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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran detains UK naval vessels |
| 2004-06-21 |
| Communications with three Royal Navy vessels and eight sailors seized by Iran have been lost. A British military spokesman said the craft, which entered Iran's territorial waters, cannot be contacted. Eight British sailors have been arrested by Iran. The seacraft were detained near the Iraqi border after, said Iran, they had entered its waters without permission. A spokesman for the officially-appointed Iranian Revolutionary Guards said: "We got news that a number of foreign vessels entered Iranian waters without permission. Three boats were guided to Iranian shores and more than five crew were arrested." Iranian naval sources told the country's media eight British crew were arrested after their vessels were found to contain weapons and maps. One station said the crew had confessed to making "a mistake" and that the three vessels had been confiscated by the Iranian navy. The confrontation was said to have taken place in the Shatt al Arab stretch of water between Iraq and Iran. Sky News' Foreign Editor Tim Marshall said: "Iran is making a point to Britain probably, and that point is 'back off'." He added that Iran may be using the incident as a bargaining tool against British-backed UN demands on its nuclear programme. A spokesman for the British Ministry of Defence said it was investigating the reports. |
| Posted by:Lux |
| #44 This is an act of war against the U.K. by the rouge, radical, terrorist state of Islamic run Iran. Come now, Mark. Muslim rogues don't usually wear "rouge." Get real!!! |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-22 1:11:53 AM |
| #43 This is an act of war against the U.K. by the rouge, radical, terrorist state of Islamic run Iran. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-06-22 12:23:14 AM |
| #42 The key words are at the end of the article: "disputed waterway". I suspecy that this was a local, not a Tehran-directed, incident. The Iranian navy is still a fairly professional outfit and not necessarily mullah-kissers (we'd gotten salutes from them as late as '92 and reports are that it still happens on occasion). Given that it's a border region, I'd also suspect that there are maritime units of the IRG there as well. They tend to be a bit more... uptight. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2004-06-21 7:40:28 PM |
| #41 Hugh Hewitt reporting there were Iraqi trainees on the boats with the Brits, which would make sense. |
| Posted by: Mike 2004-06-21 6:16:13 PM |
| #40 Aren't these the guys who invaded Spain by accident last year? This is unlikely to escalate. If so, hope we keep raising the stakes. Let's get this showdown out of the way. The sooner the better. |
| Posted by: JAB 2004-06-21 6:14:45 PM |
| #39 If they were really commandoes and let themselves be captured, could it be because they realized they had gotten into the wrong area? |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2004-06-21 4:18:05 PM |
| #38 austrailian news reporting they are british commandos |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2004-06-21 3:58:10 PM |
| #37 BH - that was pretty good - I only hope it comes true |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-21 3:56:48 PM |
| #36 Coming soon to a failed theocracy near you: The Blair Bitchslap Project. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-06-21 3:53:04 PM |
| #35 Course its also possible the Brits made a mistake and did drift across the border. They were listening to the |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-06-21 3:50:10 PM |
| #34 #17 LOL ....the diapers/giant wrap aound bandaids :) Sorry I'm soooo slow in replying to this one, but I was corrected (via e-mail) the other day, that those are NOT diapers, they're actually lil' sheets, so in the future, refer to them as "lil' sheet heads." |
| Posted by: BA 2004-06-21 2:47:55 PM |
| #33 He had bought a large map representing the sea, Without the least vestige of land: And the crew were much pleased when they found it to be A map they could all understand. "What's the good of Mercator's North Poles and Equators, Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?" So the Bellman would cry: and the crew would reply "They are merely conventional signs! |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-06-21 2:45:17 PM |
| #32 On the boats they found weapons and maps Wow. Who'd have thought there would be maps on a boat. Damning. /smirk |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-06-21 2:27:51 PM |
| #31 But Mr. Davis the Media said ships! shssss SBS is making exercise.... but not near where the Ships (lol) were detained. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-21 1:51:41 PM |
| #30 One needs to be watching for 3 Commando to begin loading at Southampton. I believe the mullahs have received a frantic phone call from Buenos Aires. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-06-21 1:24:29 PM |
| #29 LH Learned later they were in Shatt-al-Arab, so SBS makes less sense and regular patrol probably is true, but one never knows. Time for a pool on how soon Tone responds? Shipman, Boats, not ships. One would think a shipman would know the difference. |
| Posted by: Mr. Davis 2004-06-21 1:22:47 PM |
| #28 Course its also possible the Brits made a mistake and did drift across the border. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-06-21 1:22:11 PM |
| #27 RC: Mebbe. That would imply a degree of success on the part of coalition forces in closing off the land routes that Id love to see, but Im afraid I think is a long way off. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-06-21 1:21:12 PM |
| #26 You guys are missing the real story. 3 ships and 8 men! The Brits are running rings around us in the maritime technology. I hate it when they do that. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-21 12:18:54 PM |
| #25 Possibly an operation AGAINST an infiltration route. A route that runs from Iran in to Iraq, perhaps? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-06-21 12:08:43 PM |
| #24 Mr. D You mean like a local SBS raid on some Iranian oil or naval installation? I cant see Tony risking that, for the limited gain. Or infiltrating people to help Iran opposition - my impression is that there are easier infiltration routes. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-06-21 12:01:26 PM |
| #23 i am sure this incedent is being conducted by the revoulionary guards which is basically a secondary iranian govt..we really need mincing words with these asshats..it is not our fault that iran cannot speak in one govt voice..strong, determined action is needed to blunt iranian aspirations... |
