Venezuela, Iran & others: a coalition? (New title)

[Ken White]

Nor is the potential for their actually being able to mount such a deployments with their half dozen submarines or an equal number of DD/FF types and one tanker. They do have some cargo vessels that could make the trip unrefueled but those aren't "military ships"...

Even though we keep an eye on their ships and aircraft out in the world, they could do what you imply: "Pentagon and Missile Defense Agency officials increasingly are concerned with the threat of terrorists using a cargo ship to fire cruise and ballistic missiles just off U.S. shores but outside its territorial waters. ".

That raises four questions, two before the act -- in spite of our surveillance could they actually get here and launch such an attack? Why would they do that? Those two not withstanding, should they actually launch such an attack, while there would probably be symbolic damage should that occur, there are two questions thus raised; how much damage did they really cause to the rather large US land mass and and concomitantly large population? What would happen to the 'fleet' of the Iraniha and to Iran if they did?

While the cred of the Admiral isn't really material, it is worth noting that the Iranian hierarchy does tend to bluster and portend things they really have no intention of doing. The Mullahs are dotty but they aren't stupid. Some time spent in Iran gave me a firm belief that they bluster and bluff a great deal -- haggling is a national sport, after all -- but are really pretty shrewd when it comes to what they actually do.

Some seem to have or look for plenty to worry about. That's fine but I'll put this one in 'highly unlikely' category with respect to occurrence and possible damage even if it did -- and go back to dozing...