Recordings show Iran-US clash in Gulf

[darrels joy]

Our sailors remember the Cole.

They are ready.

To quote a from GunnerCarvo email

That's why I was standing in the sun for hours at a time over there.

There are reasons I'm good at my job. I made a promise to come home with no missing parts or extra holes. I succeeded.

Joy

[reconeil]

Boats,
Agree with you and sensible others 100%.

Whereas, and whether on land or sea, I TOTALLY disagree with
obviously politically-correct, enemy helpful, self-defeating and/or suicidal:
"Rules of Engagement", which are stupidly & daily dictated on The U.S. Military.

Besides,........................................
Only FOOLS always give an avowed murderous enemy The Benefit of Doubt.
Only FOOLS would permit a known hostile force so close to their positions,...
without firing nary a shot to destroy same enemy & PROTECT their personnel.

Am I wrong?

Neil

[82Rigger]

Just finished watching the video of this incident.

If the US Government is going to "sell" this incident to the world as legitimate, they're going to have to come up with better video than that.

Those fast boats are never shown in the same film frame as the US warships.
They could be darting around on Lake Michigan for all anybody can tell.

If this film was taken aboard one of the US warships, why can't we see parts of the warship in the foreground of the video?

According to the US report the three US ships involved were USS Port Royal, the destroyer USS Hopper and the frigate USS Ingraham.

In one section of this film we see all three ships deployed in a straight line, one in front of the other.

So, if we're seeing ALL THREE ships in the same film frame, then who was doing the filming?

The audio is "spliced in" to the video according to the report. What?
The Navy doesn't have video cams with audio capability?

If this happened, then LET'S SEE THE VIDEO.

And if it DID happen, then next time blow them out of the water.

The video is on ABC News for those interested and is by now probably on Youtube.

[David]

AP


TEHRAN, Iran - Iran accused the United States on Wednesday of fabricating video and audio released by the Pentagon showing Iranian boats confronting U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf.

The video from Sunday's incident shows small Iranian boats swarming around U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz. In the recording, a man speaking in heavily accented English threatened, "I am coming to you. ... You will explode after ... minutes."

"The footage released by the U.S. Navy was compiled using file pictures and the audio has been fabricated," an official in Iran's Revolutionary Guards was quoted as saying by the state-run English-language channel Press TV.

State TV did not give the name of the Revolutionary Guard official and did not offer more details about how the official knew the footage was "fabricated."

U.S. Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said the "allegation is absurd, factually incorrect and reflects the lack of seriousness with which they take this serious incident."

National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley warned Iran against more confrontations.

"This is a provocative act — not a smart thing to do, and they are going to have to take responsibility for the consequences, if they do it again," Hadley told reporters aboard Air Force One as President Bush flew from Washington to Israel.

He added that his comments should not be seen as a threat.

Whitman said it was "fortunate that we did not have to escalate to the use of force, but as always, we are prepared to if our vessels are threatened in international waters."

In the four-minute, 20-second video released Tuesday, the Iranian boats appeared to ignore repeated warnings from the U.S. ships, including horn blasts and radio transmissions. The video was shot from the bridge of the destroyer USS Hopper.

After spotting the approaching Iranian boats, a Navy crew member on the Hopper says over the radio: "This is coalition warship. I am engaged in transit passage in accordance with international law. Intend no harm."

The audio and video recordings were made separately but were pulled together by the Navy. Often uneven and shaky, the video condenses what Navy officials have said was a confrontation of about 20 minutes.

The Iranian fleet of high-speed boats charged the U.S. warships and threatened to blow up the Navy convoy as it passed near but outside Iranian waters, according to Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, the top Navy commander in the Gulf. The Iranian fleet "maneuvered aggressively" and fled as the American ship commanders were preparing to open fire, he said. No shots were fired.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards has said that its high-speed boats never threatened the U.S. vessels during the encounter, insisting it only asked them to identify themselves, then let them continue into the Gulf.

Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar called Western news reports that the boats threatened to blow up the U.S. warships "mischief."

"(Iranian) navy units ... asked them to identify themselves. They responded accordingly and continued their path," the official IRNA news agency quoted Najjar as saying.

