The political arena of Iowa has been uppermost in the western media this week while a more important development has been taking place.
Under the label of the 'Austere Challenge 12' the US Army is looking to increase co-operation with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and will hold one of the largest joint exercises in the two nations' history in 2012. This drill has happened annually recently but in 2012 it is far bigger than previous exercises.
In an interview with CNN last week, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs General Martin Dempsey, said, "Preparations for a military option against Iran are evolving to a point that they would be executable if necessary."
The two armies will hold a massive ground forces exercise - Austere Challenge 12 - in Spring this year and the drill is unprecedented in its size.
It will include the establishment of US command posts in Israel and IDF posts at EUCOM headquarters in Germany - with the ultimate goal of establishing joint task forces for the event of a future large-scale conflict in the Middle East.
RT reports that America previously equipped Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with enough arms to wreck any chance of an Iranian nuclear weapon programme from nearby, but now the US have added forces on-the-ready in Israel and Germany. The US is equipping Saudi Arabia with nearly £30 billion F-15 war places, a deal that comes shortly after Washington worked out a contract with Dubai to give the UAE advanced 'bunker buster' bombs that could decimate underground nuclear operations in neighbouring Iran.
Iran's threat to close down the Strait of Hormux, a vital path for the nation's oil trade, resulted in the US dispatching 15,000 marines to the area.
This action may be taking place in distant lands but I have to ask the question -will the UK become involved? Sadly it will - if Obama clicks his fingers.
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