Kerry tells Iran in long day of calls: This can be 'a good story for both of us'

CNN ^ | January 13, 2016

[presidio9]

Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to his Iranian counterpart, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, at least five times Tuesday while U.S. Navy sailors were in Iranian custody, a senior State Department official told reporters Wednesday.

In the course of his conversations, the official said Kerry told Zarif: "If we are able to do this the right way, we can make this into what will be a good story for both of us" and would be a way for Iran to prove it can act in a responsible manner in this type of situation.

The calls, which took place over a period of at least 10 hours, began at 1:00 p.m. ET after Kerry had a chance to discuss the American understanding of the situation with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford and National Security Adviser Susan Rice.

While the initial call with Zarif had already been planned in advance, the official said it "took on a different degree of importance" because of the situation with the sailors.

Kerry, who was already hosting Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and their two Filipino counterparts at the State Department, excused himself from those meetings to begin the telephone diplomacy after he became aware of the incident. ï„Š

In his first call with Zarif, the official said Kerry explained the U.S. understanding of what had transpired: that the sailors were in transit from Kuwait to Bahrain and may have encountered mechanical problems, and the United States had lost contact with them. Kerry "made it clear"

-SNIP-

[catfish1957]

What am I missing

Only the Obama administration can describe a surrender as a diplomatic victory.

[dfwgator]

I smelled this rat right from the beginning.

[Retain Mike]

I sent the below two paragraphs to my local talk show host.

Also here is the link to the best article I have seen so far on the subject:
http://www.boblonsberry.com/writings.cfm?go=4

From: Larson, Lars [mailto:lars.larson@alphamediausa.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2016 8:56 PM
To: Retian Mike
Subject: Re: The Two Boats and the Iranians
Agreed
Lars

Thinking of my own time leading small boat detachments, I wonder why they got there in the first place? There were two boats, so one could have towed the other. Was no one paying attention? They even have GPS now. Back in my Old Navy even if I was leading LCM-8 landing craft without radar, I would have had a chart and noted danger bearings. Could be the Iranians have a different definition of territorial waters to which they want this Administration and our Navy to subscribe? Finally how could the Navy lose track of these boats? Why were the crews not initiating contact? During an amphibious exercise our wave of assault boats were swallowed by a fog. When I saw that fog coming I made sure the flag ship could vector us back to our LPD.

The events with the two riverine boats directed my memory back to the Cold War, which involved Communist China as well as the Soviet Union. We had a destroyer squadron stationed in Taiwan that was discontinued by the time I joined the my LST in Japan. As a substitute every time a ship stationed in Yokosuka Japan went down to Vietnam it went through the Taiwan Straits. Our captain made it clear that if any ChiCom ship tried to intercept us we would fight. The prospect was not that exciting because our heaviest armament were three dual 3”50cal anti-aircraft mounts. But the Pueblo incident was on everyone’s mind and that was going to be our response.

[Lera]

The real kicker is that no one is asking who gave them the orders to stand down.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Just in case anybody has not heard Ash Carter and John François dropped a dime on their own sailors to the Iranians and assisted those godlless muslims in capturing our sailors. Who are the dirty rotten traitors now?

[Lera]

[[What am I missing?]]

The orders to stand down if approached.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Very interesting. Thanks.

[piasa]

John Kerry & Susan Rice “Um...let’s not go with a bogus video story this time, let’s just put out some BS that makes an IRGC attack force look like the USO and let the press play with that.”

[KeyLargo]

Yes, Obama has given numerous orders to ‘Stand Down’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy0-vXmATM0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvTOvl724vo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBOvp60yNy4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETMpTjR5S0U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTfR_F8FyTY

[piasa]

Note the line “at the time they encountered the Iranian boats,” as opposed to “at the time the Iranian boats encountered them.”

If our sailors were trying to “sort it out,” sitting there double checking their GPS before going on, or drifting as in earlier claims, I would think the Iranians intercepted them, not the other way around.
Even the press is carefully constructing its sentences the way Ashton did to avoid implicating Iran in an act of aggression so close to the Iran-Obama-Kerry payday.

[kiryandil]

Guess who's wearing the hijab now, 0Muslim?

[kiryandil]

John Kerry can't die fast enough for me. I'd love to piss on his grave.

Thanks!

I was worried about how to dilute the piles of 0bama I was going to leave on his grave...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

This outrageous turd doesn’t speak for me...

[piasa]

In his first call with Zarif, the official said Kerry explained the U.S. understanding of what had transpired: that the sailors were in transit from Kuwait to Bahrain and may have encountered mechanical problems, and the United States had lost contact with them. Kerry “made it clear” ...

Should read:

In his first call with Zarif, the official said Kerry gave Zarif the Obama administration’s desired storyline of what had transpired in the hope that Zarif would play along: that the sailors were in transit from Kuwait to Bahrain and may have encountered mechanical problems, and the United States had lost contact with them. Kerry “made it clear” that he doesn’t know what in the hell happened nor does he care to know ...

[Lera]

Every single day he puts our military at risk .

[jaz.357]

Who gave the Stand down orders?

[RetiredTexasVet]

From the SOS Kerry-Heinz office, the sailors were watching an illegal anti-muslim film and strayed off course. Kerry-Heinz stated that the film maker would be sought out and forced to listen to all of the last seven years of His Arrogance’s SOTU speeches.

[KeyLargo]