Replies

I support your position and your synopsis of the SITREP and wonder why there was no response from Carrier Strike Group 8 (CCSG-8) or nothing from Carrier Air Wing 7 (CVW-7). CVN-75 had just entered the Gulf and were promptly harassed by Iranian patrol boats firing rockets off their bow a month earlier going though the Straights. There should have been a cap over CCSG-8 by CVW-7 and either by datalink or UHF direct request for support from either of the two USN river patrol boats. VAW-121 surely would have seen or heard what was going on in addition to HSM-72 likely also having had assets airborne. Even a ready alert could have been there in time to affect support. This whole thing is bovine excrement and this is all on Obama and Kerry and their Iranian nuclear deal and not having a Carrier Battle Group or air wing over the gulf after CVN-71 left in the summer and no presence for 5 months.

Joint Chiefs give their true feeling on the situation without poker faces.

I think the routine/admin conditions redeployment of the two boats from Kuwait to Bahrain was known by Iranian intel in advance, based upon spies in our bases, watching ports, etc.

I think these sailors were ambushed mid-route, and it happened very fast. A planned ambush, executed perfectly, based on an understanding of our ROE, which they would know word by word. (Our ROE are only a secret to the American people.)

Our ROE are basically “DO NOT LOAD YOUR GUNS UNTIL YOU HAVE DIRECT ORDERS FROM HIGHER! DO NOT FIRE UNLESS FIRED UPON! CALL FOR INSTRUCTIONS FIRST, NO MATTER WHAT!”

These ROE made our sailors sitting ducks. The Iraninans correctly believed that if they laid in a fast swarming ambush, which would become a Mexican Standoff at point blank in just minutes, they would be able to force a surrender.

Which they did.

Once our boats are under their control, our soldiers held at gunpoint on their knees, the boarding party simply orders the coxswain, at gunpoint, to “Follow that boat, or we will all rape the girl and then cut her head off!” Or whatever.

The coxswain would obey. Once they are in Iranian waters, Iran controls the entire story, and we only see film that Iran wants the world to see.

And Obama and Kerry are so eager for their nuke deal to proceed, that they go along with Iran’s lie.

Just shameful for the USN, to be used like this.