Memo to the Royal Navy
Try summat like this:
The U.S. military reported Monday on a “significant” confrontation involving five Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats that “harrassed and provoked” three U.S. naval ships in international waters over the weekend.
U.S. military officials said the incident occurred Saturday night in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping channel leading in and out of the Persian Gulf.
The five Iranian ships made “threatening” moves — in one case coming within 200 yards of a U.S. ship, the U.S. officials said.
In one radio transmission, the Iranians told the U.S. Navy: “I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes,” the U.S. military officials told CNN.
When the U.S. ships heard that radio transmission, they manned their gun positions and officers were “in the process” of giving the order to fire when the Iranians abruptly turned away, the U.S. officials said. See a map of the Strait of Hormuz »
No shots were fired and no one was injured in the confrontation.
More’s the pity.
But did you read that? They manned their positions.
As Michelle notes:
It’s all Bush’s fault, of course
Peter said,
January 7, 2008 @ 12:41 pm
Well if a reporter wrote it, it must be accurate. It’s not as if the ship is at sea right now, and no one has ANY access to a SINGLE eyewitness. As a Navy veteran who has been through the strait, I can attest that, we never were NOT manned up on gun mounts. I can’t think of a single ship that isn’t. Isn’t it at all possible that the reporter that used the verbage “manned” was “incorrect?” And that he/she “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” and is going on “limited facts from a stoic Navy.” Do you honestly think that sailors were sitting around smoking and joking in the straits of hormuz and would only man-up if there was an immediate threat? You’re ignorant.
Bloodthirsty Liberal said,
January 7, 2008 @ 12:51 pm
Whoa, whoa, friend. I don’t doubt any thing you say. But if you truly were with the Navy (and I believe that you were), I hope you didn’t have that itchy trigger finger pointed at anyone on our side.
I was contrasting the American reaction to the British reaction in a similar incident several months ago (hence the title of the post). The Royal Navy ship allowed itself to be boarded and its sailors to be taken hostage. The US Navy took aim and prepared to fire. I heartily endorse the latter course of action. And I’m sure it went down exactly as you say.
BTW, this was reported by the US military, as the piece makes clear, not “a reporter”. And Iran has corroborated the report. So stand down.
BTL
Peter said,
January 7, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
I guess I prove my own argument by completely missing your point. Fair play to you sir.
Bloodthirsty Liberal said,
January 7, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
Assuming a blogger is a snot-nosed punk is an entirely understandable default mode.
Meant to say it before: thank you for your service.
BTL
Jed said,
January 9, 2008 @ 4:21 am
Dear Sir
I find your “memo to the Royal Navy” frankly insulting. I as an ex-RN sailor, who spent most of his ten years service in the gulf, I find your “we are braver / better than you are” posturing to be a little of target.
The incidents were not in the least bit similar. No RN vessel allowed itself to be boarded, the RN / RM boarding party in two rigid hull inflatable boats, armed only with assualt rifles were sorrounded by Revolutionary Guard boats toting heavy machine guns and RPG’s. Now I agree it was a travesty, the investigation was a white wash and the handling of the media was inept, but you simply can not compare it to this situation. As Peter has already noted, all western warships passing through the Straits normally do it at a ‘reduced action stations’ or ‘defence watches’ with guns manned etc. Mind you on a seperate point, I don’t think the average gunner on a .50 cal is going to have much chance of hitting a violently manourvering ’speed boat’ !