U.S. may order missile-firing ships to Red Sea

CNN.com ^

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The USS Cowpens, a guided missile cruiser, steams in the Persian Gulf as it protects the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy may order about a dozen ships equipped with surface-to-surface missiles from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea as part of preparations for a possible war with Iraq, U.S. military sources said Thursday.

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Hmmm...it will take the ships about 24 to 48 hours to get into position in the Red Sea to start firing the missiles.

[ncooper777]

perhaps Bush still knows what he's doing?

[el_chupacabra]

I love the "Preview" button. It works wonders.

[Alouette]

any missile launched would fly over Saudi Arabia on the way to targets in Iraq.

Give the Wahabhis something to think about.

[DoughtyOne]

Yep. Wonder what that means... m d(o.o)b m

By golly, I think we've got ignition...

[CholeraJoe]

The ships then would begin moving through the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea.

On my map, ships do not have to transit the Suez canal to enter the Red Sea from the Persian Gulf.

[Dog Gone]

The shift in position was required because of Turkey's refusal to grant overflight rights.

That makes no sense. The missiles wouldn't have flown over Turkey if launched from the Persian Gulf.

[Dog Gone]

This must be referring only to ships currently in the Mediterranean.

[PhiKapMom]

Are you watching Ari's press conference and his diplospeak going on?

None of this makes sense!

[TADSLOS]

[colorado tanker]

That makes no sense. The missiles wouldn't have flown over Turkey if launched from the Persian Gulf.

The article jumps around. The ships that may be moved are in the Eastern Med.

Sounds like the northern front option is just about history.

[meenie]

Sounds like the whole defense department is about as confused as the rest of the Federal government. Where is this great coalition of the willing? This is deteriorating rapidly. When you start relying on Cameroon to support you, the BS is getting a little deep.

What do we do, pay the 'unwilling willing' to hold our coats while we invade Iraq? This is getting as silly as letting the Keystone Cops manage our foreign affairs. Come to think of it, maybe that is who is managing it. Meanwhile, our troops twist in the wind, with the heat getting worse for combat.

[colorado tanker]

Sounds like the whole defense department is about as confused as the rest of the Federal government. Where is this great coalition of the willing? This is deteriorating rapidly. When you start relying on Cameroon to support you, the BS is getting a little deep.

From what I heard out of London last night, the Blair government finally realizes time is making things worse, not better. Unless the votes are rounded up very soon, the UN process is over, probably Monday.

I don't think DOD is confused, but the probable loss of the northern front will require some re-tooling, even though they've planned for the contingency.

The silver lining is that the American public is so disgusted with the UN that a majority now favors action regardless of what the UN does. The UN will be damaged by this, which IMHO is a good thing.

[CasearianDaoist]

It still make no sense. How could they possily lauch cruise missles across Turkey. Thay must have tacit overflight right across jordan and isreal or else they would not have two carrier groups in the med. Sounds like an over eager reporter to me.

[Darksheare]

That not make sense to Krogger.
Krogger use rock to fix Lawg.
Lawg lay still now.
Bad Lawg.

[ASA Vet]

On my map, ships do not have to transit the Suez canal to enter
the Red Sea from the Persian Gulf

Not a problem on my map either.

[colorado tanker]

Sounds like an over eager reporter to me.

I saw the same report on CNBC last night and in this morning's wire story. They were planning to run sorties and launch cruise missles from the Med over Turkey into Iraq. The public explanation as to why they don't want to shift to the Israel/Jordan corridor is that it could make problems for Israel and Jordan. During Gulf War I the Navy operated some groups in the Red Sea, overflying Arabia to Iraq.

On the other hand, it could all be disinformation and strategery.

[CasearianDaoist]

Yes, but the cruise missles would not route through Turkey.

[Grampa Dave]

CNN's reliability and connections to the white house fall in the same scat pile as Reuters, NY slimes, the Compost and the rest of the left wing tv net, ABCNNBCBS.

Why would any sane conservative believe a damn thing published by any of the above.

The whining and moaning of the Monday quarterbacks on Free Republic whenever a bravo sierra article like this is posted, is unbelieveable. We have more whiners, moaners, and crybabies and Bush haters than the libs do.

This war started in February if not before then. What a disappointing group of whiners we have pretending to be conservatives.

[Siegfried]

Yes, but the cruise missles would not route through Turkey.

Don't forget that cruise missiles don't necessarily track a straight line from launch to their target.