Official: US Ship Fires on Boat off Dubai, 1 Dead

AP/ABC ^ | 7/16/2012 | ADAM SCHRECK

[mojito]

An American vessel fired on a boat Monday off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, killing one person and injuring three, according to a U.S. consular official in Dubai.

The official gave no further details, but it appeared the boat could have been mistaken as a threat in Gulf waters not far from Iran's maritime boundaries.

Dozens of police and other Emirati officials crowded around the white-hulled boat, which sat docked after the incident in a small Dubai port used by fishermen and sailors.

The boat appeared to be a civilian vessel about 30 feet (9 meters) long and powered by three outboard motors. Similar boats are used for fishing in the region, though Iran's Revolutionary Guard also employs relatively small, fast-moving craft in the Gulf.

[Nervous Tick]

Roger.

On review, the OP doesn’t say they sank the boat, just fired on it, killing a few of ‘em.

That could be accomplished with small arms fire.

Thanks and FRegards

[jesseam]

Warm up for a Gulf of Tonkin incident

[Leep]

Not to worry Obama the great Bin Laden hunter is on the job.

[barmag25]

I’m thinking it may have been commercial. If it had been Navy the AP would of went into US military bashing mode when they wrote this article.

[Robe]

Numerious warning signals, including warning shots across the bow prior to firing on the boat

[barmag25]

Good pictures of some US flagged ships and security ideas.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/12/strange_waters?page=full#0

[woodbutcher1963]

Another thread/article stated it was a US Navy supply vessel. Possibly a refueling tanker. That they fired a warning shot and when the approaching vessel did not change coarse, they opened fire , killing one and injuring two others.

[Nervous Tick]

Very cool! Tku

[woodbutcher1963]

CNN article:

“The USNS Rappahannock, a fuel resupply ship, fired on what the officials called a “small, white pleasure craft” 10 miles from the Dubai port of Jebel Ali”

[Strategerist]

It’s USNS (United States Navy Ship) Rappahannock, a T-AO Oiler.

They are operated by Military Sealift Command with civilian crews but with a Navy detachment on board (who would have fired the .50s).

http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=146

[woodbutcher1963]

30’ small white boat with 3 engines = sport fisherman.

Think Hatteras with three 80 hp engines, tuna hunter, sailfish hunter, etc.

[barmag25]

Thanks for the update.

[Cementjungle]

Obama to muzzies: “Oops, we’re sorry, we thought that was an Israeli boat... we’ll buy you 100 new ones to make it up to you”.

[builder]

Must have been some sort of “Wedding Party” taking place on the boat . . .

[mandaladon]

A spokesperson for the Navy's 5th Fleet, which is based in nearby Bahrain, said that a security team aboard the oil supply ship U.S.N.S. Rappahannock fired a .50 caliber machine gun at a "small motor vessel after it disregarded warnings and rapidly approached the U.S. ship" off the coast of Jebel Ali, a city approximately 30 miles from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/us-navy-fires-ship-persian-gulf-dead/story?id=16787035#.UARK7pG0KSo

[Roccus]

Not sure those are armed well enough to sink a 30ft boat.

It wasn't sunk. FTA;

Dozens of police and other Emirati officials crowded around the white-hulled boat, which sat docked after the incident in a small Dubai port used by fishermen and sailors.

[barmag25]

I was just there a couple of weeks ago on a US flagged tanker. God bless the security teams both military and private that travel with our US flagged vessels. The civilian crews appreciate what they do.

[Strategerist]

Real hard to actually sink a (probably) fiberglass boat with non-explosive rounds.

[Nervous Tick]

see #21

[DoughtyOne]

And a proven bower, he’s actually a double threat.

We could probably add boot-licker too, but the cameras were just aimed too high.

Oh well...