US Navy: Iranians Were Heartbeat Away From Being Blown Up
U.S.: Iranians 'Were a Heartbeat From Being Blown Up'
The standoff between three U.S. Navy ships and five Iranian speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz Sunday was one step away from turning violent.
"They were a heartbeat from being blown up," a Pentagon official, speaking of the Iranians, told ABC News.
According to the Navy intelligence report on the incident, the Iranians radioed, "I am coming at you. You will blow up in a couple of minutes."
The Navy ships radioed back, presumably transmitting a warning. All three ships also engaged in "evasive action," and according to senior Pentagon officials, the "prepare-to-fire" order had been given and the gun stations manned.
Pentagon officials today expressed surprise the Navy ships allowed at least one of the Iranian speedboats to get so close -- just 200 yards away -- without firing.
They say at least one of those speedboats boasted a machine gun, and all were behaving as if they were packed with explosives.
Pentagon Video
A Navy official told ABC News that while there have been similar incidents in the Gulf, Sunday's differed because of the "aggressive actions" taken by the Iranians.
"I've never seen a provocation like this is in international waters," another military official who has served for more than 25 years said.
The White House seconded that notion.
"We urge the Iranians to refrain from such provocative actions that could lead to dangerous incidents in the future," White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said.
Published reports cite the Iranian Foreign Ministry as confirming the incident but calling it "ordinary."
"Yesterday the Revolutionary Guard demonstrated their capacity to act irresponsibly and, in my estimation, well out of the ordinary norms of what we would expect," Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff said in response to Iran's account of Sunday's incident. "So hopefully, they've learned from this that we're serious."
Defense Secretary Robert Gates agreed, calling the tense standoff "troubling and a matter of real concern." He added, "This is a very volatile area, and the risk of an incident and of an incident escalating is real. I can't imagine what was on their minds."
Story Here
President Bush Remark's On Incident
Iran Seeks Confrontation in Gulf
Bush Strongly Warns Iran on Naval Clash
BUSH STRONGLY WARNS IRAN ON NAVAL CLASH...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is Iran completely Insane? Speedboats trying to take on the US Navy? What the hell are they thinking? I wonder if they know how close they were to being a target. Iran is just trying to provoke a War. I'm shocked those loons werent blasted out of the water. Watch these Lunatics on the Pentagon Video up above.
UPDATE:
U.S. Formally Protests Iranian Harassment Of Ships In Persian Gulf
The standoff between three U.S. Navy ships and five Iranian speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz Sunday was one step away from turning violent.
"They were a heartbeat from being blown up," a Pentagon official, speaking of the Iranians, told ABC News.
According to the Navy intelligence report on the incident, the Iranians radioed, "I am coming at you. You will blow up in a couple of minutes."
The Navy ships radioed back, presumably transmitting a warning. All three ships also engaged in "evasive action," and according to senior Pentagon officials, the "prepare-to-fire" order had been given and the gun stations manned.
Pentagon officials today expressed surprise the Navy ships allowed at least one of the Iranian speedboats to get so close -- just 200 yards away -- without firing.
They say at least one of those speedboats boasted a machine gun, and all were behaving as if they were packed with explosives.
A Navy official told ABC News that while there have been similar incidents in the Gulf, Sunday's differed because of the "aggressive actions" taken by the Iranians.
"I've never seen a provocation like this is in international waters," another military official who has served for more than 25 years said.
The White House seconded that notion.
"We urge the Iranians to refrain from such provocative actions that could lead to dangerous incidents in the future," White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said.
Published reports cite the Iranian Foreign Ministry as confirming the incident but calling it "ordinary."
"Yesterday the Revolutionary Guard demonstrated their capacity to act irresponsibly and, in my estimation, well out of the ordinary norms of what we would expect," Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff said in response to Iran's account of Sunday's incident. "So hopefully, they've learned from this that we're serious."
Defense Secretary Robert Gates agreed, calling the tense standoff "troubling and a matter of real concern." He added, "This is a very volatile area, and the risk of an incident and of an incident escalating is real. I can't imagine what was on their minds."
Story Here
President Bush Remark's On Incident
Iran Seeks Confrontation in Gulf
Bush Strongly Warns Iran on Naval Clash
BUSH STRONGLY WARNS IRAN ON NAVAL CLASH...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is Iran completely Insane? Speedboats trying to take on the US Navy? What the hell are they thinking? I wonder if they know how close they were to being a target. Iran is just trying to provoke a War. I'm shocked those loons werent blasted out of the water. Watch these Lunatics on the Pentagon Video up above.