| Posted by: Dan 2004-06-21 11:58:10 AM |
| #22 Wretchard is up with a post that basically sees this as another 1979-style hostage crisis, but with Blair not being Jimmuh. |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-06-21 11:49:57 AM |
| #21 I believe the mullahs are trying to rally the people (who they know don't support the current regime) to nationalism by picking a fight with us..all in hope that they can delay long enough to get their nuke done |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-21 11:48:32 AM |
| #20 2. Its support from Teheran, cause the Ayatollahs are, like, crazy dudes, ya know I'll go with option number two, Liberalhawk. These mullahs are crazier than a pack of outhouse rats. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-21 11:43:59 AM |
| #19 More possibilities? Latest report is three boats, eight sailors. What happened to the passengers? Marine/SBS raid gone bad? |
| Posted by: Mr. Davis 2004-06-21 11:39:52 AM |
| #18 Possibilities: 1.Its some local Capt. Ahmed Hornblower, with no support from Teheran 2. Its support from Teheran, cause the Ayatollahs are, like, crazy dudes, ya know Some other possibilities 3. Its a desperate attempt to distract from the June 30 handover in Iraq, to signal to the Iraqi insurgency that Iran cares, and dont give up, or something along those lines 4. Its an attempt to signal to the West that if Iran is pushed around on nukes, it will escalate, EVEN IF doing so is suicidal. "hey, need we remind y'all that we're totally crazy, so youd better not mess with us" 5. Its an internal struggle in Iran. With the pressure on nukes, there are moderates outside and maybe even inside the Mullacracy interested in stepping back from the brink - this i desperate attempt to create a crisis to head off the moderates. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-06-21 11:34:29 AM |
| #17 LOL ....the diapers/giant wrap aound bandaids :) |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-06-21 11:30:56 AM |
| #16 Things must be getting very dicey at home for the mullahs to poke a stick into this hornets nest. Iran doesn't have a navy to speak of, just a few submarines, three 30 year old frigates and two 40 year old corvettes. The rest are either coastal patrol craft or targets. There is no logic to trying to provoke a naval confrontation with the UK and the US. The Iranian air force wouldn't get to the border before being swept from the sky and recent history is replete with examples of what happens to ground forces when the enemy has air supremacy. As usual, the thugs are counting on the fundamental decency of the Anglo-American forces rather than their military strength to prevent war. They know that we're not particularly interested in invading them and that we know they can't do anything to us but pinpricks like this. That could change in November. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-06-21 11:29:57 AM |
| #15 Zenster ...you got it right, they are indeed 'begging' to have their diapers knocked off their heads! Those aren't diapers, they've merely bandaged their heads ahead of time knowing full well that we're about to crack their skulls d@mn hard. ... we either defeat iranian and iranian inpsired terrorism or we must concede defeat in the WOT. I agree, Dan, and defeat is not an option. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-21 11:19:57 AM |
| #14 If Blair chooses a non-violent response, they will try something a little more provocative somewhere else. If they're smart, they won't try it on a U.S. Navy vessel of any size..... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-06-21 11:08:40 AM |
| #13 I can't imagine this being done without approval from the top. The mullahs are pushing the envelope, probing the outer defenses. If Blair chooses a non-violent response, they will try something a little more provocative somewhere else. |
| Posted by: virginian 2004-06-21 10:59:33 AM |
| #12 time for maneuvers on the iranian border..and give them a taste of what real war is about... we either defeat iranian and iranian inpsired terrorism or we must concede defeat in the WOT. |
| Posted by: Dan 2004-06-21 10:52:32 AM |
| #11 Zenster ...you got it right, they are indeed 'begging' to have their diapers knocked off their heads! |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-06-21 10:38:57 AM |
| #10 I'm beginning to think that we've all been horribly mistaken. Those Iranian mullahs aren't actually praying five times a day. What they're really doing is getting down on their knees and begging for it. I hope these belligerent b@stards finally get their wish. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-06-21 10:35:08 AM |
| #9 LOL! LotR. Yup, Page 3. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-06-21 9:40:38 AM |
| #8 Good thing they didn't find any of those Page 3 (6?) clippings or then there would have been trouble. |
| Posted by: Laurence of the Rats 2004-06-21 9:32:27 AM |
| #7 "On the boats they found weapons and maps." What is this crap? Sky news "insight" into what the Iranians found aboard Her Majesty's Naval ships? Heaven forbid that the British military have maps and guns on board their ships! "When we outlaw maps, only outlaws will have maps!" |
| Posted by: BA 2004-06-21 9:17:14 AM |
| #6 this is the region where the Iranians have supposedly been adding troops. From the description above, these were inflatables or very small boats, used for patrolling for smugglers, etc. I doubt this was ordered from above. A jumpy Iranian naval patrol officer and some Brit swabbies playing a little too close to the wrong shore. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-06-21 8:38:16 AM |
| #5 The mullahs are really flexing their muscles, aren't they? Looks to me like they're calculating that because of domestic political considerations, Blair won't be able to respond forcefully. These people want war. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2004-06-21 8:32:03 AM |
| #4 Ladies and gentlemen, our phrase of the day is "casus belli." |
| Posted by: Well-Armed Lamb 2004-06-21 8:26:49 AM |
| #3 Simple - nab some Iranian ships - do they have any?? |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-06-21 8:20:28 AM |
| #2 Big war coming up? |
| Posted by: Dutchgeek 2004-06-21 8:01:56 AM |
| #1 I anticipate a full apology and handback within a few hours. I doubt they want to get saucy considering the firepower in the Gulf. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2004-06-21 7:56:12 AM |