As Trump warned North Korea, his 'armada' was headed toward Australia

[webfact]

As Trump warned North Korea, his 'armada' was headed toward Australia

By Phil Stewart

 

The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) transits the Indian Ocean, April 15, 2017. Picture taken April 15, 2017. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matt Brown/Handout via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When U.S. President Donald Trump boasted early last week that he had sent an "armada" as a warning to North Korea, the aircraft carrier strike group he spoke of was still far from the Korean peninsula, and headed in the opposite direction.

 

It was even farther away over the weekend, moving through the Sunda Strait and then into the Indian Ocean, as North Korea displayed what appeared to be new missiles at a parade and staged a failed missile test.

 

The U.S. military's Pacific Command explained on Tuesday that the strike group first had to complete a shorter-than-initially planned period of training with Australia. But it was now "proceeding to the Western Pacific as ordered," it said.

 

The perceived communications mix-up has raised eyebrows among Korea experts, who wonder whether it erodes the Trump administration's credibility at a time when U.S. rhetoric about the North's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities are raising concerns about a potential conflict.

 

"If you threaten them and your threat is not credible, it's only going to undermine whatever your policy toward them is. And that could be a logical conclusion from what's just happened," said North Korea expert Joel Wit at the 38 North monitoring group, run by Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

 

The U.S. military initially said in a statement dated April 10 that Admiral Harry Harris, the commander of Pacific Command, directed the Carl Vinson strike group "to sail north and report on station in the Western Pacific."

 

Reuters and other news outlets reported on April 11 that the movement would take more than a week. The Navy, for security reasons, says it does not report future operational locations of its ships.

 

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis initially appeared to play down the deployment on April 11, saying the Vinson was "just on her way up there because that's where we thought it was most prudent to have her at this time."

 

"There's not a specific demand signal or specific reason why we're sending her up there," he said.

 

But even Mattis initially misspoke about the strike group's itinerary, telling a news conference that the Vinson had pulled out of an exercise with Australia.

 

The Pentagon has since corrected the record, saying the ship's planned port visit to Fremantle, Australia, was cancelled - not the exercise with Australia's navy.

 

On April 15, the U.S. Navy even published a photo showing the Vinsontransiting the Sunda Strait.

http://www.navy.mil/view_image.asp?id=235255

 

From April 16-18, the website http://www.gonavy.jp/CVLocation.html reported that the Vinson was in the Indian Ocean.

 

A U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Vinson carried out the exercises after passing through the Sunda Strait and wrapped them up this week.

 

(Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-19

[BigKahuna]

The best war tactics are to do anything other than what you say. Keeps the opponent guessing.

 

If you're a tennis player and you signal a backhand side serve and do it everytime your opponent will rip you apart.

 

Once again we see the hopeless media struggling with basic concepts.

[starky]

1 hour ago, BigKahuna said:

The best war tactics are to do anything other than what you say. Keeps the opponent guessing.

 

If you're a tennis player and you signal a backhand side serve and do it everytime your opponent will rip you apart.

 

Once again we see the hopeless media struggling with basic concepts.

Well we're not at war so there are no tactics. Surely you can do better than that. So who was he trying to fool with his brilliant strategical mind? North Korea or the Aussies? As stated anyone with half a brain and the navy AIS would be able to tell they weren't headed for Korea. Think you may be giving the Trump to much credit.

[BigKahuna]

10 minutes ago, starky said:

Well we're not at war so there are no tactics. Surely you can do better than that. So who was he trying to fool with his brilliant strategical mind? North Korea or the Aussies? As stated anyone with half a brain and the navy AIS would be able to tell they weren't headed for Korea. Think you may be giving the Trump to much credit.

Tactics are used outside of war and it's his military advises not Trump developing tactics.

 

Anyone with more than half a brain would know that.

[Rob13]

Good strategy in an actual conflict and you're planning a sneak attack.Making idle threats are useless at best. Trump comes off looking uninformed and lying as usual. Another dropped ball.

[Rob13]

Didn't start out that way, but after a

3 months of watching his bumbling, i'd like to see him gone.

[BigKahuna]

Just now, Rob13 said:

Didn't start out that way, but after a

3 months of watching his bumbling, i'd like to see him gone.

For what? The economy is picking up. Things are getting done.

 

 

[Rob13]

17 minutes ago, BigKahuna said:

The economy is picking up. Things are getting done.

 

 

Lol

[Guest]

I wish this story and the sightings of the carrier to be confirmed by reliable sources. Sadly the US government is no longer one.

 

 

[BigKahuna]

1 hour ago, Rob13 said:

Lol

Lol what? Bush and OB were terrible. Ran up massive debt and problems.

