Worried about increasing insurgent attacks in Afghanistan, the US military says it is sending extra air power there by shifting an aircraft carrier away from the Iraq war.
Defense officials said yesterday that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was moved out of the Persian Gulf and to the Gulf of Oman, shortening the time that the carrier's strike planes must fly to support combat in Afghanistan.
I know the official reason is to allow the carrier to support Afghanistan operations.
But keeping a carrier or two in the Gulf is good for scaring Iran and using them in Iraq, but bad for using them against Iran.
Remember, we can't hide what we are doing with that carrier. All we can do is hide the reason. And giving the "worsening" situation in Afghanistan as the reason plays into preconceived media notions.
Remember, too, that the real reason doesn't have to be that we plan an attack on Iran. We may just want to get the carrier to a safer location just in case Iran starts something or Israel starts something. Or perhaps a revolution inside Iran is looming?
You never know.
