It's 10 PM - Do You Know Where Your Aircraft Carriers Are?

[Minimalist]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/world....html?_r=0

WASHINGTON — As worries deepened last week about whether North Korea would conduct a missile test, the White House declared that ordering an American aircraft carrier into the Sea of Japan would send a powerful deterrent signal and give President Trump more options in responding to the North’s provocative behavior.

The problem was, the carrier, the Carl Vinson, and the four other warships in its strike force were at that very moment sailing in the opposite direction, to take part in joint exercises with the Australian Navy in the Indian Ocean, 3,500 miles southwest of the Korean Peninsula.

Fucking amateurs.

[The Valkyrie]

I'm surprised Australia didn't just send their ships to support any potential attack and call it part of an "exercise".

We're usually SO good at jumping on the bandwagon when there's the potential for an American war.

[vorlon13]

Is Australia still looking for that missing Malaysian airliner ?

[The Valkyrie]

Is Australia still looking for that missing Malaysian airliner ?

I think the search has been called off.

There are only private companies and individuals still searching, as far as I'm aware.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/world....html?_r=0

WASHINGTON — As worries deepened last week about whether North Korea would conduct a missile test, the White House declared that ordering an American aircraft carrier into the Sea of Japan would send a powerful deterrent signal and give President Trump more options in responding to the North’s provocative behavior.

The problem was, the carrier, the Carl Vinson, and the four other warships in its strike force were at that very moment sailing in the opposite direction, to take part in joint exercises with the Australian Navy in the Indian Ocean, 3,500 miles southwest of the Korean Peninsula.

Fucking amateurs.

This is clusterfuckery on a whole new level. With this degree of competence, I'm going to be scared shitless if Trump declares war on Syria - US commandos will probably show up in my back garden.

Boru

[Thumpalumpacus]

Operational groups regularly get diverted for contingencies, and will break off exercises to do so. This isn't extraordinary.

[The Valkyrie]

Operational groups regularly get diverted for contingencies, including breaking off exercises.

But if they don't exercise they'll get fat!

[Thumpalumpacus]

I think we're seeing Maslow's Hammer beating Trump's brains out, with this "crisis". Or that is has been manufactured as a deflection (hence the scare quotes).

[brewer]

I'm surprised Australia didn't just send their ships to support any potential attack and call it part of an "exercise".

We're usually SO good at jumping on the bandwagon when there's the potential for an American war.

Do they have a tuba player on board?

[Minimalist]

Operational groups regularly get diverted for contingencies, and will break off exercises to do so. This isn't extraordinary.

But it is also not what happened.

White House officials said Tuesday that they had been relying on guidance from the Defense Department. Officials there described a glitch-ridden sequence of events, from an ill-timed announcement of the deployment by the military’s Pacific Command to an erroneous explanation by the defense secretary, Jim Mattis — all of which perpetuated the false narrative that a flotilla was racing toward the waters off North Korea.

By the time the White House was asked about the Carl Vinson, its imminent arrival had been emblazoned on front pages across East Asia, fanning fears that Mr. Trump was considering a pre-emptive military strike. It was portrayed as further evidence of the president’s muscular style days after he ordered a missile strike on Syria while he and President Xi Jinping of China were chatting over dessert during a meeting in Florida.