 

Come back in 3 years time and make a comment

[pitrevie]

I am not surprised the Armada is heading towards Australia, does Turnbull think Trump has forgotten that phone call.

[jerojero]

Well we're not at war so there are no tactics. Surely you can do better than that. So who was he trying to fool with his brilliant strategical mind? North Korea or the Aussies? As stated anyone with half a brain and the navy AIS would be able to tell they weren't headed for Korea. Think you may be giving the Trump to much credit.

To put it more mildly Trump doesn't know his head from his ass in tactics. And so much for his infamous deal-making prowess on capitol hill. He's a reactionary, knee-jerk jerk. His tactic is reverse course, about face and flip flop on most everything. As he stated, after 10 minutes with China president, he came to realize North Korea was complicated issue. Sheesh!

[Rob13]

58 minutes ago, BigKahuna said:

Lol what? Bush and OB were terrible. Ran up massive debt and problems.

 

Come back in 3 years time and make a comment

Lol,about things getting done. Majority of US embassies are without an ambasssador since trump fired all Obama's appointees. Same problem wirh judges. He's also instructed his AG to get tough on crime. What's going to happen when local cops start bring in more arrests each month. The courts are already lagging. Now you have an increase of cases and fewer judges. 

 

But yes, things are getting done,  Maralago revenues are up this year, as are secret service expenses and overtime costs. 

Edited April 19, 2017 by Rob13

[steven100]

56 minutes ago, pitrevie said:

I am not surprised the Armada is heading towards Australia, does Turnbull think Trump has forgotten that phone call.

well I wish he would stick the cannon up Turnbulls ass .....  heck I'll even pull the trigger.

[BigKahuna]

3 minutes ago, Rob13 said:

Lol,about things getting done. Majority of US embassies are without an ambasssador since trump fired all Obama's appointees. Same problem wirh judges. He's also instructed his AG to get tough on crime. What's going to happen when local cops start bring in more arrests each month. The courts are already lagging. Now you have an increase of cases and fewer judges. 

 

But yes, things are getting done,  Maralago revenues are up this year, as are secret service expenses and overtime costs. 

Unemployment at 10 year lows.

[boomerangutang]

                   Many of the top people in the Trump administration stated, in recent days, that the Carl Vinson was going to Korean waters.  They didn't have to say that, because usually, Navy ship movements are not telegraphed to the public.  However, they all said it, and confirmed it when asked.  

 

                        Now we're finding it was all untrue.   Two things have to be be true:

 

#1  The president and all his top people don't know what the US Navy is doing.  Along with that, the US Navy (or at least one of its admirals) is not being honest with higher ranks, including the Commander in Chief.  In a word, it is 'rogue.'

 

or 

 

#2  The president and all his top people were lying, yet again.

 

                             It has to be one or the other.  Without a doubt, any bit of credence the Trump administration may have had, has further eroded.  They've reached the level of Thailand's Thaksin:  everything they state emphatically are probably lies.  

[steven100]

Trump is gonna get those pesky North Koreans once & for all     !!!

 

go get'em tiger   ......

[BigKahuna]

Just now, boomerangutang said:

Uh Huh, like Johnson got those pesky Viet Cong.....

0 to 5% chance of war. China bosess the fat kid around.

[BigKahuna]

"Many career diplomats at State have quit in disgust over Trump.  "

 

 

No doubt. The paper shufflers cant handle streamlining. Fat cats spent 20 years taking up space and creating nothing. Good riddance.

 

Every western country could do with a big clean out of paper shufflers and space wasters.

[boomerangutang]

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Trump is gonna get those pesky North Koreans once & for all     !!!

go get'em tiger   ......

It would help if Trump knew something about military history and tactics.  But his only experience, prior to the WH, was bankrupting companies and not paying workers after work was done.

 

                       Perhaps he can order 3 million military uniforms from N.Korea, complete with 100 medallions each, ....and then, in true Trumpian style, after the US receives shipment, Trump can cancel the payment check.  That will show them.  

 

                      Then Trump can share another yummy chocolate cake with China's Xi, while they watch videos of desperate (wet, cold and miserable) N.Korean migrants being rounded up along the Chinese side of the Yalu River.  

 

                          And then share some Trump Vodka with cookies, while watching the failed migrants and their families being forcefully returned to N.Korea, then lined up and shot dead as traitors.

[sandrabbit]

12 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

                           Every president has challenges.  Most deal with them in mature responsible ways.   Trump is different than all previous US presidents.  The list of his character flaws would take up pages of T.Visa, small font.  

