Iran Seizes 2 US Navy Boats, Crewmen For "Illegally Entering Iranian Waters"
Update: Iran plans to return the crewmen to a ship from the USS Truman carrier strike group on Wednesday.
JUST IN: Plans are in place for Iran to return U.S. sailors to U.S. Navy Wed. morning, gulf time, US defense official says - Reuters
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) January 13, 2016
JUST IN: #Iran to return detained #US sailors to a ship from USS Truman carrier strike group: US defence official
— The Straits Times (@STcom) January 13, 2016
So we suppose we can just call the sailors "State of the Union hostages". The rationale for waiting until tomorrow (i.e. until after Obama's speech): it's safer to carry out the exchange in daylight, according to an unnamed US official.
In short, the Ayatollah has just pulled off one epic publicity stunt.
* * *
Tensions were already running high between Tehran and Washington in the wake of Iran's move to test-fire a next generation surface-to-surface ballistic missile with the range to hit Israel.
And then the IRGC conducted a live-fire rocket test within 1,500 yards of a US aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz.
Now, in a further escalation, Iran has reportedly seized two US Navy ships.
- 2 U.S. NAVY BOATS IN IRANIAN CUSTODY, PENTAGON SAYS: AP
- RHODES SAYS U.S. WORKING ON RETURN OF CREW
- RHODES SAYS U.S. WORKING TO RESOLV
But nobody panic, because Iran has promised to return the crew "promptly" and as CNN adds, according to Iran the sailors are safe:
.@PressSec: "We have received assurances from the Iranians that our sailors are safe" https://t.co/GV9hdWZy3P https://t.co/1ioOtqYVH4
— CNN (@CNN) January 12, 2016
That appears to contradict a statement from Fars which says the US has "repeated" calls for the crew's release.
AP writes that the Pentagon says it briefly lost contact with two small Navy craft in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday but has received assurances from Iran that the crew and vessels will be returned safely and promptly.
Pentagon says these photos show examples of the type of craft involved in Iran incident pic.twitter.com/47ClLilOZK
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 12, 2016
"Riverine command boats or RCBs, are actually Swedish CB-90s and are a type of fast attack craft," WaPo notes, adding that "in a number of pictures released by the U.S. Navy, the boats are outfitted with a number of light, medium and heavy weapons including .50 caliber heavy machine guns and GAU-19 miniguns."
"RCB’s can carry contingents of infantry and special operation forces and are often crewed by sailors in Riverine squadrons, known by some as River Rats," WaPo continues. "The riverine force came of age in the Vietnam War in what was then known as the Brown Water Navy. In the 1960s and early 1970s boats such as Patrol Boat, River (from ‘Apocalypse Now’ fame) and Swift Boats were the River Rats vessels of choice."
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook tells The Associated Press that the boats were moving between Kuwait and Bahrain when the US lost contact with them.
Cook says, "We have been in contact with Iran and have received assurances that the crew and the vessels will be returned promptly."
The crews, which total 10 Navy sailors, are being held at Farsi Island, a highly restricted island between Bahrain and Kuwait, where Iran has a naval base. US officials are saying it is unclear how the crew members ended up in Iranian waters, though Secretary of State John Kerry has kept phone contact with Iranian officials in Tehran, urging for a release. A senior official told NBC News the Iranians understand a mistake was made and have agreed to a release to come in hours.
According to AP, an anonymous senior official says Kerry "personally engaged with” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to work out a solution almost immediately upon hearing of the development around 12:30 pm EST.
Josh Earnest, the White House spokesperson, said the sailors will be released "promptly" and " allowed to continue their journey."
The international incident comes on the day President Obama will give his final State of the Union speech of his tenure. Obama's political opponents are capitalizing on the timing, especially since the International Spectator, citing Iran Revolutionary Guard, reports that "seized US sailors will not be released tonight or before State of the Union address."
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) told CNN, "senior members of Barack Obama's administration are apologizing for Iran seizing two US Navy vessels and holding 10 sailors hostage. The White House tonight is a hot bed of cold feet."
Presidential candidates Dr. Ben Carson and Jeb Bush have taken to Twitter to criticize Obama's reaction. Bush called for "no more bargaining" and an immediate return home for the sailors, whereas Carson took a shot at Obama's "preparing to talk about his so called 'accomplishments'" in reference to tonight's national address.
If our sailors aren’t coming home yet, they need to be now. No more bargaining. Obama’s humiliatingly weak Iran policy is exposed again.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) January 12, 2016
BREAKING: While POTUS is preparing to talk about his so called "accomplishments", 10 of our American sailors are being held by #Iran.
— Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) January 12, 2016
This marks the second time in as many weeks that the President's "soft" policy on Iran has come under fire. Following the abovementioned rocket incident GOP lawmakers called for fresh sanctions on Tehran in connection with two ballistic missile launches in October and November. The White House was apparently prepared to announce a new set of measures aimed at around a dozen individuals and companies but at the last minute, the administration backed out. Obama's cold feet came after President Rouhani ordered the defense ministry to accelerate the country's ballistic missile program in the event new sanctions were put in place.
