US meets ‘US film protest’ stirred its belligerent ‘power projection’ with more ‘power projection’ WTF?

US to head large-scale military drill in Gulf
17 September, 2012 – Al Akhbar
US meets ‘US film protest’ stirred its ‘power projection’ with more
Warships from around the world were assembling in the Gulf on Sunday for what the US military described as the most widely attended international naval exercise ever held in the Middle East.

The exercise, which Washington says involves maneuvers to improve mine detection and clearance, comes at a time of rising regional tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.

Tehran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world’s sea-borne oil exports passes, and target US military bases in the region if it was attacked.

The US Naval Forces Central Command said that the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 12 involved vessels and officials from 30 countries in six continents. It did not name the participating nations.

“This exercise is about mines and the international effort to clear them,” said Vice Admiral John W. Miller, Commander of the Central Command, in a statement on its website.

“Represented here are the best of our individual countries’ efforts dedicated to securing the global maritime commons and I look forward to seeing how this exceptional team of professionals moves forward.”

The West and Israel believe Iran is seeking an atomic weapon, while Tehran says its work is for peaceful purposes. Russia has also said that no evidence exists linking Iran’s nuclear program to military intentions.

Israel – the sole nuclear power in the Middle East – has been pushing Washington to spell out limits Tehran must not cross if it is to avoid military action, something US President Barack Obama has refused to do.

The official US Navy News Service said last month that Washington was cutting short home leave for the crew of one of its aircraft carriers and sending them back to the Middle East to prepare for any Iranian retaliation against an Israeli strike.

The Central Command said the Gulf exercise was starting on Sunday with a meeting for senior commanders when they would view the latest mine hunting and disposal inventions. In the second phase, sea maneuvers would be held including mine detection and clearance operations.

The Bahrain-based Central Command is responsible for an area comprising some 2.5 million square miles stretching from the Gulf to parts of the Indian Ocean. …source