 

                                  Obama consulted with allies.  Obama was wary of adversaries.  Obama thought before he spoke or acted.   Trump is divorced from all that, and more.  Trump acts in series of knee jerks.  He doesn't consult much with allies, and he loves Putin so much, he can't ever say anything non-laudatory about him.     Trump didn't even know where a major US Navy battlegroup was or was headed.  Either that, or he lied to Americans about it.   If the US was at war, then sure, the military needs to be devious.   But the US is not at war with N.Korea, so such deviousness by Trump and his buddies just shows blatant lying.   .......or reveals they don't know what's going on with US military.    Similarly, we'll be shown multiple proofs that the US doesn't know what's going on with foreign affairs.   Dozens of top positions at the State Dept aren't filled.  Tillerson doesn't have a deputy and doesn't like to interact at all with the press corps.  Many career diplomats at State have quit in disgust over Trump.  

 

                      The Trump administration isn't just asleep at the wheel, the steering wheel has come off its shaft, and has flown out the window. 

 

                            If Trump ran a grocery store, it would have no walls, no check-out register, and the employees would be out playing golf.   Let's go to Trump's Grocery Store - Nobody is minding it!

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/not-clear-donald-trump-knows-leader-north-korea-100723596.html

 

 

Anyone see a habit/pattern forming?

Edited April 19, 2017 by sandrabbit

[BigKahuna]

Just now, boomerangutang said:

It would help if Trump knew something about military history and tactics.  But his only experience, prior to the WH, was bankrupting companies and not paying workers after work was done.

 

                       Perhaps he can order 3 million military uniforms from N.Korea, complete with 100 medallions each, ....and then, in true Trumpian style, after the US receives shipment, Trump can cancel the payment check.  That will show them.  

 

                      Then Trump can share another yummy chocolate cake with China's Xi, while they watch videos of desperate (wet, cold and miserable) N.Korean migrants being rounded up along the Chinese side of the Yalu River.  

 

                          And then share some Trump Vodka with cookies, while watching the failed migrants and their families being forcefully returned to N.Korea, then lined up and shot dead as traitors.

What are your tactics? Tell the opposition to play nice or be called racist!! 555

[Kinnock]

In theory there's already a war in Korea.  The Korean war was never formally ended - it just ground to a stalemate, and the state of war still exists.  So perhaps we're going into the second half, after a long break.

 

At least this war may not go into extra time, like Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Vietnam ......

[sandrabbit]

3 minutes ago, BigKahuna said:

Must be Bush then.

http://trumpgenerator.com/tweet/?iytedlcmayhdxcqeynev

[darksidedog]

Trump says the armada is headed to Korea. Instead it heads to Australia. Further proof Trump doesn't know whether he is coming or going.

[PatOngo]

4 hours ago, Rob13 said:

Didn't start out that way, but after a

3 months of watching his bumbling, i'd like to see him gone.

 

4 hours ago, BigKahuna said:

For what? The economy is picking up. Things are getting done.

 

 

Yes, the Mexican wall is looking great!

[scottiejohn]

4 hours ago, BigKahuna said:

Tactics are used outside of war and it's his military advises not Trump developing tactics.

 

Anyone with more than half a brain would know that.

Best you use the other half of your brain;

 

Tactics; The art of disposing armed forces in order of battle and of organizing operations, especially during contact with an enemy. Often contrasted with strategy.

 

Strategy; The art of planning and directing military activity before and in a war or battle.

[dunroaming]

6 hours ago, BigKahuna said:

The best war tactics are to do anything other than what you say. Keeps the opponent guessing.

 

If you're a tennis player and you signal a backhand side serve and do it everytime your opponent will rip you apart.

 

Once again we see the hopeless media struggling with basic concepts.

Ha! Ha!  The lengths the Trumpsters will go to to excuse Donald is staggering.  It was Trump himself that announced he was sending his "armada" to North Korea when they were actually doing planned exercises with the Australian navy in Indonesian waters.

 

"Tactics"?  No just more Trump bluster.

[Guest]

Trump is not to be trusted and that is really big deal.

 

Whole US reputation is degrading, which will in time affect to business and other deals as well.

Who would want to do business with a liar? Maybe the people who don't know the liar's reputation yet?

 

Now the whole World knows.

[Emster23]

Awfully kind of those in administration like sec of defense, security advisor, Spicer played along with Trump and said the task force (hardly "Armada") was headed towards Korea. "See? He's not the only one who is clueless".

 And you John Wayne types might want to take a view of this recent Charlie Rose episode with former head of the CIA clearly and intelligently laying out the options and possible outcomes.

 

https://charlierose.com/videos/30381