Posted on 03/23/2007 4:30:15 AM PDT by MindBender26
Just saw in 7:00-7:30 segment of GMA.
Iranian navy siezed about a dozen UK sailors. Sailors were conducting routine shipping embargo inspection in northern end of Persian Gulf.
Sailors have been taken back to Iran
Can't find it anywhere else.
I've heard on the radio that Iran had terrorists blow up the Vincennes' captain's car, which resulted in killing his wife. Just another act of war that doesn't seem to make the news.
I don't care what you have to do as long as you get your guys home safe and sound. The thought of civilized sailors in the hands of these barbarians makes my skin crawl. Prayers for all.
What about the Dutch and the Danes? They are with us in the WOT.
I don't think it's a stupid move. The Iranians have a history of taking hostages and coming out smelling like roses. They know that the West will negotiate in secret.
They can use them as leverage against attacks on the nuke sites or place them as shields. Not alot of great responses by the UK here, unless you concede their deaths and attack in response and that is not the way the West doe business.
"Question is, will "W" and Tony B use this as a casus belli top go after AlmiondJoy and the moolahs."
Almost certainly no.
Neither have the domestic support for another adventure with the muslim hordes be they arab or persian.
Now if it became US, British, Israeli policy to periodically bomb suspected nuclear sites, it could be portrayed as like the Saddam WMD bombing runs.
In a perfect world, Britain would give them a deadline to return the hostages. Failing said return, NATO would begin systematic bombings of nuclear and military facilities.
If NATO got serious and acted Iran would fold pretty fast.
"Whats interesting is the recent arrival of the French Nuclear Carrier battle fleet to join up with our two battle carrier groups. I wonder how that will play out if there is shooting?"
They would be grounded until we had destroyed every Iranian aircraft. Then they would be given patrol missions. Mostly they would be in the way.
Just saw news flash:
Iran government is claiming the British were in Iranian waters.
Interesting, thanks for the details.
You left out the Mayaquez (President Ford had stones)and the plane taken by the Chinese in 2001 (a mixed bag).
I wonder if this means that if you show any sign of weakness, the bad guys will jump all over you?
Just wondering....
I was the safety officer for the 1993 Army Air Corps reunion, warbird fly-in and Air Races at Lawrenceville-Vincennes Airport in 1993, the 5-year anniversary of the Airbus shootdown....on the 3rd of July, the date of the incident. The locals blew off the possibility of any problems, but I ran some info past some folks with decent intelligence connections, there being no such thing as a *state intelligence fusion center* then.
Though most helpfully advised that they'd quietly look into it, one SERIOUSLY freaked out, and I found out that not all the Iranian students at Vincennes University were leftover exiles from the Shah's days...and that there were nearly two dozen paid-in-full members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization busy there as well.
We took appropriate precautions, and our worst problems were July-heat casualties among the older folks, snarled traffic and a drunk who stuck his car in the parking lot and needed a tow and a ride home. But we wre ready for other trouble as well, which didn't hurt a thing, and all was well.
Our Air Boss for that weekend was one of the pilots aboard the Halloween-day American Eagle commuter Flight 4184 en route to Chicago from Indy, which crashed in a remote farmer's field near Roselawn in Newton County, IN, killing all aboard. One of the two flight attendents aboard had been the VIP hostess for the WWII aviators being honored at LVA that weekend.
I have long noticed that there's a relationship between the numbers of the people who say but, it CAN'T happen here and the length of time until it finally does.
Yep, decommissioned on 29 June 2005 at San Diego. But she is presently mothballed at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility, Naval Base Kitsap, at Bremerton, Washington.
They could bring her back on duty if needed. And boy, would there be weeping and gnashing of teeth in the enemy camp.
NATO? Well maybe...after 6 months of conferences, diplomatic maneuvers and whining about the difficulty of reaching a consensus.
They haven't "vanished"! They are sitting comfortably in a cozy chair, sipping sweet tea (or Scotch - depending on their preference), chatting with friendly members of MI5, the CIA or Mossad....or all three. They are very safe because they are in a "safe" house.
They are there because they are smarter than their contemporaries who are sitting in Tehran - waiting for hellfire!
I am sure it is high tech enough for the Iranians - with that said I am not so gung ho to be a fan of what the defense contractors claims our weapons can do.
I am one of those conservatives that views the Military Industrial Complex as something to be weary about.
Knowing the Royal Marines as I do and I can say that as the father of two serving.... therefore with some authority... my sympathies lay entirely with the Iranians .
Knowing the Royal Marines as I do and I can say that as the father of two serving.... therefore with some authority... my sympathies lay entirely with the Iranians .
Sink every Iranian ship at sea.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.