Pentagon says ships harassed by Iran

[BiffSplitkins]

---Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Hosseini played down the incident, suggesting it was an issue of mistaken identity.---

Is this the way Iranians ALWAYS act in international waters? Mistaken identity or not you still don't radio another boat and tell them they are going to 'blow up now'.

We should have just blown them out of the water.

[Moon Monkey]

Nah, all casus belli went up in smoke... now we need a new one

If they were that desperate for a war they could have just blown the iranian boats out of the water at the first sign of a threat

[questionmark]

If they were that desperate for a war they could have just blown the iranian boats out of the water at the first sign of a threat

And if they would have had orders from the top to do it they would have. A Navy ship's commander's worst nightmare is to set off an international incident without authorization from the top brass. That is unbecoming to one's career...

[stevewinn]

And if they would have had orders from the top to do it they would have. A Navy ship's commander's worst nightmare is to set off an international incident without authorization from the top brass. That is unbecoming to one's career...

removed, changed my mind and had nothing to do with the topic,

Edited January 7, 2008 by stevewinn

[Stellar]

All of a sudden it is acknowledged that they have stopped their enrichment programme,so we cant use that as a excuse to go kick butt so instead all of a sudden all these little reasons keep popping up.

Perhaps the Iranians are viewing that fact as a reason for why they can be more aggressive now. Now that the US lacks that reason to use against Iran, Iran probably feels free to push the envelope a bit more...

[chaoszerg]

Perhaps the Iranians are viewing that fact as a reason for why they can be more aggressive now. Now that the US lacks that reason to use against Iran, Iran probably feels free to push the envelope a bit more...

To me they are a Bull and a matador.

You have Iran as a matador waving that cloth to enrage the Bull and then the Bull ( USA) charges.

[Unlimited]

To me they are a Bull and a matador.

You have Iran as a matador waving that cloth to enrage the Bull and then the Bull ( USA) charges.

I think the bulls been gelded...i would have blown them away...

[zitro1987]

Iran should fear the U.S.

And the U.S. should stay away from there! We're only provoking them.

[SnakeProphet]

Perhaps the Iranians are viewing that fact as a reason for why they can be more aggressive now. Now that the US lacks that reason to use against Iran, Iran probably feels free to push the envelope a bit more...

Considering how the US has pushed the envelope almost to the edge, you really can't blame Iran.

[odas]

I think the bulls been gelded...i would have blown them away...

And I think the politic of both countries is pure Bull****.

[chaoszerg]

To be honest they are just trying to kick sand in each others eyes until one snaps.

[Stellar]

Considering how the US has pushed the envelope almost to the edge, you really can't blame Iran.

Hmm... if the US were to push the envelope to the edge, and Iran knowinglypushes it beyond the edge, who would you say wants war more?

[louie]

Looks like the americans are starting scare storys to jump start the war. did it even happen the boat conflict that kick started the vietnam war dident even happen it was false information to get the people on the govts side.

is anyone else tired of the american govt being at war with everyone.

[Unlimited]

is anyone else tired of the american govt being at war with everyone.

It sounds like Irans trying to start ww3...i bet there was a chinese sub there or 2....

[Xenojjin]

In whose waters were the Iranian ships?

The strait of Hormuz...intl waters.

If this is true then the Iranians did not have the right to do what they did. Otherwise - any country in the world would do the same to protect their integrity, or?

Monkeysphere

[SnakeProphet]

Hmm... if the US were to push the envelope to the edge, and Iran knowinglypushes it beyond the edge, who would you say wants war more?

Depends. They may have done so knowingly, but not necessarily intentionally. There's a reason this is being kept under the radar.

[Stardrive]

Looks like the americans are starting scare storys to jump start the war. did it even happen the boat conflict that kick started the vietnam war dident even happen it was false information to get the people on the govts side.

is anyone else tired of the american govt being at war with everyone.

You mean is the world tired of the american govt being the worlds janitor? Not half as tired as I am.

Check this out:

Germany is one of three European powers negotiating with Iran over Tehran's nuclear program. Germany has strongly opposed any alleged Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons but has adopted a softer tone in dealing with Iran's nuclear program than Britain and France.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, has shown a tougher stance toward Iran when she said in February 2006 that the world must act to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. Relations between Germany and Iran have traditionally been one of the closest between any western nation and Iran since its 1979 revolution.

Germany and Iran were once major trading partners but relations were frozen after a German court ruled in 1997 that the 1992 shooting deaths of four Iranian Kurdish dissidents in Berlin had been ordered at the highest levels in Tehran. Two men convicted of the 1992 assassination were released from prison last month.

The case of Helmut Hofer, a German businessman twice sentenced to death in Iran for a relationship with a 26-year-old Iranian medical student, further strained ties. Hofer was eventually acquitted and released from prison in 2000.

SOURCE

[gleefully hands mop and bucket to Germany, Britain, and France]

But that decision is not mine to make, nor anyone elses here.

[Killer Moth]

We havent had a big navy battle in a long time

[Stellar]

Depends. They may have done so knowingly, but not necessarily intentionally. There's a reason this is being kept under the radar.

How could they have done this knowingly and not intentionally? I dont see how this could have been accidental. It seems pretty intentional going up to US ships, dropping boxes infront of them and transmitting death threats to them.

[Stardrive]

Instead of feeling the wrath of sanctions from the EU, which in turn would cause civil unrest, they seem to be opting to take their chances with starting a war with the great satan.

Yeah, they know exactly what they are doing.

Edited January 8, 2008 by Stardrive

[Lord Umbarger]

Germany has strongly opposed any alleged Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons but has adopted a softer tone in dealing with Iran's nuclear program than Britain and France.

Having already lost two wars within a hundred years, maybe they jsut aren't interested in getting into another one? Besides, Germany really doesn't have the ability ot project power like the U.K. and France.

I think the Iranians were just seeing how far they could go. Maybe even testing our responce to provocation.

Also, in many of the Amer-Indian cultures, it was considered braver to sneak up on an enemy and touch him then run away than to go up and outright kill him. I don't know why. Nevertheless, it was called "Counting Coo". Maybe the Iranians are doing the same thing?

[Q24]

As with the British sailors who were detained, I would question what the US Navy thinks its business is patrolling so close to Iran's territory...

I can certainly see why the Iranian forces are a little edgy, and the US don't seem to be helping ease tensions.

[Stellar]

I can certainly see why the Iranian forces are a little edgy, and the US don't seem to be helping ease tensions.

No no no, that is simply wrong. This situation has nothing to do with Iranian forces being "edgy". In this situation, it was the US forces that were "edgy" after being subject to those maneuvers and the threats. Iran's actions, if true, make them clearly the aggressor, rather than the defensive party.

[Purplos]

From what I understand, they were on their way in the Persian Gulf. Iraq's up there, ya know.

[KingTomis]

Everyone's favorite Ronald Reagan said it best, "History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap."

The Iranians are lucky that most every ship captain is too scared sh**less to start a war over overaggressive maneuvers by fast boats, but you never know.

You can bet that the SCAT team team was itching to pull their triggers.

Sure is a shame if iran starts a war because the religious leaders want to start stupid sh** as a show of force. the younger generation is so full of hope not to mention Persian girls are hott.