US navy turns away boats in Gulf, Iran denies confrontation

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US patrol boat fired a warning flare to repel three approaching speed boats in the Gulf, the Navy said Friday, where Iranian vessels have in the past played cat-and-mouse with passing US warships.

The USS Typhoon, a Coast Guard patrol boat, was heading from the central to the northern Gulf when it was approached late Thursday by the high-speed boats, said Lieutenant Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for the US Fifth Fleet.

~snip~

However, a source in the navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards denied Friday there had been any "confrontation" with US ships, according to Iran's Al-Alam Arabic television.

"The source denied any kind of confrontation between Iranian high speed vessels and US ships," the state-run satellite channel said.

It quoted the source as saying: "In the past two days, the identification was carried out according to the routine and the two US ships were allowed to continue along their path."



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080411/wl_mideast_afp/usiranmilitary_080411202401

[sabra]

1. Lots of Iran related items in the news lately... beat those drums!

[maddezmom]

2. tried to find a video of Barbara Starr from CNN

she was breathless as she was giving her report from the Pentagon this afternoon. Only could find this:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/11/iran.us/index.html?iref=newssearch

[bushmeister0]

3. It's one thing when US Navy ships are involved but what about contractors?

March 26 CNN:

"According to the embassy statement and a senior U.S. military official, several small boats approached the Global Patriot, a cargo vessel contracted by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command.

The incident happened as the ship prepared to cross the Suez Canal, a 100-mile long waterway that crosses through Egypt and connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.

'The boats were hailed and warned by a native Arabic speaker using a bullhorn to warn them to turn away,' the embassy statement said.

After a warning flare was fired, one of the small boats continued to approach the ship, prompting the U.S. forces on board to fire two sets of warning shots which landed in the water, about 20 yards to 30 yards in front of the boat.

The senior U.S. military official said an armed military security team was on board for the canal transit, but it was not clear if the team was made up of U.S. Marines or sailors."

http://www3.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/25/suez.incident/index.html?iref=hpmostpop

What happens when the KBR of the high seas is attacked? Is that a casus belli?

[TomInTib]

6. "not clear if the team was made up of U.S. Marines or sailors."

What the Hell is that supposed to mean?

What is not clear?

Bang on that drum, you Bastards.

[darue]

10. contractors apparently can just murder people at will because they got scarred n/t

[bushmeister0]

11. That's the beauty of immunity, or is that impunity?

[TomInTib]

4. Bangin' on it.

Stepping up the tempo.

PsyOps time and the target is us.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. Nice spin by CNN

"The USS Typhoon, a patrol craft, was approached by three high speed boats of unknown origin," a spokeswoman for the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet told Reuters on Friday.

She said the U.S. vessel, which was sailing from the central to the northern part of the Gulf, tried to communicate with the boats by routine methods but decided to fire the flare after receiving no response.

"The small boats then stopped and fell out of the visibility range and nothing further happened," she said, adding that the boats bore no flag or markings identifying their origins or purpose.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L11452668.htm

And yet somehow CNN reports that "the boats were Iranian and engaged in a "mild" and "taunting" confrontation with a US warship in the Gulf late Thursday."

CNN is making quite leap there.

[bushmeister0]

8. Maybe it was that damn Filipino Monkey again!

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. USA don't belong in the Gulf anyways - USA belongs in the the USA

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USA has bases in over 100 countries

USA go home . .

Ya got problems at home that need taking care of

FEED YOUR POOR

HOUSE YOUR HOMELESS

GIVE HEALTH-CARE TO ALL

Stop making war on the World and it's all possible.

The World is noticing the USA's deficiencies

And then there's that "torture" thing

Ah, silly me - that 's not torture

It's "Rendition"

[MadAndy]

9. I was in Montreal recently. There were homeless in every freakin doorway. Couldn't walk

a block without getting hit up for change. Clean your own house before talkin smack.

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. Bullshit - I've lived in Canada for 56 years, including Toronto which has MANY homeless

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"every doorway" ?

Bullshit

In the WORST area of Toronto, and I know where they are

a few homeless are seen here and there.

"in every freakin doorway"

BULLSHIT.

I've been to Montreal and most other major cities in my country in my lifetime

I'm not quite sure what "talkin smack" means, but I'm confident that it means something rude.

I have also lived in the USA for 14 months.

I'd rather be here.