Bush Iran War Plans - 4 Strike Groups in the Persian Gulf

Add to this a "maritime interdiction exercise" scheduled for October
31st (Tonkin Gulf Trick or Surprise Attack Treat?).

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GULF NEWS 26 OCT 06

US Navy Ship 'Will Not Be Involved In Gulf Exercises'
By Habib Toumi

Manama: A US Navy spokesman yesterday denied reports that the US
aircraft carrier Eisenhower would be involved in the Arabian
Gulf exercises on October 29-30, to practice interdicting shipments of
weapons of mass destruction materials.

"The Eisenhower is in the Mediterranean and is not scheduled to be in
the Gulf for these sea exercises," Lt Cmdr Charlie Brown told Gulf
News. "I am not saying that it will not ever come to the Gulf, but I am
stressing that it will not be here for the exercises next week."

Brown added that no US Navy ship would be involved in the two-day
exercise and that the US would have just a Coast Guard patrol ship.

The spokesman also denied reports that Kuwait would be participating in
the maneuvers. "We will have ships from Italy, Australia, France and
Bahrain, while the British ship, the RFA Brambleleaf, will serve as the
suspect vessel for the boarding demonstration.

Italy, France and Australia will have one ship each and Bahrain "a
couple of ships", he said.
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