U.S. Strike Force Enters Syrian Waters?

So claims Russia Today.

UPDATE: Forbes has more.

Of course, any intervention into Syria will prompt an Iranian response. War with Syria and Iran would make the Iraq War look like a leisurely stroll along the Tigris. Are we going to war with Syria? It’s much too early to say, but the ominous warnings to leave the country, the sudden arrival of the aircraft carrier, and the increasing tension in Syria along with the inability of anyone to force Syria’s hand makes it look increasingly, and frighteningly, more likely.

Forbes notes that a conflicting report says the U.S. carrier is still parked off the coast of France.

UPDATE II: The New York Times makes no mention of U.S. forces but notes another development from this afternoon.

Syria on Friday ignored an Arab League deadline to accept observers to oversee a peace deal to end more than eight months of bloodshed, with activists saying that several protesters and soldiers were killed during clashes across the country. Arab League officials said Thursday that if the government of President Bashar al-Assad failed to agree by Friday to sign a protocol detailing the mission of the observers, Arab finance ministers would meet in Cairo on Saturday to discuss imposing economic sanctions that could include halting flights to Syria, curbing trade and stopping transactions with the country’s central bank.

UPDATE III: China’s English-language news service is now also claiming that “intelligence reports” show the U.S. carrier off the coast of Syria.

NOTE: I’ve added a question mark to this post’s headline because I still can’t find confirmation of the carrier claim from any western news source. Here’s the message posted on the U.S. State Department’s site on Wednesday night.