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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| US Navy says it fired warning shots |
| 2008-01-11 |
| Looks like this game of chicken's been going on for awhile... CAIRO, Egypt - The U.S. Navy said Friday that one of its ships fired warning shots at a small Iranian boat in the Strait of Hormuz in December during one of two serious encounters that month. The USS Whidbey Island fired the warning shots on Dec. 19 in response to a small Iranian boat that was rapidly approaching it, said a U.S. Navy official. "One small (Iranian) craft was coming toward it, and it stopped after the Whidbey Island fired warning shots," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. It was the first official confirmation that the United States had fired warning shots in any recent confrontation with Iran in the Gulf. In the second incident that month, the USS Carr encountered three small Iranian craft on Dec. 22, two of which were armed, said the official. The USS Carr did not fire warning shots, but sent warning blasts on the ships whistle, which caused the boats to turn around. The reports come a day after the United States lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Iran over an incident Sunday in which Iranian speedboats harassed U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf. Adm. William J. Fallon, the top U.S. military commander in the Mideast, said Friday that Iran runs the risk of triggering an unintended conflict if its boats continue to harass U.S. warships in the strait. I would take it that that's their warning? |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #21 I think mebbe not smart enough for a doorstop |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-01-11 23:23 |
| #20 TOPIX > MICHEL CHUSSODOKSKY [GlobalResearch]- US WAR PLANS AND THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ INCIDENT - JUST WHOM IS THREATENING WHOM? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-01-11 22:57 |
| #19 Dork and Fool are just like Rosie, mentally ill, paranoid schizophrenics crying out for help. |
| Posted by: Whomong Guelph4611 2008-01-11 22:35 |
| #18 |
| Posted by: doc 2008-01-11 21:33 |
| #17 I'll have what wakey's drinking. |
| Posted by: doc 2008-01-11 21:32 |
| #16 Hey Frank, we still need a back up door stop for the O club, What doya Think, maybe DORKUMS could help out and volunteer for a few months... ?? |
| Posted by: RD 2008-01-11 21:20 |
| #15 "wakeup" = dorks on parade. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-01-11 20:58 |
| #14 DEBKA > claims the USS Harry Truman carrier has been placed on high alert in case of a repeat of the Iranian gunboat incident during dubya's visit. Also, THAT MOUD ENCOURAGED THE INCIDENT AND THAT THE USN BELIEVES IRAN MAY SEEK TO INITIATE FURTHER ACTS OF PROVOCATION [AFTER JAN 6th]??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-01-11 20:51 |
| #13 What didn't happen was what was reported to have happened. So, something happened but it actually was nothing ... . I believe they call it yellow journalism or gullible journalists or just plain old sensationalism. Gotta pull in the slobs right? Give them something sexy even if utterly false. Google this (you can find the interviewee so that you have to work for your ad hominem slur): "Well, this alleged crisis or confrontation on the high seas is really much less than what met the eyes of the American public as it was reported by news media. And the story really began from leaks from the Pentagon. I mean, there were Pentagon officials apparently calling reporters and telling them that something had happened in the Strait of Hormuz, which represented a threat to American ships and that there was a near battle on the high seas. The way it was described to reporters, it was made to appear to be a major threat to the ships and a major threat of war. And that’s the way it was covered by CNN, by CBS and other networks, as well as by print media. Then I think the next major thing that happened was a briefing by the commander of the 5th fleet in Bahrain, the Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, which is very interesting. If you look carefully at the transcript, which was not reported accurately by the media, or not reported at all practically, the commander—or rather, Vice Admiral Cosgriff actually makes it clear that the ships were never in danger, that they never believed they were in danger, and that they were never close to firing on the Iranian boats. And this is the heart of what actually happened, which was never reported by the US media. So I think that the major thing to really keep in mind about this is that it was blown up into a semi-crisis by the Pentagon and that the media followed along very supinely. And I must say this is perhaps the worst—the most egregious case of sensationalist journalism in the service of the interests of the Pentagon, the Bush administration, that I have seen so far." |
