Iran's Ghost ships miscalculated

Could we be impeded by these monstrous floating bombs in the Gulf?

Iran Trying to Hide Its Massive Oil Tankers - ...by turning ...: Iran Trying to Hide Its Massive Oil Tankers. They are loading as many tankers as they can with millions of gallons of crude and leaving them floating throughout the Gulf that is also laden with military war ships and normal fishing traffic from all area countries.Oil sanctions are posing a growing problem for Iran, prompting officials to resort to some odd—and illegal—tactics. Struggling to find buyers, the country has been storing oil on tankers whose satellite systems have been turned off since early last month, thus breaking maritime rules, the Washington Post reports.

Though the move is intended to hide the vessels as they search for ports and buyers willing to welcome them, Western surveillance systems can generally spot the GPS-disabled tankers anyway. Sanctions have prevented Iran from getting Europe-based maritime insurance, and leading ship registrars are refusing to certify Iranian ships' safety, thereby barring them access to many ports.

They are loading as many tankers as they can with millions of gallons of crude and leaving them floating throughout the Gulf that is also laden with military war ships and normal fishing traffic from all area countries. Of course once again we are hearing countless theories by the so called experts but they are dead wrong once again.

Theories usually involve trying to evade world authorities while plying the seas looking for someone to buy the crude at discount prices while off loading at sea. Yes these ships cannot get insurance for their craft as Loyd's of London is the only place that does it. How convenient! With that said I am afraid once again the world is looking at an issue with rose colored glasses, seeing only what they think would be the obvious tactic.

They are patting themselves on the backs for keeping Iran's oil off the open market concentrating on the fact that these huge ships are now floating around the world and at least hundreds floating who knows where in the Gulf of Oman now posing a great risk carrying millions of gallons of crude without a GPS for anyone in the world to monitor them thus posing a risk for the entire world as they ply their business. Yes everyone is at risk of crashing into them as is the new worry but that is the least of it.

Does anyone remember what Iran's threat has been for months now? They have threatened to close down the Gulf to our military and world commerce numerous times. While we are pleased with ourselves over what appears to be new cooperation with Iran as Ayatollah Khamenei seems to be in charge again and Ahmadinejad is losing his control we have lost sight of the pig picture here.

Has the obvious dawned on anyone yet? These so called "Ghost Ships" may be invisible to the rest of the world without a GPS to monitor their position but they are not just huge tankers floating around waiting for a victim to collide with them. I would say first that it is a safe bet to assume that Iran still has a way to control these ships remotely and they may be unmanned but they know exactly where they are.

My biggest concern and it should be the biggest humungous concern of ours is the threat to block the Gulf and these would be a great help wouldn't they. You can bet they are all packed with enough explosives to blow them remotely when in a strategic position, anywhere in the Gulf, at the mouth of the Gulf? Imagine the explosion of hundreds of millions of gallons of crude first but then the resultant floating massive hulk now floating uncontrolled in the Gulf and those who knows where waiting for who or what?



James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com