UPDATE:
U.S. Formally Protests Iranian Harassment Of Ships In Persian Gulf
posted by Marie's Two Cents | 7:38 AM
34 Comments:
This Iran situation is soon coming to a head and if Bush is still in office they will be taken down.
If any of the GOP leaders besides Huckabee is in office, they will be taken down.
Heaven help us if the Dems get the White House when this erupts as it will. But on a brighter note, I still am convinced that the Dems will not win the Presidency!
This Iran situation is soon coming to a head and if Bush is still in office they will be taken down.
tlltct,
Could you please explain to me what is meant by "...they will be taken down?"
I may be wrong, but my understanding is that you expect Bush to destroy Iran--if that's what "taken down" means.
You're hoping the United States goes to war with Iran?
If that is the correct understanding, can you explain how we will do that?
Thanks.
PS. I'm surprised Thompson did so poorly in New Hampshire. He came in after Ron Paul and "others" with a very poor showing.
Is he staying in the race?
Ken,
I know damn well we arent going to halt our ships for those idiots to try to take US hostage! lol
The Iranians are extremely lucky they didnt get fired on, I heard the Navy had thier fingers on the triggers!
Joanne,
We were all shocked at the outcome of the Caucusus, but I wasnt really thinking Fred would do well in New Hampshire anyway.
I think he will do great in South Carolina that's his territory down there.
I havent heard anything about Fred dropping out.
I guess we both are in the same shape, neither one of us have a clear frontrunner yet!
This is something.
Joanne, my statement did not mean destroying Iran, but if this continues and the US whether a ship or another military entity is deliberatly attacked by Iran, they will suffer the consequences like Lybia did when reagan had enough of Kadaffi.
Iran cannot be allowed to act the bully especially against the US. It will not be an attck in defense by the US that will destroy the country but it will be a response that will show Iran e mean business and they had better back off and reconsider before it goes to the next level.
I agree with Ken,
They cant tell the Admiral of a US Navy ship "They are going to blow up in a few minutes", and taunt and taunt and not expect some kind of reprocussion from the US.
I have to give the Admiral in charge credit for not blowing them out of the water actually. He was calm and watchfull and was about to make his last decision on firing on those lunatics a second before they turned about and left the area.
You cant do that to ANYBODY!! in international waters.
They got lucky indeed.
LOL @ "Iran acting like a bully"...hahahaha...
Bush wants war with Iran so badly he can taste it.
I'm sure it will happen. If the neocons want it badly enough, they will create a situation like the Gulf of Tonkin.
Who's hosting the next "Shock and Awe" party???
Fed,
What is it with you, do you have me bookmarked or something?
LOL @ "Iran acting like a bully"...hahahaha...
Bush wants war with Iran so badly he can taste it.
I'm sure it will happen. If the neocons want it badly enough, they will create a situation like the Gulf of Tonkin.
Who's hosting the next "Shock and Awe" party???
My God!
I post the Video, the story, the Sound from the event itself and you still think it's America's fault!
That's one thing I wont put up with is blameing America when the evidence is placed right in your face!
Yeah Bush want's a war with Iran so badly he sent speedboats from Iran to taunt and threaten our US Navy!
Wow! I never knew Bush could do so many things from so many places.
I have to give the Admiral Credit for NOT blowing those assholes out of the water!
I mean if I was at the controls and an Iranian speedboat was taunting me like that, and said in English mind you "You will blow up in a few minutes" I would have blown the idiot right out of the water.
Do you honestly think the US Navy is going to halt for Iranian speedboats and let them board and take our people hostage like they did the Britains?
Or did you forget about that?
The Iranians are trying to provoke a war any way they can and the Admiral of that ship should be looked upon as a hero, waiting to see if those idiots were for real, having thier fingers on the triggers, and opting for the option of not blowing them out of the water once they turned about.
That's what pisses me off about you blame America first idiots, it's alway's America's fault when we get attacked, threatened, Bombed, etc...
It's pure suicide to mess with the US Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
They were in International waters and you cant play like that with ANYBODY! Crossing through International waters.
America isnt going to take this shit and it's about time we act like it!
Oh by the way, the Gulf Of Tonkin NEVER happened!
Gulf Of Tonkin Never Happened
Referencing your last comment, well said, Marie, and ditto!