| Posted by: wakeupdorks 2008-01-11 20:47 |
| #12 ION, WAFF > DEFENSE NEWS - RUSSIA'S WARSHISP RE-ESTABLIS A GLOBAL PRESENCE; + RIAN > RUSSIA'S ARM BIZ WOES IN 2008 PART I. Higher production rates, more and varied TOPOL-M strategic missle units, but still low on cash. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-01-11 20:44 |
| #11 BBC > US-IRAN STANDOFF NOT MERE PROPAGANDA. Fear of USS VICENNES = Iran Airliner Shootdown incidennt redux? Plus, TOPIX > US ADMIRAL SAYS IRAN GUNBOATS INCIDENT SHOWS SHIFT IN IRAN TACTICS/STRATEGY. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-01-11 19:55 |
| #10 Ok didnthappenfools, Kevin Sullivan is far more civil than I. Such a case of BDS takes exceptional levels of gall and gullibility. Not only does it require you to ignore the Shi’a tradition of Taqiyya, but essentially requires you to believe in a massive top-to-bottom conspiracy that runs from the White House all the way down to the sailors themselves. Evasive measures were taken in order to account for these little “cigarette” boats. Such activity must be recorded, documented and approved for transparency. This would require the kind of coordinated conspiracy that would make a Truther proud. But I suppose reason is the first casualty to such a blurring hatred. Your president is a liar, your government is comprised of liars and the men and women serving for your protection are a bunch of liars, too. Who do we believe? Well, Ahmadinejad and his advisors, of course. The incident in the Hormuz may well have been minor, a prank even. But the sailors reacted appropriately in our defense and theirs. |
| Posted by: doc 2008-01-11 18:40 |
| #9 Give RuPaul and Alex Jones my regards. |
| Posted by: doc 2008-01-11 18:33 |
| #8 From Youtube - claims to be an Iranian UAV video of US carrier |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-01-11 18:14 |
| #7 Let me try to follow the logic of the Iranians/skeptics here. The event didn't happen as the USN described, or didn't happen at all - allegedly akin to the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Or the USN doctored the video or recordings or intentions of the small boats. Thus, the warnings or defensive actions are unnecessary or actually provocative in reverse. And the continuing discussion only fans the flames and is a set up for future stronger actions. OK - if that's close to what the current speculation is, what happens if the USN simply destroys the next such small boat visitors, and does so without comment, without announcement, without publicity, and perhaps even rescues the survivors, if any, and drops them off at the nearest dry land. What then, international outrage? At what, a non-existing reply to a non-existing threat? Maybe the USN can play this game as well, which seems to be what Adm. Fallon didn't say, since of course the Iranians wouldn't want to trigger an unintended conflict over the loss of the next small boat approaching within five nm of transiting USN vessels. Just sayin . . . |
| Posted by: Halliburton - Non-Existing Small Boat Division 2008-01-11 18:13 |
| #6 Ah. So we're fools. I, for one, am swayed by the gentleman's elegant phraseology, politeness and command of the facts. As if on cue, just read this on The Professor's blog. |
| Posted by: Gabby Cussworth 2008-01-11 17:32 |
| #5 I would not recommend that Iran pursue this directionÂ… In light of the horrors of International Terror; unnecessary maneuvers during war and Nuclear Treaty resistance... are their two WORST cards! And with memories of USS Cole (met with a small boat) they could likely be Some of their last pursuits. |
| Posted by: MB 2008-01-11 17:32 |
| #4 didnthappenfools - why do you say it didn't happen? |
| Posted by: Glomogum Sproing2991 2008-01-11 17:26 |
| #3 Talk, talk. Recent "incident" wasn't. Didn't happen guys. Fairy tale you're all too happy to propagate. Read all the news not just that that fits your bombing fetish. |
| Posted by: didnthappenfools 2008-01-11 17:22 |
| #2 The next warning shot will be through the bow of the Iranian ship. "You have been shot and are starting to sink. Please abandon ship or you will be shot again." |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-01-11 17:09 |
| #1 Translation - 'There will be no more warning shots...' |
| Posted by: Raj 2008-01-11 17:05 |