Maybe. Perhaps. You see, it’s a very clever way to declare that the war is over, so the administration doesn’t need to get Congressional approval for this little humanitarian flotilla that just happens to be sailing into the very waters that were being violently disputed for the last few months.
TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will begin supporting Project Freedom, May 4, to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The mission, directed by the President, will support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit through the essential international trade corridor. A quarter of the world’s oil trade at sea and significant volumes of fuel and fertilizer products are transported through the strait.
“Our support for this defensive mission is essential to regional security and the global economy as we also maintain the naval blockade,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.
Last week, the U.S. Department of State announced a new initiative, in partnership with the Department of War, to enhance coordination and information sharing among international partners in support of maritime security in the strait. The Maritime Freedom Construct aims to combine diplomatic action with military coordination, which will be critical during Project Freedom.
U.S. military support to Project Freedom will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members.
So clever… this is why constitutions and laws are effectively pointless over time. At the end of the day, it is the quality of the decisionmakers that are the sole brake on government action.
Larry Johnson assumes it’s just bait. Perhaps the fourth time will prove the charm? Probably not.
The most likely first move will be an aerial assault on Iranian positions in and around Qeshm Island using US aircraft currently based at Al Dhafra Air Base, just south of Abu Dhabi. It would not surprise me to learn that the US has coordinated with the owners of one of the tankers stuck in the Persian Gulf to make a deliberate run to breach the Strait at a pre-coordinated time. The US will have its air assets aloft ready to attack any Iranian small boat effort to stop the tanker. That will kick off a new phase in the war with Iran that, notwithstanding Trump’s claim the war has ended, will ignite a new round of air strikes and missile attacks by both sides.