21st Century says…

The war hawks in Washington have been hungry to off load large amounts of its artillery and missile stocks, not least of all because new orders need to be rotated in, and invoices need to be raised, and paid. That’s the military business, and they need a new way to help expedite the process.

NATO has been hungry to fast-track a hot war in the Ukraine and declared once again this weekthat Russia has deployed troops inside the Ukraine – using this as a pretext to increase its involvement in the conflict. Although a NATO-Russia confrontation could materialize in the future, right now it would be extremely risky, especially since any NATO intervention might entail someone actually shooting back at them – something which NATO hasn’t really dealt with before. Still, many historians have remarked that the Ukraine is looking more like Poland on the brink of World War II.

Yemen however, is a much softer target, and has tremendous geographical and geopolitical value. The US has recent bombing experience in Yemen, as well as a warm-up CIA drone strike killing three men “believed to be al Qaeda militants” this past Monday (believed to be, being the operative words there). Apparently, the Pentagon is brimming with confidence in terms of re-selling airstrikes to the American public. Yemen also has great potential for excursions across the Gulf of Aden in Somalia. Libya is also ready for a NATO intervention to retake the country back from the very same al Qaeda and Islamic fighters that NATO had armed in the first... in order to overthrow Gaddafi in 2011. Will it be Yemen, or Libya (or both)?

Iraq is also a strong possibility, as the US, including Obama himself (during SOTU) have been dropping hints for weeks about “retaking Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, from ISIS”. If the US used ground troops for this week-long TV special, then they would require overwhelming air support to make the operation look impressive enough on CNN, FOX and others.

We’re not sure, but one thing is certain – Washington appears desperate for a war right now…


YEMEN IS READY: CIA planners have primed Yemen for the next phase of US military intervention.

Zero Hedge

Nearly two weeks ago, we were surprised to read on the Navy’s website that one of America’s prize aircraft carriers, CVN-74, John C. Stennis (whose crew is perhaps best known for the following awkward incident), as part of an operational training period in preparation for future deployments, just underwent not only its first ordnance onload since 2010, but, according to Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Jason Engleman, G-5 division’s leading chief petty officer, “the biggest ordnance onload we’ve seen.“

From the Stennis’ blog:

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) visited Naval Magazine (NAVMAG) Indian Island, the Navy’s primary ordnance storage and handling station on the West Coast, to onload six million pounds of ammunition, Jan. 13-15. “This is the biggest ordnance onload we’ve seen,” said Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Jason Engleman, G-5 division’s leading chief petty officer. “We haven’t had an onload since December 2010, and we are ready to show what this warship can do.”

The ship plans to take on two-thirds of its weight capacity during the three day evolution. Bombs, missiles and rounds will be onloaded by 1,400 crane lifts.

“The importance of the Indian Island visit is to provide ammunition for the ship’s defense, and assist with training during this underway,” said Lt. Cmdr. Steve Kashuba, Stennis’ ordnance handler officer.

…

The ordnance onload was an all-hands evolution and included Sailors from AIMD, air, navigation, safety, security, supply and medical departments. Sailors served as watchstanders, safety observers or ordnance handlers to ensure the evolution ran smoothly.

Why engage in such a major weapon loading process now? We don’t know, and we certainly won’t until the next deployment of the carrier, currently located in San Diego to receive aircraft and another 2000 sailors, is announced but it does seem coincidental that the same aircraft carrier which the Iranian General Ataollah Salehi warned back in Janiary 2012 “not to return to the Persian Gulf” was being loaded to the gills with weapons ahead of the following three major macro events: i) the sudden and unexpected fall of the US-supported Yemen government; ii) the biggest re-escalation in the Ukraine civil war since the spring of 2014, and iii) the death of the King Abdullah. And who knows what other “unexpected” geopolitical events are about to surprise the world?

While we wait the answer, here are some photos of how the Stennis is loading up with six million pounds of ammo:

Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Joshua Haynes, from Nashville, Tenn., and Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Joseph Dina, from Naperville, Ill., move BLU-111 500-pound bombs during an ammunition on-load aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).

Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Donald Theriot, from New Orleans, verifies ordnance placement during an ammunition on-load aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).

Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Matthew Warren takes inventory of BLU-111 500-pound bombs.

Aviation Ordnanceman Mariko Armstrong, from Denver, takes inventory of BLU-111 500-pound bombs.

Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class David Mele, from San Diego, directs movement of BLU-117 2000-pound bombs.

Sailors prepare to move BLU-117 2000-pound bombs 

CBU-99 cluster bombs are staged during an ammunition on-load aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)

BLU-111 500-pound bombs are staged during an ammunition on-load aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).

Aviation Ordnanceman David Black, from Helena, Ala., Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Dillon Simmons, from Lewistown, Mont., and Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Martin Pena, from Bronx, N.Y., prepare to move AGM-88 missiles

Aviation Orndnaceman 3rd Class Garrison Gardner, from Chandler, Ariz., and Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Steven Paxton from Brian, Ohio, prepare to lower a mine kit

Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Dillon Simmons, from Lewistown, Mont., and Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Martin Pena, from Bronx, N.Y., guide AGM-88 missiles as they are lowered

Source: CVN-74