http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSL2360749620070523?pageNumber=3
Nine U.S. warships in Gulf for show of force
Wed May 23, 2007 8:41AM EDT
By Mohammed Abbas
ABOARD USS JOHN C. STENNIS (Reuters) - The largest daytime assembly of
U.S. warships in the Gulf since the 2003 Iraq war prepared on
Wednesday to hold drills off Iran's coast in a major U.S. show of
force that unnerved oil markets.
U.S. Navy officials said Iran was not notified of plans to sail nine
ships, including two aircraft carriers, through the Straits of Hormuz,
a narrow channel in international waters off Iran's coast and a major
artery for global oil shipments.
The maneuver raises pressure on the Islamic Republic, coinciding with
a report by the U.N. atomic watchdog on Iran's nuclear program, which
could lead to tougher sanctions.
Oil climbed towards $70 as the U.S. ships sailed into the straits,
through which 40 percent of globally traded oil passes.
Rear Admiral Kevin Quinn, who is leading the group, said the ships
would conduct exercises as part of a long-planned effort to reassure
regional allies of U.S. commitment to Gulf security.
"There's always the threat of any state or non-state actor that might
decide to close one of the international straits, and the biggest one
is the Straits of Hormuz," he told reporters on board the USS John C.
Stennis aircraft carrier.
Tension with the United States over Tehran's nuclear ambitions has
raised regional fears of a military confrontation.
Highlighting the dangers of accidental escalation, a Navy official
said the USS Stennis had received nine enquiries from nearby
countries, two from Oman and seven from Iran, including one from an
Iranian vessel that sailed close by.
Iran's defense minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the Islamic
Republic would resist any threat by its enemies.
Most U.S. ships pass through the straits at night so as not to attract
attention, and rarely move in such large numbers.
Navy officials said the decision to send a second aircraft carrier was
made at the last minute, without giving a reason.
The group of ships, carrying about 17,000 personnel and 140 aircraft
scheduled to participate in the exercises that will take place over
the next few weeks, crossed at roughly 0355 GMT.
SHOW OF FORCE
The maneuver comes less than two weeks after U.S. Vice President *****
Cheney, speaking aboard the Stennis during a tour of the Gulf, said
Washington would stand with others to prevent Iran gaining nuclear
weapons and "dominating the region".
On a visit to Abu Dhabi a few days later, Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad threatened "severe" retaliation if the United States
attacked his country.
He also urged Gulf countries to "get rid of" foreign forces, blaming
them for insecurity in the region.
The United States accuses Iran of trying to produce nuclear weapons,
and has sought tougher U.N. sanctions against Iran. Iran says its
nuclear ambitions are for energy purposes only.
U.S. and Iranian ambassadors are due to meet on Monday in Baghdad to
discuss security in Iraq, where the United States has accused the
Islamic Republic of fomenting violence by backing Shi'ite militia
there. Iran has denied the accusations.
On the way to the straits, a public announcement called on crew to
witness "some of the most powerful ships in the world", whose tight
formation against a backdrop of the setting sun created a dramatic
image of American naval might.
Last month, the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain conducted its biggest
crisis response drill and in March, the U.S. navy conducted its
biggest war drills in the Gulf since 2003.
Naval officials said the latest training would include air defense
exercises and boarding ships posing as suspect vessels.
"If the Straits of Hormuz were to be closed or there were to be some
conflict there, the shipping rates would go sky high," Quinn said.
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