Risk of 'Accidental' Gulf War On The Rise

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Risk of 'Accidental' Gulf War On The Rise: Show Of Force In Strait Of Hormuz -- Alexander Smoltczyk, Spiegel Online

The concentration of naval power in the Strait of Hormuz is heightening the risk of a fourth Gulf war, even though the show of force may be nothing more than posturing by the West and Iran in the run-up to negotiations. The stretch of water, 34 miles at its narrowest point, is the aorta of the oil trade.

Everything on display last week in the Strait of Hormuz was pure theater. There were tough words, risky posturing, well-acted one-person pieces and even a taste the risqué, but not much in terms of a plot.

Or at least that's how it was on the stage of the fifth Fujairah International Monodrama Festival (FIMF).

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My Comment: It appears that everyone is spoiling for a fight. My main fear .... someone in the Iranian military may decide to go rogue and confront the naval forces that are in the region. The reason .... I have confidence in the command and control structure of U.S and allied forces .... the Iranians .... putting it bluntly .... not so much.

Is Iran Launching A Covert War Against The West

Was Iran To Blame For Bomb Attack Near British Embassy In Bahrain? -- Daily Mail

A bomb exploded just 50 yards from the British Embassy in Bahrain yesterday as fears grew that Iranian-backed aggression against the West was spreading through the Middle East.

A canister containing powerful explosives blew apart the front of a minibus in the capital, Manama, but there were no injuries or serious damage.

The scare came less than a week after mobs stormed the British Embassy in Tehran, leading Foreign Secretary William Hague to pull diplomats from Iran and expel Iranian envoys from the UK.

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My Comment: Bombs do not explode 50 yards from the British embassy .... this sounds like terrorism with a radical Islamic bent (i.e. Iran).

United States Is Drawing Up Plans To Strike On Iranian Insurgency Camp

From The Times Online:

The US military is drawing up plans for a “surgical strike” against an insurgent training camp inside Iran if Republican Guards continue with attempts to destabilise Iraq, western intelligence sources said last week. One source said the Americans were growing increasingly angry at the involvement of the Guards’ special-operations Quds force inside Iraq, training Shi’ite militias and smuggling weapons into the country.

Despite a belligerent stance by Vice-President Dick Cheney, the administration has put plans for an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities on the back burner since Robert Gates replaced Donald Rumsfeld as defence secretary in 2006, the sources said.

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Update: Last Efforts To Stop A Military Confrontation Between US And Iran -- Strata-Sphere

My Comments: You get the impression that the U.S. is daring Iran to do something.