About Prepping For War With Iran

Vice Adm. Mark Fox

February 12, 2012 - As if we haven't had an abundance of security leaks from low-ranking aides and bureaucrats over the years, all gleefully published by the fifth column mouthpiece mainstream media, along comes this imbecile: Vice Admiral Mark Fox, commander of the 5th Fleet. Adm. Fox is flapping his loose lips about U.S. military preparedness for any possible conflict with Iran.

ABC News is running an AP story today that Fox, who is the top U.S. Navy official in the Persian Gulf and commander of the 5th Fleet, "said Sunday he takes Iran's military capabilities seriously but insists his forces are prepared to confront any Iranian aggression in the region."

That's good to know, I suppose. Fox, reports AP, spoke at the naval force's Bahrain headquarters that the Navy has "'built a wide range of potential options to give the president' and is 'ready today' to confront any hostile action by Tehran."

What the hell? Why are we broadcasting our battle readiness status? It gets worse...

"He did not outline specifically how the Navy might answer an Iranian strike," the AP report says, "or an effort to shut the entrance to the Persian Gulf, though any response would likely involve the two U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships cruising the waters off Iran." (That's my emphasis added.)

Adm. Fox told reporters that the U.S. Navy attempt to stop Iranian from putting mines in the Strait of Hormuz or Persian Gulf as an “act of war” the international community wouldn’t tolerate, the U.S. Navy’s top Gulf commander said, according to a Bloomberg report.

WHY is the commander of the 5th Fleet saying this? First of all, you always want to keep your foes in the dark regarding what capabilities you would bring to a fight. Secondly, this kind of talk could be seen as provocative by Iran. Unless we want to fight them, why piss them off any more than we need to?

"We've developed very precise and lethal weapons that are very effective, and we're prepared," Fox said. "We're just ready for any contingency."

Good to know, Admiral. Now shut your big mouth..

USS Cole Attacked 11 Years Ago Today; Long-Awaited Trial To Finally Begin

October 12, 2011 - It was 11 years ago today that a terrorist attack on the USS Cole killed 17 sailors in Aden , Yemen. Justice in the case has been a long time coming. AFP reports that the main suspect in the attack of the USS Cole warship "will go before a judge for the first time at a Guantanamo Bay military tribunal on November 9, the Pentagon said Friday. Saudi-born Abd al-Rahim Hussayn Muhammad al-Nashiri allegedly planned and prepared the October 2000 attack on the US Navy destroyer in Yemen's port of Aden that killed 17 sailors and wounded 40 more."

Fox News reported that "Charges against the alleged mastermind of the USS Cole attack will be referred to a military commission, which enables the government to seek the death penalty." Fox also noted that "Abd Al Rahim Hussayn Muhammad Al Nashiri allegedly planned the Oct. 12, 2000, assault in the Port of Aden that killed 17 sailors, wounded dozens and severely damaged the ship. He also allegedly planned two more attacks, one on the USS Sullivan as it refueled in the same Yemeni port, and another on a French oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden that resulted in one crew member's death and left 90,000 barrels of oil flowing into the water." "Abd al-Rahim Hussayn Muhammad al-Nashiri is one of three detainees the CIA has admitted to waterboarding," reports the Syndey Morning Herald. See photos of the Cole Memorial at http://www.cole.navy.mil.

Pres. Clinton Was Go-Between For Obama - Sestak Job Offer

Will this be Comrade Obama's Watergate? This story is developing. It is really developing... FoxNews, May 28: The White House asked former President Bill Clinton to talk to Rep. Joe Sestak about the possibility of obtaining a senior position in the Obama administration if he would drop out of the Democratic primary race against establishment-backed Sen. Arlen Specter, the Obama administration will say in a report to be released Friday morning, Fox News has confirmed. More... Senate Republicans Thursday [May 27] called on the Justice Department to investigate whether the Obama White House offered Rep. Joe Sestak (D) of Pennsylvania a high-ranking job in the administration if he would drop out of the 2010 Democratic Senate primary race – if true, a felony. CSMonitor.com... RELATED: Source: Bill Clinton asked Sestak not to run ‎FOX2now.com White House Used Bill Clinton to Ask Sestak to Drop Out of Race‎ New York Times (blog) Clinton was the one who spoke to Sestak‎ MSNBC.com White House Used Clinton to Nudge Sestak From Senate Bid‎ Wall Street Journal Obama dodges, but Sestak questions won't go away Washington Examiner Source: White House Used Clinton In Sestak Offer‎ CBS 3 Disorganized White House Can't Even Get The Friday News Dump Right Business Insider Karl Rove: Joe Sestak's lying or he's protecting a felon in Barack ... LA Times blogs Bill Clinton spoke with Sestak to drop primary challenge against ...‎Thaindian.com

Sole Surviving Navy SEAL

"It was the stupidest, most southern-fried, lamebrained decision I ever made in my life," Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell writes. [Source] Luttrell, Navy SEAL, was the only one of his group to come out if that "lamebrained decision" in Afghanistan. Luttrell ended up with three cracked vertebrae in his back, but was able travel more than seven miles on his own. Talk about endurance. Talk about heroism. Sabray tribsemen in a Pashtun mountain village protected him by bestowing "Lokhay" upon him. Lokay is a Pashtunwali guarantee of safety for a wounded traveler, with the promise of protecting him from any enemy. One of those enemies, the Taliban, wanted Luttrell to be given to them. And they did not have a tea party in mind for him. Marcus Luttrell has written a compelling book, "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10." He will speak before a live audience at the Pritzker Military Library on Monday, May 19th at 3:00 p.m. Interviewer Ed Tracy will guide the show, which will be webcast live. Get information about how you can view the live webcast. RELATED: Video (below) Reasoned Audacity Power Line: A Lone Survivor's Story BLACKFIVE: Marcus Luttrell is "The One" - Sole Surviving Navy SEAL