Massive Movement of American Warplanes Takes Place in Scotland

[BuckeFushe]

http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/365/11220_pentagon.html

11/05/2003 17:25
The US is probably preparing another victorious war
(actual lead into article)

<snip>
Several days ago, a Western website published a news message which said that the US could probably launch another short and victorious war. The message specified the place where the military operation would probably happen. Below is the text of the message:

"Since Saturday, people in the Highlands of Scotland have been witnessing large movements of US warplanes overhead. Experienced observers say the large numbers are reminiscent of those that preceded the bombing of Iraq in 1998 and military strikes on Libya in the1980's as well as the first Gulf War.

"At the weekend warplanes were flying over at a rate of roughly one every 15 minutes. As well as watching them from the ground the plane spotters have also been able to overhear pilots talking by listening to their radio frequencies.

"At this rate some 288 warplanes would have passed over Scotland in three days. It is thought that the planes have flown on a route from the US over the North Pole to bases in Europe and the Mediterranean. The size and scale of the movement suggests that the US may be preparing to strike at a country in the Middle East in the next week to ten days."
<snip>

This is either very wrong or very true. After reading the article, much is left to speculation. If anyone can verify aircraft movements in the last week, it would help to determine if this is indeed true. They do not link to the "Western" website from which the "news" originated.

[Don_G]

1. According To A Related Article

The US intends to test some new weapons in Iraq. If true, this is what Rummy may have in mind.

[BuckeFushe]

2. I don't think so

I read that too. Doesn't take 288 planes totest the new toys.

[JackSwift]

3. I can't imagine that they would have 288 targets left

but real tests involve widespread use. I'm more inclined to think that it's going to be a coordinated takedown of Syria with Israel pitching in. Bush and Sharon are really, really short-sighted.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

11. coordinated takedown of Syria with Israel

I think that's a very likely possibility.

[Resistance Is Futile]

4. Dubious at best

There is no available 3rd party evidence to support this story. An aircraft movement of this size would have been reported elsewhere by now.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. It has been.

There were at least two threads here about it, and it all started with a report in The Scotsman.

Someone else mentioned the rather vast amount of air traffic controllers in the Guard who were being called up.

It could, of course, mean nothing. The planes could be replacements or supply convoys.

[charlie]

6. Seems to be circularly sourced

That is, everyone's citing everyone else with no point of origin.

It's reprinted on all the Indymedia sites, as well as Pravda and a site called Global Elite:

http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/365/11220_pentagon.html
Looong Global Elite URL

and some of them attribute it to one or the other of these groups:

http://www.fairfordpeacewatch.com/
http://www.haringeystopwar.fsnet.co.uk/

but there's no mention of it on their sites.

Fairford Peace Watch has a Yahoo group, where I found this message (unfortunately, you'll to join the group to see it):

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fairfordpeacewatchsupporters/message/849

It's a reposting of the same news story, with the poster asking:

"Has anyone seen any mention of this from any other source?"

and includes a reply, someone saying that it was mentioned by the host of a rightwing radio show.

So it seems no one knows where it came from. It was probably introduced at one of the Indymedia sites where there's little oversight and spread from there.

[TAH6988]

16. And probably

100% pure drivel. You'd think we'd know if "288" airplanes left US bases to arrive at some unknown base in the Middle East.

[snippy]

7. Maybe its just security build up for Bush's visit later this month.

"London Police Bear Down for Bush Visit" http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=205140

Seriously, I think the last carrier group which deployed for the invasion of Iraq arrived home this past week. Those carriers will be deployed again for the next war. The increased activity described in the article, if true, could be related to a planned increase in bombing in either Afghanistan or Iraq, or both. Many Reich wing fundamentalists are demanding more killing to appease their god and exact revenge for the increased attacks against American troops in both countries.

[cliss]

8. Thanks, BF for the post

It makes me very nervous. I think they're up to something. Notice also the movement of troops back and forth between the US and Iraq. I've read some other posts which pretty much echo what seems to be happening. That the US is planning to invade Syria, that is.

Of course, they're not saying a thing. Or are they? It seems to me that Bush said something recently about Syria at some dinner, and Cheney made some remark.

I'm visualizing a night raid; the US makes a surprise attack on Damascus. Several hours of sustained bombing, and the leaders wake up waving their white flags. Syria surrenders without a fight, and the US moves in quickly to take control of the country. This would not require thousands of troops. A few hundred should do.

My question is: how will the world community react? Can the US really do this? Or will we be using the Pre-emptive policy that lets the US go ahead, even in the case of suspected threats?

[htuttle]

9. Well, for one thing...

... the scenario you outlined:

I'm visualizing a night raid; the US makes a surprise attack on Damascus. Several hours of sustained bombing, and the leaders wake up waving their white flags. Syria surrenders without a fight, and the US moves in quickly to take control of the countr.

That reminds me of another rosie scenario, against an opponent with far less operational military capability than Syria. It didn't turn out nearly that neatly (in fact, I'd argue that it hasn't "turned out" at all yet). A few hundred troops? Overnight? You really are channeling Rumsfeld here, you know!

But what would the world do? That's a good question, but I have a feeling that the rest of the world wouldn't be nearly as polite as they have been so far.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

12. they could be taken down easily

keeping the peace or nation building is quite a different thing. Besides, some combination of Israel and Lebanon would probably handle the security, with all of the success that their record would suggest.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

10. Any airbases mentioned? The only US base in Scotland I can recall

Is Machrihanish, near the Mull of Kintyre. Longest runway in Britain I believe. There was always top-secret stuff going on there in the Cold War.

[TAH6988]

15. Says the planes

"overflew" Scotland; doesn't say anything about landing. 100% pure BS IMHO.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

17. Then this story is insignificant.

[TAH6988]

18. Of course it is.

It's a non-story.

[leftofthedial]

13. we'll be bombing Prince Charles

any day now.

That sinner!

[smallprint]

14. Maybe they are going to bomb the Turkish Kurds

There's a story in LBN saying that US forces will attack them soon with the help of the Iraqi Kurds...

Maybe this is the air bombardment part of a campaign to totally wipe out the PKK...

[onecitizen]

19. Yeah I heard that too..........

but 288 planes??!! A new shock 'n awe for some other little country that can only fight back with sticks and stones no doubt. If this were to be an attack on N. Korea, then 288 planes might be needed. But I don't think bush will EVER do anything to N Korea, esp. now.

[htuttle]

20. I'm starting to think this is more 'blowback' from a planted report

The peace group that supposedly came out with the original report has no mention of it on their own site. The indymedia report that originally broke this story has been carried in at least 3 other publications, and often sourced differently. For example, the exact same report, down to the number of planes, also showed up in Debka.com. However, they attributed it to 'their inside military sources.'

I think it was planted by the US to scare someone in the Middle East, and any coverage in the US is the result of propaganda blowback.

Not that somewhere in there, there might be a seed of truth, but I am finding this report less trustworthy the more it gets reflected in additional media outlets (given that, so far, it's all been re-coverage of the same, original IndyMedia post that doesn't have any mention on the supposedly originating group's website).

[eleny]

21. MSNBC just reported air attacks in Iraq

I just turned the station on. So I don't know if it's as massive as this article might imply. But the MSNBC reporter said that this was the first time we bombed like this in Iraq for some time. I only heard the tail end of his report. Hopefully, they'll report on this again later today.

[TAH6988]

22. Most likely conducted by the

planes that were already there.

[fshrink]

23. Wag-the-dog session coming soon. nt.