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Mike Pompeo: UK must look after its own ships (EU version of Politico)
politico.eu ^ | 7/22/19 | PAUL DALLISON

Posted on 07/23/2019 4:34:06 PM PDT by ransomnote

Mike Pompeo: UK must look after its own ships ‘The United States has a responsibility to do our part but the world’s got a big role in this too.’

By PAUL DALLISON 7/22/19, 5:25 PM CET U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear that it is up to the U.K. to ensure the safety of its own ships in the Gulf.

Pompeo was asked during an interview Monday on Fox News about the Iranian capture on Friday of the British-flagged Stena Impero oil tanker. “The responsibility in the first instance falls to the United Kingdom to take care of their ships," he said.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: pompeo; trumpuk
a little more at link
1 posted on 07/23/2019 4:34:06 PM PDT by ransomnote
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To: ransomnote

Maybe NATO member Turkey will give them a hand.


2 posted on 07/23/2019 4:35:05 PM PDT by mass55th ("Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." ~~ John Wayne)
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To: mass55th

Pompeo did the right thing. Not our ships, not our problem.


3 posted on 07/23/2019 4:37:19 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Trump is President and CEO of America, Inc.)
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Good. I agree.


4 posted on 07/23/2019 4:38:26 PM PDT by Kipp
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To: ransomnote

No one shot those Iranians rappelling down the rope from the chopper onto the deck of the oil tanker. Why not? After the first two soldiers would have hit the deck dead, that chopper would have skedaddled!

Surely anyone shipping through the Strait of Hormuz should have armed security on board. We should expect that from our feckless allies.


5 posted on 07/23/2019 4:44:04 PM PDT by txrefugee
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To: ransomnote

6 posted on 07/23/2019 4:51:40 PM PDT by Bon mots
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To: ransomnote

Good. Trump is reminding Britain of its failure to maintain an adequate navy. This is also a variation on the “NATO obligations EU nations have not met” theme. Without US military power, EU members are helpless.

If Neville Chamberlain is not available to negotiate with Iran, Teresa May is.


7 posted on 07/23/2019 4:53:28 PM PDT by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
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To: txrefugee

Shipping companies are notoriously cheap and effective security is expensive.


8 posted on 07/23/2019 4:55:59 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Where does it say in the Constitution anyone is entitled to the property another has labored for?)
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To: ransomnote

What ships would Britain use? They have only 74 commissioned vessels, including submarines, amphibious docks and patrol vessels.


9 posted on 07/23/2019 4:58:40 PM PDT by p. henry
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To: p. henry

Their problem, not ours. The mighty UN and ICC can help them.
Please Lord, let us just sit one conflict out.
I know we did try that once. God rest the RMS Lusitania.
It didn’t last too long, but one can always pray for a miracle.


10 posted on 07/23/2019 5:12:35 PM PDT by momincombatboots (Do you know anyone who isnÂ’t a socialist after 65? Freedom exchanged cash, a medicare card control.)
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To: txrefugee

Arming tankers is not a good idea.

That might only provoke Iran into sending gunships ahead of the assault teams to suppress defensive fire, or respond to defensive fire by sinking the tanker by multiple means.

The solution is armed air assets patrolling the Straits 24/7.

Too bad Britain has little or none in the area. Perhaps they should spend more on navy ships/planes.


11 posted on 07/23/2019 5:27:30 PM PDT by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
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To: ransomnote

All this really did is confirm the US as the guarantor of NATO.

We helped out the UK during the Falklands and we can help them out now.


12 posted on 07/23/2019 5:31:58 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici
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To: p. henry

The crazy thing is that the Royal Navy isn’t that much bigger than the Australian Navy and Australia has half the GDP and 1/3 the population.


13 posted on 07/23/2019 5:34:00 PM PDT by Dundee (They gave up all their tomorrows for our today's.)
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To: p. henry

They used private vessels to rescue troops at Dunkirk.

Maybe they should bring back the use of privateers.

100 sterling bounty for each Iranian ear.


14 posted on 07/23/2019 5:45:44 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (The media is after us. Trump's just in the way.)
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To: Bon mots

“When Britain first, at Heaven’s command
Arose from out the azure main;
This was the charter of the land,
And guardian angels sang this strain:
“Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:
“Britons never will be slaves.””

Yeah, not so much these days.


15 posted on 07/23/2019 5:47:17 PM PDT by bgill
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To: VeniVidiVici

The US is energy self-sufficient and now a net exporter of oil under Trump despite the best efforts of Gov. Cuomo against fracking in NY State. So what would have been a huge issue in the Persian Gulf 10 years ago doesn’t count for much now as far as the US is concerned. Its a big problem for Europe, however, and let them deal with it.


16 posted on 07/23/2019 6:03:36 PM PDT by laconic
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To: Mister Da

“Arming tankers is not a good idea.”

Why do banks have armed guards and saves? Maybe banks should just put their money in a pile in the parking lot and guard it with an old lady holding a broom. After all, having arm guards just invites people to bring guns to rob them. What an escalation of violence.


17 posted on 07/23/2019 7:36:49 PM PDT by wildcard_redneck (Freeper formerly known as WMarshal.......)
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To: wildcard_redneck

Banks do not contain millions of gallons of volatile liquids.

Neither banks nor tankers can defend from determined suicide attacks.

An unarmed tanker presents a problem for the attacker. A violent attack on a tanker with injures/deaths of unarmed civilians would cause international outrage, surely with increased international sanctions & possibly a total embargo/blockade. That would be too high a price for a single tanker.

Iran can’t win like this. These acts of terrorism are acts of desperation, born out of a failing economy, biting sanctions, & domestic unrest. Time is on our side & Iran knows it. They are trying to provoke a battle with Western forces in hopes of it starting a global jihad. Fat chance, they have few supporters.


18 posted on 07/23/2019 8:30:38 PM PDT by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
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To: EQAndyBuzz
Pompeo did the right thing. Not our ships, not our problem.

Works for me ... didn't their 'intelligence' work with Brennan and Clapper to damage Trump?

19 posted on 07/23/2019 10:01:03 PM PDT by GOPJ (Joe Biden in 1987:"We (Delawareans) Were on the South's Side in the Civil War". Back in chains Joe?)
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To: GOPJ

I thought it was Australia? English might have helped as well.

China gets their oil from this area. Let them worry about it.

Oil prices going up = good news for U.S. We are energy independent and an exporter.


20 posted on 07/23/2019 10:40:27 PM PDT by TigerClaws
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