Raising The Stakes
So the Hedgemony send another carrier to the Gulf to intimidate the Iranians. The Iranians see the aircraft carrier, and raise the price of our gasoline.
The Associated Press reports that Iran dumps U.S. dollar for oil trades
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran, OPEC’s second-largest producer, has stopped conducting oil transactions in U.S. dollars, a top Oil Ministry official said Wednesday, in a concerted attempt to reduce reliance on Washington at a time of tension over Tehran’s nuclear program and suspected involvement in Iraq.
Iran has dramatically reduced dependence on the dollar over the past year in the face of increasing U.S. pressure on its financial system and the fall in the value of the American currency.
Oil is priced in dollars on the world market, and the currency’s depreciation has concerned producers because it has contributed to rising crude prices and eroded the value of their dollar reserves.
The Iranians see a carrier as a large, relatively slow-moving target. If we attack them, they can really do some damage to our ships. Admiral Fallon appreciated this, General Petraeus probably doesn’t. This is really stupid. They are the second largest oil producer in the world. They can do untold damage to the world economy by simply refusing to sell their oil. The shift away from the dollar pricing directly affects the US economy.
6 comments
Now we know one of the reasons Fallon was forced out. He refused to add an additional carrier to the Gulf for just this reason even when Bush/Cheney insisted. Jan 09 can’t come to soon. Actually impeachment is well overdue.
I’m assuming the carriers are in the northern Indian Ocean and not actually in the Gulf where they can’t maneuver and are sitting ducks. The Iranians don’t scare, and we are wasting a lot of resources that we don’t have playing games like this. If the Hedgemony keeps it up, Ahmadinejad will be elected president-for-life.
An absolutely correct summation Bryan.
Stupidity is obviously running rampant in the US corridors of power. But then, anyone with any intelligence has known that since 9/11/01.
From friends and my own experiences in the ME, I am certain that Iran (and others) are just praying that the USA will send a fleet into the Gulf. I have to admit… I’m almost hoping so too. Perhaps the best lessons are the hardest learned. 🙂 Of course, I am ignoring the fact that The Duke and Rambo will arrive to save the day and American Might and Power(tm) will easily win over the pathetic low-tech brownskins. After all, everyone knows how The Duke defeated the pathetic redskins, right? LOL
I have a friend who is a retired Navy pilot. He was an Air Boss before finishing out at the Pentagon, and he hated the Gulf. There was no room: you couldn’t run at full speed for air operations; you couldn’t line up with the wind, you couldn’t do anything with the ship to minimize the risks in carrier launch and recovery operations. All that is assuming you have free, unobstructed passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
It’s not that we don’t have sophisticated defensive systems, we do, but the Iranians can overwhelm them with sheer numbers of different weapons.
Of course. But you are thinking rationally about the Gulf. 🙂
Those sophisticated weapons systems are doing a great job in Iraq aren’t they? Just sayin. 😉 😀
Personally, I think a few ounces of intelligence and ingenuity, not to mention a modicum of bloodthirsty determination, hatred and fanaticism, is worth several tons of high-tech ordinance in the hands of ill-prepared people. But we’ve had this discussion before. *shrug* Preaching to the choir is a rather pointless exercise. 🙂
It was pretty damn embarrassing to lose an modern warship to a WWI mine during Gulf War I, followed by shooting down an airliner ID’ed as an F-14 by the super-duper air defense radar system.
All those little boats are going to be a PITA to defend when rockets are incoming from shore and you aren’t positive where their subs are.
Discounting your opponent is recipe for a nasty surprise.