Watch This: US Exercises in Gulf This Week

[HMKGrey]

Possible flash point looms large pre-election...<br><br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong> Iran condemns US Gulf exercises</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>Iran has criticised planned US military exercises in the Gulf as provocative.<br><br>Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted an unnamed foreign ministry official as describing the military manoeuvres as dangerous and suspicious.<br><br>Reports say the US is to hold naval exercises at the end of October with Bahrain, Kuwait, France and Britain.<br><br>Separately, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for Muslim unity to deal with what he called the "dirty aims" of the US and Israel.<br><br>Speaking at prayers to mark the festival of Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Middle East had turned a page in its history after what he described as the victory of the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah in its recent conflict with Israel.<br><br>In particular he called on Palestinian factions and groups to remain united, saying their enemies wanted to sow the seeds of division among them.<br><br>BBC Tehran correspondent Frances Harrison says the factional fighting between Fatah and Hamas has dismayed Iranian leaders, who fear it could diminish support for the Palestinian struggle.<br><br>'Intercepting missiles'<br><br>Reports say the US-led naval exercises based near Bahrain will practise intercepting and searching ships carrying weapons of mass destruction and missiles.<br><br>The Iranian foreign ministry official said the US-led exercises were not in line with the security and stability of the region. Instead, they are aimed at fomenting crises, he said.<br><br>He complained that it was the warmongering of neo-conservatives in America who want to win the mid-term US congressional elections in November.<br><br>The manoeuvres come as America is pushing for tough UN sanctions on Iran, prohibiting nuclear cooperation or sales of ballistic missiles.<br><br>Our correspondent says it is not yet clear whether the UN would authorise the searching of ships heading to Iran.<br>Story from BBC NEWS:<br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6080204.stm">news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-...080204.stm</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br> <p></p><i></i>

[postrchild]

All Hands! General Quarters General Quarters! Set condition Zebra on hatches 8-53........man your battlestations! <p></p><i></i>

[marykmusic]

Certainly sounds provocative to me.<br><br>Our ships are in international waters, stopping, boarding and searching any ship they want to.<br><br>How close is that to being against maritime law? --MaryK <p></p><i></i>

[postrchild]

No mary K its Bush adding another hat to his portfolio......a pirate hat! Aaargh Maytee! Avast ya swabbys!<br><br>Here comes the October Surprise....<br><br>Headline:<br><br>"Iran provokes US into conflict over presence in Gulf"<br> <p></p><i></i>