Meanwhile, according to Iran's version of today's events, Fars News agency says US sailors picked up by Revolutionary Guard Corps, from hardline camp who are opposed to the nuclear deal. Fars adds that the sailors were detained for illegally and "intentionally" entering Iranian waters even though they knew the area well. Tehran also contends the US ships were having "technical difficulties."
Fars News says IRGC detained 10 US military personnel in 2 boats for illegally entering Iranian waters in Gulf https://t.co/daqeCflOrM
— Borzou Daragahi (@borzou) January 12, 2016
Fars says US sailors know area, carrying GPS, intentionally entered Iran's territorial waters
— Sobhan Hassanvand (@Hassanvand) January 12, 2016
Fars: Both US boats "illegally" entered 2 km into Iranian waters, and IRGC confirms this info on their GPS record. https://t.co/V266Fsx42h
— FDD's Iran Project (@FDD_Iran) January 12, 2016
Just in: Iran's Fars news agency says 10 US sailors held include one woman
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) January 12, 2016
#Iran Questions:
- Kuwait to Bahrain is 300 nautical miles. Why were US sailors traveling by small boats? Joy ride? https://t.co/xmRCY6Or36
— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) January 13, 2016
And here is the full Fars statement, google translated:
According to defense Fars News Agency, Iranian Revolutionary Guards 10 US military with two boats illegally entered Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf had been detained.
According to the information received by the Fars news agency every American boat is equipped with 3 machine guns caliber 50 (one in front and two on the sides of the float).
The two vessels illegally entered and patrolled about 2 km deep inside Iranian waters, and the information recorded on their GPS device and is now in the hands of Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
The military said among the arrested were 9 men and one woman. They carried heavy weapons in their vessels.
US officials repeated calls for the release of prisoners will continue with Tehran.
So, they are prisoners, and unlike the White House tried to spin it, guests of honor?
Ironically, earlier we asked:
Is Iran going to wait until the end of the SOTU address before returning the 10 sailors?
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 12, 2016
We now have the answer:
BREAKING: Iranian Revolutionary Guards official says seized US sailors will not be released tonight or before State of the Union address.
— The Int'l Spectator (@intlspectator) January 12, 2016
(23 votes)
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GOD DAMN ALL THOSE MUZZIES AND THEIR LIBERAL BRETHREN!!
I'm sure we were up to something nefarius!!
nefarious ...
flagrantly wicked or impious : evil
Iran needs to search the area for mines and other false flag type devices that may have been left by zio spies
America's masters: http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/neocon-watch/2016/january/11/sen-to...
Congress is filled with traitors
Will Barry start CRYING?....
Hashtag Bring Back Our Boys!
They are not boys or girls. They are men and women. The know war. Record numbers of them come home. That is why DHS buy so many bullets to protect the career politicians and banksters who ruined those young lives at home and abroad.
The newly developed teleprompter has a micro tear squirter; they are still trying to develop it so it can shoot tears in both eyes at the same time. The prototype may be used tonight on the State of the Union, which should be renamed to "Death of Our Unity".
Unfortunately, there are guns involved so that little bitch just might.
Release the cracked (Mccain, Reid, Nancy) on them!
Fort Sumpter anyone....and ya, keep sending military personnel into other sovereign territory and be "shocked" when they're detained...
They thought it was the Spratleys...innocent victims of USSA high skool history or was it geography?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spratleys_Japs
This is good -iran should not give them back, but should use them in the war against Isis. We can't or won't do it -they will. I trust iran to fight terrorism a hell of a lot more than our military -which is under the control of those who created and funded Isis.
Technical difficulties? Lost contact? Sounds like the Iranians hit both ships with the Russian/Klingon "disruptor beam". (And yes - it's real!)
Kerrching. Electronic warfare.
CONgriss critters should be hung for high treason, serving the MIC first, and sacrificing our troops.
End the Fed which funds the lies and wars contrary to the Constitution.
Honestly, I got lost in that general area in a helicopter in 1991. But the oil fields were on fire, flying VFR the ceilings were looow and vis was maybe 1/4 mile, and all tacans and beacons were off, for whatever fucking reason. Some guy comes up on our freq with a texas/oklahoma accent, say pardner, squawk ident turn left 050 . . . it was the fucking Iranians talking. But thanks for the heads up, I'm turning right 230 and shutting the transponder off, thanks much, pard.
I can't see this happening in 2016 with GPS.
Eyes and ears wide open. Stay safe, then kill the bastids who ruin the Constitution, metaphorically speaking ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92OBNsQgxU
We are born to live, and war must be sometimes, for our own; our kith and kin; none other.
You bring the sword, and let me bring the fire of insolvency to the haters. I will not let my children die under nazionist rule, and ruin the Constitutional Republic of my forbears, and yours, sister.
On the bright side, it's not as if they blew them out of the water for purportedly crossing into Turkish , I mean Iranian territory for 17 seconds.