Those idiots should be thanking their lucky stars they are still on the planet. The only reason are is probably because it was detected that they had no guns. If they had, this would have been a completely different story.
Ken's right too, and like you, I'm sick of the blame America crowd. Wish they would leave the country since they seem to hate it so much!
marie little girl you have a real attitude problem and need to be spanked
This comment has been removed by the author.
The libs would rather us get hit first than pre-empt. They would rather have thousands of Americans die, ALL CASUALTIES/CIVILIANS..
They WON'T pre-emptively attack due to the fact that there may be some civilian casualties even though since we pre-empted in Iraq, we have gotten more alqaeda than BILLARY ever did while he was in office. Bill was too busy with the interns to do anything more serious than bomb an aspirin factory in his lame attempt to get the terrorists.
So now the libs want to elect Hillary so we can get another taste of 9/11. Anywone that thinks this way needs serious help.
Iran..a timebomb Marie!!
A dicey situation to be sure, but there are also more encouraging signs to be seen coming out of Teheran these days.
You all make it seem as if the Iranian speed boats were cruising Lake Michigan. They were off the coast of their own country! Imagine if Spain were to send ships to cruise up and down the Atlantic coast. Everyone cool with that? No, why not? And if we send ships out to greet them, is that "provocative"?
All Iran is doing is playing us for blood-thirsty fools. Our reaction to their taunting is making us look like a bigger bully. Right now, we are the only country on the face of the planet that likes us!
Just face it, Bush wants war and he'll probably get it. He said that one day after war plan discussions on Iraq. He slapped Rummler on the back and said, "Wanna do Iran next?"
So you all didn't want to buy the NIE that Iran has stopped its nuclear weapons program but you're going to buy that 5 unarmed speed boats were going to board American navy gunships....just so I'm clear?
Bush knows that he got away with one in Iraq on faulty intelligence that everyone else bought. Since the NIE was announced, and boy was that a gloomy and sad day for the White House, he knows the only way to get another war going is to play victim.
And telling them that they're going to explode? LOL...honestly, when is the last time you read where a suicide bomber has announced that before detonating the bomb?
Don't you think they would have just done it?
Why not be like Rudy's foreign policy adviser and just pray for war with Iran before you retire at night?
And no, I don't believe in preemptive war. I believe in the rule of law, the United States Constitution, international laws regarding preemptive war and the principles laid out in the Geneva Convention. I believe in these because our forefathers believed in them and because to do so is noble and just. Not only for liberty and democracy, as if we have a monopoly on it, but for humanity and dignity: two things that every human being should able to experience.
I also believe that our military has the technology that if a missile were fired on the U.S. we would shoot it down and launch a full-scale attack on the country that perpetrated the initial attack in less than 60 minutes.
Too many of you believe that al-Qaeda is going to land in New Jersey on rowboats and within days have their rugs laying in the White House. Don't buy into the BS and the fear!
It would not and could not EVER happen! Citizens of this country would NEVER let that happen!
My God!
I dont know where to start.
Gayle,
Thank's.
I think they did have a gun visible on one of those speedboats Gayle.
I know Gayle we are all about sick to death of the blame America first crowd.
Anon,
Really! If you dont like my attitude, you know what you can do!
Rivka,
I dont know if the Iranians pull another stunt like this, the US Navy is going to have to insure thier safety and they will have to fire.
At least the World will see we didnt provoke anything, they did.
Angel,
Yes, and this timebomb is ticking.
Phillip,
That is encouraging somewhat.
If the Ayatollah's think Akmenutjob is out of control than maybe they will rein his idiot ass in.
Fed,
The Iranians and the US Navy were in International waters.
You just cant provoke anyones Navy like that just because "You Feel Like It"!
We dont have other countries ships floating off our coasts without permission.
You dont know alot about the Military do you?
Or the rule of law in International Waters?
Our Reaction?
We didnt have much of one! You cant call us a bunch of bullies you idiot, we didnt provoke them, and we didnt fire on them though we had the right to.
We are the only Country that likes us? Oh you are so misinformed. The French President sure seems to like it here, so does Germany, Spain, Austrailia, the entire Coalition, boy you need to catch up.
That is really stupid of you to blame this incident on Bush, Iranians provoke our Navy and you blame Bush, that's fantastic.
I thought you may be someone who I or someone else could have a decent debate with but you are just a rabid dog like all the Ron Paul supporters.
