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Posted on 03/23/2007 3:48:15 AM PDT by Flavius
BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - British forces said on Friday there had been "an incident" in the northern Arabian Gulf after an Iraqi fisherman reported seeing up to seven British or American military personnel being seized by an Iranian ship.
"There has been an incident somewhere in the north of the Persian Gulf," British military spokesman Major David Gell said in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, without elaborating.
He said he did not know whether any British or American servicemen were involved.
The fisherman said the incident took place early on Friday in the Shatt al-Arab waterway that marks the southern stretch of Iraq’s border with Iran. His account could not be immediately confirmed.
The fisherman, who asked not be named, said six or seven foreign military personnel were on two small boats that stopped to check Iranian ships in the Siban area of the waterway, near the al-Faw peninsula that leads into the northern Arabian Gulf.
When they boarded one ship, at least two Iranian vessels appeared on the scene and the military personnel were detained. There was no sign of any violent confrontation he said.
He said the merchant ships had stopped in a narrow area of the waterway where smaller boats normally pull alongside to take on board goods. The fisherman said British and American forces patrolled the area and frequently searched the ships.
Earlier, an Iraqi sailor on a merchant ship told Reuters he had witnessed the incident but later said he had only heard about it.
Iraq and Iran have a long history of disputes along the waterway. Iran briefly seized three British naval patrol boats in the area in June 2004.
In January 2006, the Iranian coastguard stopped three Iraqi vessels Tehran said had crossed into Iranian waters, prompting Iraqi officials to accuse Iran of taking hostage nine Iraqis working on the vessels.
Iran has threatened to be taking hostages, such is one of the ways of war especially in that area.
This Reuters report is the only thing I can find on the story at the moment.
Wasn't it reported that a couple of our aircraft carriers were over there?
They'd better watch their @sses!
fyi
ABC radio news wires have picked this up, but no further details
Oh boy. Here we go!
Heads up
L
Why?
You don't think we'll have the nads to do anything do you?
I mean Ronald Reagan isn't president.
I heard a little snippet on the radio this morning - no mention of US servicemen - but that it was an incident involving only British sailors being taken hostage.
I've only been able to find stories sourced from that one Reuters report. Nothing new yet.
Especially if it threatens our relations with Mexico in some convoluted way.
Ping
"Why? You don't think we'll have the nads to do anything do you? I mean Ronald Reagan isn't president."
"Especially if it threatens our relations with Mexico in some convoluted way."
You guys crack me up!
Sad that we've gotten to this, isn't it?
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