Sparks of War: Intelligence Report #2

Intelligence update #2 on the Persian Gulf  2-14-12.  No classified information was used in this report, everything is from public information. I am just good at connecting said information.

Here are more reasons for the to go toxic by July.

1. Two weeks ago Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that if matters continue, Israel could attempt an airstrike on the Iranian nuclear plants within a month.
2. The European Union will stop importing Iranian oil July 1.
3. Iran is retaliating against the perceived Israeli assassinations of five Iranian nuclear scientists. Iranian agents have killed or attempted to kill Israeli’s in Georgia and other countries.
4. Iranian Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenie has publicly stated defiance to western sanctions and pledged open retaliation if they are instituted.
5. The Iranian’s have successfully launched an intelligence satellite, first ever. This also indicated a more advanced weapons delivery platform.
6. Saudi Arabia is a wild card as they will not tolerate a nuclear Iran. The Saudi’s have said that they would increase oil production if the Iranian oil is kept from the world markets.  Slight problem with that- all of the Saudi oil must go through the straits of Hormuz.
7. If the straits were closed for just 5 days (very do-able by the Iranians) we would have $200 a barrel oil and $6 a gallon gas at the pump overnight.
8. If the Straits of Hormuz were closed for two weeks, we would once again have gas lines around the block and a world-wide recession.
9. A one dollar rise in the price of crude oil causes a 3.6 cent rise in the cost at the gas pump.
10. Finally, in my opinion, the target for the United States is not the knocking out of the Iranian nuclear project (the Israelis will probably do that dirty work for us) but creating massive economic/domestic instability to bring down the current regime.

Have a happy valentine’s day, maybe the Israelis will send a little kiss to Iran.

Respectfully submitted,

Armchair General

These opinions are those of Randy Voepel only and do not reflect on the City of Santee or the City Council.