Posted on 03/25/2008 4:42:47 PM PDT by SandRat
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2008 A ship on short-term charter to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command fired warning shots at a small boat approaching the ship as it was preparing to transit the Suez Canal last night, military officials reported.
There were no reports of casualties from the ship, the Global Patriot.
Officials said several boats approached the Global Patriot while it was preparing to transit the Suez Canal. The boats were hailed and warned by a native Arabic speaker on the Global Patriot to advise them to turn away. Other warning steps, including a signal flare, were used to caution the boats.
One small boat continued to approach the ship and received two sets of warning shots 20 to 30 meters in front of the boat's bow. All shots were accounted for as they entered the water, officials said.
The incident is under investigation. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet command is cooperating with Egyptian authorities, including the Suez Canal Authorities, through the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.
(From a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet news release.)
Heard one story on radio news this morning that the US Navy had sunk an Egyptian ship.
and the BlameStreamMedia gets it wrong — AGAIN!
According to the egyptians, one person was killed and 4 wounded. I guess all those bullets must have ricocheted off the water and hit the people moving toward the ship.
How can you tell when an arab is lying? His lips are moving.
WARNING shots? I thought one was killed, and two were wounded, on the speedboat.....?
again,.. the BlameStreamMedia — GETS IT WRONG!
< /sarc >
Well, a "shot across the bow" is usually aimed ahead of & beyond the target. Kind of hard to imagine a ricochet in that situation.
I find it kinda rich that Arab societies that think nothing of mass firing a full magazines of AK ammo into the air in crowded celebration would be suddenly b*tching about stray rounds. But that's just me.
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