US Navy Fired Warning at Iranian Craft

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- 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.

(snip)
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.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080111/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_us_navy_64

[Renew Deal]

1. No, YOU will explode!

:nuke:

[jasmine621]

2. I think I need to post this here. Theory on where the voice came from

My theory: That voice saying "we are coming closer...you will blow up" came the US sailors. Probably on of their interpretors. We know that the US had admitted to being ready to fire their missiles or guns, they said so. It was the warning being given by the US. It didn't come from the Iranian. (You can nominate me for Nobel Peace Prize next year)

[Squatch]

11. I haven't heard the recording, but I have a question...

when you hear the mysterious guy utter that threat, immediately preceding that was there a beep? Can you tell me if you hear BEEP..."we are coming closer, you will blow up"?

[mithnanthy]

16. Call me nuts....

but.....that voice on the recording saying "we are coming closer...you will blow up"...sounded JUST LIKE Henry Kissinger's voice trying to disguise it! Check it out if you hear the recording again. I seem to have good recogition of voices.(In the past, I have identified an arsonist, who called in his warning by phone,to a nightclub and was on an answering machine, threatening to distroy the club. The police had all employees listen to the recording to see if they recognized the somewhat disguised voice. I recognized it and it ended up being the owner's partner. OK..just call me, Gagatha Christie.

[knitter4democracy]

17. I thought the exact same thing!

Same undertones and inflections. Weird.

[mithnanthy]

19. Thank You, knitter4democracy...

It sounds like Kissinger to me! They could completely trust him to do such a thing, too!

[SKKY]

21. The chances of Farsi linguists being on this ship...

...is highly, highly unlikely. Unless they were doing something particular, which simply transiting the straits wouldn't qualify for. The Navy doesn't have enough farsi linguists to be on every ship in the IO/Red Sea/PG. Not a very likely scenario.

[Ohio Man]

3. If we have to be there

If we have to be there we have to keep ourselves safe. I have no problem fire a warning shot. If they keep coming then sink one.

[Adsos Letter]

4. Welcome to DU...

:hi:

[anakie]

6. funny thing is

you don't have to be there. The Persian Gulf is a long way from America.


Peace

[ohio2007]

12. 1988 it didn't take much for the Iranian speed boats to push both sides

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0c9_1193796699

Never mind what happened to the USS Roberts or Vincennes operating in the Iran/Iraq war zone in previous weeks and months

but others in the area are concerned about issues from one year ago that went ignored in the US MSM
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fb399bced7

[Tempest]

5. Their first story was shown to be a lie, so now it's warning shots were fired

They are trying way too hard to get their war on with Iran.

[Pavulon]

7. We have a long history with Iran

and small boats. Sinking them does not start a war. It would make them mad. Starting a war would be much easier than what we are doing now. Cross border moves from Iraq would take care of that.

This is typical cold war stuff.

[NFL80]

8. Not the same story...

It appears they are two different incidents.

[struggle4progress]

10. US reveals new Iran 'incidents' (BBC)

Iranian speedboats approached US warships in two previously undisclosed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz in December, a US Navy official has said.

The USS Whidbey Island fired warning shots during one of the encounters on 19 December, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

He also described a third stand-off on 6 January - that sparked US protests - as the most serious incident.

Iran has accused the US of faking its video of the most recent encounter ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7184400.stm

[ohio2007]

13. The Brits know about incidents with Iran. So do the Aussies

Just a couple weeks before the Brits were taken in the waterway between Iraq and Iran, the Australians were also tested but not taken

[Mithreal]

9. Unintended conflict, really? The US intends this conflict

Warning shots are better than war, of course, but if you don't see the US as a bully now, you never will.

[thebrandnewcrow]

15. Huh?

The United States was the "bully"?

I saw 3-5 little speedboats taunting US warships in international waters. Was there a reason they needed to be circling our ships?

[Mithreal]

22. You're kidding right?

[Acadia Blue]

14. GWB wants a war so a repig will get elected.

[knitter4democracy]

18. Since my aunt and uncle live on Whidbey Island, it's weird to read this.

The Whidbey Island fired? That's so weird. They name boats after base homes now?

[hack89]

20. Whidbey Island, San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Norfolk

all bases, all ship names

[knitter4democracy]

23. Huh. I just never thought of it, I guess.

Norfolk's a shipyard, so I guess I thought they were naming them after shipyards. The Pearl Harbor was a battle, so I thought maybe that was it. I learn something new every day here. Thanks!

With family in the Navy, you'd think I would know this stuff.