The rules of engagement require to be changed.
Those navy guys captured in 2004 were not forced at all to say anything. Although not allowed to be interviewed directly their wives were. They all agreed to tongue in cheek say that they were in the wrong in order to gain early release. Anything else would have delayed their release.
The helo that was watching over them was waived off by the boarding party commander. The merchant vessel had been searched and they were returning to their rigid inflatables. It was when communications were lost that the helo returned to see the rigids being escorted into Iranian waters. The rules of engagement would prevent any direct action in such circumstances. In that situation nothing would be done to endanger the lives of those detained.
Bear in mind that they would be under U.S. control.Even U.S. commanders wouldn't have wanted to escalate and endanger the RN guys detained in such circumstances by violating Iranian waters or airspace.
The commander of the boarding party doesn't have the radar capability that the Frigate has. The helo would also be pretty much useless as a picket to force the Iranian ships to go around in order to reach the boarding party.
The Frigate had to have known where the Iranian ships were, and should have put itself between those ships and its boarding party.
The Iranians are clearly not our friends as they have shown in the past, and there is no excuse for the commander of the frigate leaving his people exposed like that.
The rules of engagement would prevent any direct action in such circumstances. In that situation nothing would be done to endanger the lives of those detained.
Which is why that situation, which could have been foresee, since it has happened before, should have never been allowed to occur. Those men were surrendered without any chance to stop the Iranians because of gross strategic incompetence by the commander.
This was foreseeable, and preventable.
He left his men exposed to a far superior force from a nation that has shown past aggression in the area, and is actively working to undermine their mission in the area.
Bear in mind that they would be under U.S. control.Even U.S. commanders wouldn't have wanted to escalate and endanger the RN guys detained in such circumstances by violating Iranian waters or airspace.
You're missing the point. The circumstance where the Iraninas were able to get to those boats without having to confront the Frigate should have never been allowed to occur.
Your argument is that after he had already grossly failed in his duty the situation became such that there was no longer anything that he could do about it, so he shouldn't be held accountable for his original failure.