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| Iraq | |
| Ship boarding operations in Gulf ‘vital’ for Iraq: UK | |
| 2007-04-09 | |
LONDON - Ship boarding operations in the northern Gulf are vital for Iraqi security and will continue, despite IranÂ’s seizure of 15 British mariners, the government here said Sunday. The Royal Navy suspended boarding operations in the area following the groupÂ’s detention after a routine search of a merchant vessel on March 23, and is undertaking a comprehensive review of its procedures in the area.
‘The oil platforms have got to be secured, we have got to make sure that dangerous material is not smuggled into southern Iraq. I don’t think the Iranians should be under any doubt that we could not allow that to happen.’ Triesman gave no indication of when such operations would resume. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #6 Maybe we should dock the Iwo Jima just off the coast, move a squadron of Apache attack helicopters aboard, and let the Marines take care of such searches from now on. Oh, and put a squadron of F/A-18s at Basra, just for good measure. I'm sure the Iranians would have a great time trying to attack a MARINE vessel with air cover. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-04-09 15:23 |
| #5 DATELINE, London: "Ship boarding operations in the northern Gulf are vital for Iraqi security and will continue..." but by somebody else, cuz we are all chickenshit eunchs. Fixed it. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-04-09 14:14 |
| #4 I think those waters have got to be kept secure. But not by the Royal Navy, obviously. Centuries of history turned into a joke. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-04-09 09:14 |
| #3 You're such an optimist, Verlaine. Have you read Gibbon's "Decline and Fall"? |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-04-09 03:16 |
| #2 I think those waters have got to be kept secure. No, ya think? Give this guy a raise. Wait - he's a "lord" - hold the raise. Give him another title or something. A "comprehensive review" sounds nice, but Steve nailed it. Uh, this isn't exactly like trying to figure out why the Challenger blew up, mates. Kinda obvious. Howz about, say, the hour after the provocation took place, the Brits announced that "the vital mission to protect Iraqi sovereignty and security from external interference in the waters of the Gulf will continue, and any outside elements attempting to interfere with this operation or Iraqi or Coalition forces will be dealt with decisively using deadly force." Don't give me any b.s. about long views and subtle games and blah blah blah - that's just chin music from pointyheads who don't understand the mission or the enemy. The performance of everyone from 10 Downing on down to the 15 themselves has been appalling to an incredible degree. Blair's government should go, there should be bloodletting in the senior levels of the navy and marines. I know, the next govt. will likely be even worse than Blair's, but the clock's running down on Tony anyway, and maybe some flying fur over this fiasco will get the notice of future ministers and officers. Save the indignant defenses of Blair - I appreciate his leadership and guts in the past, but he presides over an irresolute country and has earned an early departure. |
| Posted by: Verlaine 2007-04-09 01:36 |
| #1 ION, XINHUA NEWS AGENCY claims the USA may strike Iran in LATE APRIL, while REGNUM.RU > Armenian Pert says LATE MAY. * RIAN > Iran has precipitated a USA = US-led strike and continues to prep as iff said US strike will occur. OTOH, SPACEWAR > RUSSIA demands it + USA share/jointly construct any Euro [Global?] Missle Defense Shield, + WILL EXPAND ITS PACIFIC FLEET DUE TO INCREASED ASIA RISKS. WAFF.com > CHINA may use PLAN + littoral units to deny international access to East China Sea routes. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2007-04-09 00:59 |