The thing I find fascinating about the blame Bush folks is their ability to claim GW is an idiot and an evil genius in the same breath and with a straight face. They just don't get the dichotomy, the irony, or the joke.
The Navy reaction to the Iranians coming too close to our ships is tactically correct thing to do. The Gulf of Hormuz is International waters and a large portion of the world's oil supply goes through those waters. The Iranians have Chinese made silkworm anti ship missiles targeting our ships and if those little boats provoked us to sink them the Iranians would fire those missiles at our ships.
The reactions that the federalist guy has are typical of the appeasement class. They believe if we just leave the situation up to someone else the situation will take care of itself. Nothing could be further from the truth. Appeasers have always been losers and then the oppressed.
The American Navy since it's very beginning has been there to keep the shipping lanes open for free trade with our country and we will fight and destroy anyone that attacks us. A preemptive strike is necessary to take out those silkworm missile sites and you will in the near future see the Iranians provoke but we will wait for the right set of circumstances to take down their ability to make effective strikes against us. We are always in our rights to make preemptive strikes to protect our assets no matter what appeaser peacers think.
On one hand this is comical but on the other hand it's really tragic.
I've never seen so many people get so excited about the prospect of war.
Every country should have the right to preemptive war, right?
You've got to be kidding me with your link to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, right?
That about it sums it up.
Indigo,
I guess they dont. If they slip on a Banana peel, oops, it's President Bush fault!
By God Bush is responsible for everything!
Jenn,
You being a Navy Vet, I waiting for you're response to this :-)
I can alway's count on you to fill me in on what's going on with the Military.
Those speedboat's the Iranians are driving in the video can hold a silkworm missle?
Damn I thought they were only manned with machine guns.
Federalist,
Oh why dont we just say President Bush was piloting one of the speedboats and call it a day!
Marie, the federalist guy has no understanding of America and our history. We have never been pacifists that will let anyone just run over our rights to free trading and commerce. He is one of those that live in a Utopian and make believe world. He thinks if we are nice to the Iranians they will be nice to us.
This is what a generation of ill informed and pacifist elites are teaching young Americans and freedom will be put on the back burner in favor of loss of sovereignty readily handed over to a one world oppressive government just like Strobe Talbot has predicted in his new book.
We all know what backward thinking this is and liberals like your new visitor wait with baited breath for that to happen. They have been brainwashed by an education system that favors handing their rights over to an all powerful government and they will taken care of from cradle to grave.
Oops I almost forgot. No, those boats can't hold silkworm missiles Marie. They are a land based anti ship missile system created by the Chinese. If we were to have sunk or attacked those small boats then the Iranians back on shore could have fired the silkworms at our ships. They probably wouldn't be successful at damaging our ships but it would start an live ammo exchange ending up with us destroying those missile sites. They need to wait and have everything in position and not just respond to an attack. Those missiles are a threat to international shipping but would only serve to draw fire and destruction from American naval forces. I'm all up for attcking and destroying Iranian war m,aking capabilities. the sooner we put them on their knees the better. F--k Iran and f--k Iranians. Federalist never met or saw hezbollah.
Jenn,
Thank's for explaining all that to me.
This Federalist guy just wont leave me alone about Bush I swear I think he's suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome.
Anyway, I was wondering where on earth would those little speedboats put a silkworm missile lol
So what's your take on why? Why this stupidityin International waters?
What were they trying to do in your estimation? Draw us into a battle?
Draw us into WW3?
I just cant understand what on earth they were thinking taking on the US Navy! That's suicide!
ABC News
By MARTHA RADDATZ and JONATHAN KARL
Jan. 10, 2008
Just two days after the U.S. Navy released the eerie video of Iranian speedboats swarming around American warships, which featured a chilling threat in English, the Navy is saying that the voice on the tape could have come from the shore or from another ship.
U.S. Navy Face-Off with IranThe near-clash occurred over the weekend in the Strait of Hormuz. On the U.S.-released recording, a voice can be heard saying to the Americans, "I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes."
The Navy never said specifically where the voices came from, but many were left with the impression they had come from the speedboats because of the way the Navy footage was edited.
Today, the spokesperson for the U.S. admiral in charge of the Fifth Fleet clarified to ABC News that the threat may have come from the Iranian boats, or it may have come from somewhere else.
We're saying that we cannot make a direct connection to the boats there," said the spokesperson.
Great. Let's start WWIII over not knowing where "the voices" are coming from.