Not sure what it will take to get those dudes to calm down a bit but they might try lap dances and medical marijuana.
it's a set up.. sacrificial lambs....
2km?
Well by NATO guidelines that'd make them fair game. Iran would have been perfectly within their rights to blow them out of the water within, 7 seconds? 17 seconds was it?
I don't think they were spying, sending two small surface vessels to do that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, at least to me.
if they wanted to see what's what they could have used satellites, drones or high altitude stealth aircraft and had a much greater chance of remaining inconspicuous. if they were going to send something in to have a look (or a listen) one would think it would be a submarine which, by virtue of it being under and not on the water, would have been better suited to remain unnoticed.
so maybe they did just break down and drift into the wrong part of town?
I think if this was a false flag the two boats and ten sailors would be in davey jones locker right now, the planners would have seen to that with or without Iranian involvement. giving Iran the opportunity to come out of this looking reasonable and cooperative isn't exactly going to spin up the war support.
also it probably would have been an aircraft carrier and not two small boats, the more sensational the better as it were.
btw does anybody know where the Enterprise is?
What a gift for the mullahs! Two boats simultaneously malfunction and drift, incommunicado, right to Iran! Mullahs hand Nikky Haley sharp plastic picnic fork to jab at Barry's velcro balls for fun right after SOTU address. The state of the union is STRONG! (fonzi jumping shark)
Send your complaint to CONgress which serves Israhell first, and demand to know why the world's most expensive military was caught off guard...with your tax dollars. Unless you are a .gov bureauRAt. In that case, you are to blame, and fuck off.
A third world nation can now detain US sailors without consequence.
If you like your groveling you can keep it.
The Third Worlders are too busy feeling up and raping those nubile blonde European gals while the german police hide in their stations. Why bother with a bunch of low iq, pimply, navy boys?
This is Barry's set-up to close Gitmo. He's going to trade all remaining residents for 10 sailors.
"What do I do to get the seamen back, Reggie?"
"You can't."
"No, the sailors on those pontoon party boats or whatever."
"You need to have Valerie call the Ayatollah and you will have to grovel and supplicate."
"OK, I do that really good with Muslim leaders! Get Val and the phone!"
Is Iran Moslem? Yes? Destroy them. Crusade against Islam everywhere! Retake North Africa, the Holy Land, and Persia for Christianity! Time for the rise of WISIS (Whites Intimidating Shitskins Into Submission).
The funny thing is Thick Willy is being Ironic but I am still all for the plan!
I said this would happen. Our Navy in those waters are to be captured and used for the International, the nasty lil nazionist plots.
The Rothschild led City of London nazionist, Yinon Plan; Wolfowitz Doctrine; Project for a New American Century.
Burn Americans for the aim of a Greater Israel, the 'Yinon Plan'.
Kill muslims for the aim of a Greater Israel, 'The Yinon Plan'.
Kill Christians most, as they defy medievalists; the Talmud vs the Koran.
I said this would happen. Get ready.
End the Fed.
"Ziz be greatz dayz for IzIzrael. Now vee canz uze nukz!"
- Nuttz&Yahooz
They aren't saying what kind of boats....two runabouts full of Seals maybe?
Gulf of Tonkin, redux?
Yep. True.
Jim Sciutto = Neocon agitprop douche.
After some thought....John Kerry knows a little bit about getting lost in troubled waters.
Two rib boats. One malfunctions. The other stays with it. They drift into Iranian waters.
This happened to my buddy. He was an ensign for 2 months. Sent to the ship. Were on the rib boats doing something silly. One breaks. They're sitting in the Persian Gulf waiting to get picked up. Can't see shit.
It happens a lot. Navy equipment is dogshit.
I guess 1.2 trillion doesn't buy many working rubbers, I mean rubber boats these days.
sigh, the dollar just ain't what it used to be. btw did they pick these rubber boats up at wally world?
Okay, you guys get in our boat, we'll get a piece of rope and tie YOUR boat to OUR boat and then go home. Do I have to think of everything?
;-) Funny.
Anything to distract us from the dreadful State of the Union tonight!
Who in their right mind would want to watch it?
I've never watched any of them.
just what the fuck is it that the US doesn't understand about " stay on your fucking side of the fence "?
Politics is showbiz for ugly people and the events in the ME give him some pull.
Wake the fuck up.
End the Fed in all its nasty lil nazionist forms.
"Does this cabinet minister always travel on the wrong side of the border?"
He must have drifted off course...
"So why us? Why didnt you call in the regular army/"
Because SOME damn fool accused you of being the BEST!!!
Has Obama heard about this on TV yet?
too busy powdering Reggie for a pre-SOTU snack
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/oldways/norseprayer.html
Get off your knees, northern people.
How is it that the world's most expensive, expansive surveillance state has its navy men captured. It can only by design; the new Pearl Harbor after 9/11 - both of which were 'predicted' by the Project for a New American Century led by zionist filth.