My comment:
(a) Today's development:
Nick Hopkins, Julian Borger and Ian Black, Iran Warns US to Avoid Clash Over Nuclear Programme. Daily Telegraph, Nov 4, 2011 (to be published on Nov 4) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ ... nuclear?INTCMP=SRCH
("The revelations led to Nato insisting on Thursday that it would play no part in any military action")
(b) The report cites
Ewen MacAskill and Harriet Sherwood, Is the US heading for war with Iran? Daily Telegraph, Nov 3, 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ ... rogramme?intcmp=239
("A congressional hearing on Iran last week was told that the Pentagon has a series of contingency plans for military action, ranging from all-out war to limited operations. Obama had signed off on these, the hearing was told")
Every now and then, there is a rumor that somebody is going to attack Iran--similar to rumors that China will do Taiwan. I do not take them seriously. There is no need to read (a) or (b)--the latter provided no evidence.
Iran Drury, UK and U.S. 'draw up joint plan to attack Iran': Evidence of nuclear programme raises tension in Middle East. Daily Mail, Nov 4, 2011 (print date; available now) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ ... -tensions-rise.html
also offers no evidence (it did not explain who the newspaper quotes from, about the quotation in the title.
(2) Greg Sheridan, Call for Indo-US security pact with Canberra. The Australian, Nov 4, 2011 (available now) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ ... 9nm2j-1226185208073
("The paper - Shared Goals, Converging Interests: A Plan for US-Australia-India Co-operation in the Indo-Pacific - was jointly written by senior scholars from the Lowy Institute, India's Observer Research Foundation and the Heritage Foundation in the US")
(4) 美议员批评美中科技合作损害美利益. VOA Chinese, Nov 3, 2011 http://www.voanews.com/chinese/n ... ence-133148853.html
(House representatives Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif46) and Frank Wolf (R-Va10); 批评白宫科技政策办公室和美国航天局(NASA)与中国开展的合作导致北京得到了美国的航天和导弹技术)
"The MK 67 Submarine-Laid Mobile Mine (SLMM) is launched like a torpedo from a submarine and can travel under its own power to a remote location where it lies in wait for a passing ship, using multiple sensors to identify and target its prey. [SLMM is b]ased on 1950s technology
"One of these means and methods is strategic mine warfare. It would only take a relative handful of modern U.S. sea mines to threaten any PLA Navy amphibious operation, bottle up its combatants in port and interdict China’s sea lines of communications. The PLA Navy has not invested a lot in the necessary capabilities and training to hunt for enemy mines. A modern version of the SLMM would be an excellent weapon to deploy from the best AA/AD platform in the U.S. Navy’s inventory, the Virginia-class attack sub.
Note:
(a) naval mine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_mine
(Mines can be laid in many ways: by purpose-built minelayers, refitted ships, submarines, or aircraft—and even by dropping them into a harbour by hand; section 2.4 Unusual mines: The torpedo mine is a self-propelled variety, able to lie in wait for a target and then pursue it e.g. the CAPTOR mine--such as Mk 67 Submarine Launched Mobile Mine)
(b) The article mentions "Admiral Farragut’s strategy at the battle of New Orleans: 'damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.'"