Two Lincolns

   

Believe it or not, the above two images are of the same thing.  At left are some crew members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.  At right is, well, Abraham Lincoln.  There are notable similarities between the two.  Both have/had balls and are/were not afraid to fight for what is right.  I dare say neither would lose just about any fight they picked, either.  So perhaps it is appropriate that the USS Lincoln Carrier Group just rounded the Straits of Hormuz into the Arabian Gulf today, only two days after what would have been Lincoln's 203rd birthday.  I am sure this has a lot to do with Iran's refusal to comply with international conventions governing nuclear power and weapons, as well as the recent attacks on Israeli diplomats in Georgia, India and last night in Bangkok (though this time the Iranian idiot blew his leg off in the attempt, but is going to survive, so there may be direct proof of Iranian involvement shortly).   The official line from the Navy is as follows:

"I wouldn't characterize ... us going through the strait as: 'Hey, this is a huge show of force, we're coming through.' It's an international strait to transit. We're going from one body of water to the other," said Capt. John Alexander, the Lincoln's commanding officer, as preparations for the trip got under way late Monday.

The Lincoln passed a few miles off the coast of Iran.  As you may recall, the last time an American Carrier Group (the USS John C. Stennis) transited the Straits in late December, Iran's Army chief warned them not to do it again.  Well the US Navy does not take its orders from Tehran.  Neither do the Brits or even the French, both of whom have ships in the group. One has to wonder if a little shock and awe is not too far away.  Maybe ours, maybe Israeli, but sanctions are not working which only leaves one other "deterrent".