He said the encounter was normal.

"The identification of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian navy units is a natural occurrence," IRNA quoted Najjar as saying. "Islamic Republic of Iran navy units always put questions to passing vessels and warships at the Strait of Hormuz and they need to identify themselves. This is in accordance with the normal procedures."

Cosgriff, the commander of U.S. 5th Fleet, which patrols the Gulf and is based in nearby Bahrain, said the American vessels, which were clearly marked, had been identified by Iranian authorities earlier in the day.

The confrontation was an unusual flare-up of U.S.-Iranian tensions in the Persian Gulf as Bush prepared for his eight-day Mideast trip, designed in part to counter Iran's influence in the region. Bush, who arrived in Israel on Wednesday, is expected to discuss the U.S. stance toward Iran with Arab allies that are also worried about Tehran's desire for greater regional power.

Many Arab countries fear the Iranian-American rivalry could erupt into a military confrontation that would put them in the crossfire and hurt vital oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

[Boats]

The idea of a mock charge will someday prove fatile once again. I would have fired a couple warning shots in close proximity to make the point pefectly clear. If they advanced I would also pop a few shots a little closer. Another provactive move and they would have been history - regardless of the circumstances.

They must know we mean business otherwise they will do us harm - they are all in a big hurry to visit Ala - I would help them along to meet their maker for sure. This cat and mouse game is gonna cost us more and more - hardball is all they understand.

[Tamaroa]

As a historical point of reference, because I'm sure its different now, the rules of engagement with enemy vessels were a bit different in my day. I was on the gun crew of the USCGC TAMAROA in 1967-68. We were in constant close contact with Communist Bloc fishing vessels who routinely disobeyed the then current fishing treaties. On more than one occasion, we went to general guarters to "persuade" a violator to move. On two separate incidents, when we did use fire power the Captain radioed the district who requested permission from the State Department to open fire.

I'm sure things are different now, but, I remember then thinking what a crock!!

Bill

[DeadlyDaring]

Originally Posted by SuperScout

an alleged USAF airplane would fire an air-to-air missle at a surface ship? If so, this has to be the most covered-up screw-up of the war, and maybe a munitions miracle.

It's not a coverup, it's a commonly known fact... just do a search on HMAS HOBART and you will see that there are many facts on this subject. Oh! and also the USAF made many MISTAKES in the 11 years of Vietnam... remember it's been about 45 years ago since the Viet War started Your own airforce fired many atimes at your own ships and troops during the conflict

[Tamaroa]

The USAF also bombed another Coast Guard Patrol boat in Nam. The CGC Point Welcome. Check out this site. there were casualties here as well.

http://www.aug.edu/~libwrw/ptwelcome/PointWelcome2.html

Bill

[SuperScout]

From fficial Australian Navy file....

Hobart also operated extensively in the Coral Sea area, covering the Allies' vital south Pacific supply lines and protecting New Guinea from enemy surface threats. While steaming west of the New Hebrides on 20 July 1943, in company with the heavy cruiser Australia and three U.S. Navy destroyers, she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Her after hull was seriously damaged, necessitating prolonged repairs at Sydney that kept her out of service until December 1944. During the rest of World War II, Hobart served in the Philippines and East Indies, taking part in amphibious landings at Cebu in March 1945 and Borneo in April-July. When Japan surrendered on 2 September 1945, she was part of the fleet anchored in Tokyo Bay to witness the event.

Following the end of hostilities Hobart participated in the occupation of Japan, a duty that continued on and off for two years. She was decommissioned in December 1947 and placed in reserve. In 1953, she began conversion and modernization to prepare her for service as the Royal Australian Navy's training cruiser. However, this mission was cancelled in 1956, and she was returned to reserve. HMAS Hobart was sold for scrapping in February 1962 and was subsequently broken up in Japan.

.... Now, tell us again about that USAF attack on the Hobart....

.... And tell us how a USAF aircraft reconfigures an air-to-air missle to hit a surface ship...

[Jerry D]

GunnerCarvo for his dilagence and service