Too many people are too eager to start another war. And the gullible media are too quick to report misinformation.
Joanne,
That's quite a coincidence dont you think?
The US Navy talking to ships in the area and pick up some voice from somewhere else on a Naval Frequency? Yeah
And if the US was that anxious to start WW3 (Of course it couldnt possibly be the Iranians they are so damn innocent)the Navy would have blown them out of the water!
Oh sure it's us that want to start World War III, it couldnt possibly be Radical Islam, or the Nutball in Iran that say they want to blow up Israel and the US, keep pushing thier luck trying to make a Nuclear bomb, or those that attacked us on 9-11, NO it's us.
Hell it's alway's America isnt it?
So you are saying the United States Navy which I remember you telling me you had a relative in once, doesnt have the right to defend themselves?
No more blameing America, NO MORE!!
I don't blame America. America was hijacked by the necons, Bush is simply the empty head leading the charge.
It's pretty simple Marie.
www.newamericancentury.org
The neocons want an empire and they are doing everything to get it.
Damn! Does that me if we didn't have a heart, we would've have blown them to Allah and simultaneously vindicated the crew of the USS Cole and started the final push in the GWOT?
It really makes little difference if the Iranians made threatening remarks or not. Just the physical presence in such a close proximity in international waters is enough to spark an alert and call to general quarters. The US Navy has the best trained Captains and crews in the world and they acted properly by not firing upon the speed boats but if they get within so many yards of the ship they have every right to fire and defend themselves from attack. A boat about the same size as the ones we were looking at in the video did that damage to the USS Cole.
Joanne is right too about the American media not being able to report accurately because they have no working understanding of what a US Navy warship has to deal with in the open sea.
The hate America first crowd like your new visitor cannot possibly comment intelligently on these issues because of his visceral hate for America and Americans.
You couldn't be more wrong J_G. I don't hate America and certainly don't hate Americans.
Now, if you are translating my criticism of the current White House administration to hate for America and Americans, that's not only inaccurate, but it's naive, immature and intellectually irresponsible as well.
You really should stop repeating the talking points of O'Reilly, Rush and Hannity. I've read your blog and I believe that you are much more intelligent than that, as well as very creative.
I don't hate J_G. Hate is like drinking poison while hoping the other person dies.
Marie, I can only surmise that you let the Federalist's comments stay to help illustrate how out of touch people can be with how the real world operates.
And J_G, I'm glad you have the knowledge and time to comment the truth about the situation. I have too little patience to point out the obvious.
I'm no sea lawyer, but I was on a Guided Missile Destroyer in the Persian Gulf in '84 patrolling the international waters during the Iran-Iraq war and am somewhat aware of how these things work.
Why can't everyone understand that when provoked, warships can and will fire in international waters?
Seems simple enough.
That doesn't make us "war mongers". That makes us defenders of freedom against anyone who threatens that freedom.
We don't want war, but we understand that it is sometimes necessary.
Ignoring, cowering, putting flowers in gun barrels or trying to negotiate with terrorists are ignorant follies by ignorant people.
Hey Marie,
Thought I'd drop by from Virginia. You've got a party going on...
Ok, The USN was in international waters on Channel 16. This channel is like a CB channel. EVERYONE is on it.
If the Iranian Boghammer speedboats approach aggressively and do not turn when requested and then demanded, they will get fired upon as would an unarmed rowboat filled with little old ladies.
The Iranians do this all the time. If I was an Iranian sailor on those speedboats, hell, I'd tease the Americans too, knowing that, unless I was absolutely stupid, they would not fire on me. That said, the Iranians would LOVE to have us fire on us, thereby giving them a reason to fire landbased missiles at us, or worse, make us look bad in the press....just kidding.
Reports stated that the Boghammers acted aggressively and dropped boxes in the path of the ships. If true,THAT is an aggressive act.
The first video released did not show a tense Navy bridge. They were NOT at General Quarters, what you would know as battle stations. If the USN was ready to fire, that was not visible in the first video. I have not seen the full release.
This did not show aggression by the US. The President's reaction was appropriate in that Iran is a hostile nation. If those boats acted aggressively, then the President was right. It is up to the responder to decide if an approaching vessel is hostile, not the "aggressor." It is duty of every Navy not to appear aggressive. There are internationally recognized "rules of the road" that are to be followed.
An no, the Iranians do not have the authority to interfere with traffic in the straits or demand ID.
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