....Limpet Mine Attack.....

U.S. Central Command Public Affairs ^ | 6/13/2019 10:20:00 PM | Capt. Bill Urban

[gandalftb]

...twenty-one sailors from the M/T Kokuka Courageous who had abandoned their ship after discovering a probable unexploded limpet mine on their hull...

At 4:10 p.m. local time an IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) Gashti Class patrol boat approached the M/T Kokuka Courageous and was observed and recorded removing the unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous (video attached).

The United States has no interest in engaging in a new conflict in the Middle East. However, we will defend our interests.

[af_vet_rr]

You’re assuming it is the Iranians in the video.
Could be Saudis, or some other Gulf State, removing the UXO evidence of what they had done.
Saudis see higher oil prices and maybe the U.S. attacks Iran.
It’s a better motive than anything I can come up with for Iran. They pick a fight they just get their Navy destroyed like they did 30 years ago.

When I first heard about this, my immediate thought was that it was the Saudis. They benefit the most out of everybody, of the US going to war against the Iranians. The Iranians gain nothing going to war against us.

I was in Saudi Arabia in '90 and '91, and have been there a few times since, and the Saudi royals....and everything they do is focused on how it benefits them.

And unfortunately, they appear to have Lil Kushner wrapped around their finger.

[Travis McGee]

Folks just don’t grasp how far away a helo can film you.

Or blow you up with 30mm cannon fire. You don’t see or hear the helo that’s watching you. Or know it’s there until the 30mm starts blowing you up.

Just think about a chain gun throwing out 30mm at 600/minute. Ten a second bursts.

[NorthMountain]

Check me on this, please:

1) Does that look like thermal video to you?

2) Can you make out what that crowd on the bow of the boat is actually doing?

[Travis McGee]

The Saudis could not succeed at a frogman op. They are even worse frogmen than they are at being fighter pilots at night. Scratch the Saudis.

It was an Iranian boat pulling off the unexploded mine. Only the folks who built that thing would dare to remove it, they all are built with multiple anti-removal devices.

[Travis McGee]

Our intel agencies have burned their seed corn, credibility, for past short-term gain.

[Justa]

Geesh, nothing like letting the enemy know how to improve their methods.

SMH.

[null and void]

As were the Polish uniforms German troops used to come in from Poland and attack a German radio station.

[Travis McGee]

You think our enemies are that stupid?
They understand full well. They just can’t do anything about it, except stay home and don’t fight.

[jimwatx]

I’d like to see your smart phone get that better video while you are sitting on a vibrating helicopter outside the visual and audio range of the people you are filming. Folks just don’t grasp the essential here. The whole point is to film the Iranians removing the mine. To do that, the helo cannot be seen or heard. IOW, it’s many miles away.

Looking at the video it appears to have been filmed 100-200 yards away at best using lenses to get a closer look, not several miles. I doubt those in the helo were concerned about being seen after the fact and would have moved in as close as possible to better ID the attacking vessel. They have non thermal optics, why use blurry thermal imaging in broad daylight when they had other options?

[null and void]

You have FReepmail...

[itsahoot]

Deep state is no longer in charge, DJT is.

Would that that were true. Gay pride flags fly despite directive not too. Military refusing to follow orders on Gay/Tranny discharges.

[af_vet_rr]

The Saudis could not succeed at a frogman op. They are even worse frogmen than they are at being fighter pilots at night. Scratch the Saudis.

It was an Iranian boat pulling off the unexploded mine. Only the folks who built that thing would dare to remove it, they all are built with multiple anti-removal devices.

First of all, I'm a little suspicious of that footage in light of the owners of one of the ships saying the US is spreading misinformation. We are talking about John Bolton here, and he wants to get us in another shooting match or two, even if we haven't wrapped up our previous ones.

If the footage is real though, we are talking about the Saudis - they can easily pay somebody to do that. They are currently in a proxy fight, well it's not so proxy at times, with the Iranians via Yemen.

Help us out Travis: What do the Iranians gain by starting a direct war with us or our allies (which would pull us in)?

How does it help the Iranian leadership to lose their navy, their air force, potentially the lives of some of the leadership, oh and it opens up the chances that the younger folks finally get the revolution they've been wanting.

How does any of that benefit Iran?

It benefits the Saudis in spades though - wipe out the power behind the Shiites, and you leave the Saudi brand of Islam as the sole brand.

[freeandfreezing]

why is this video more like a garage sale camcorder

Good question. With all the money we spend on high tech sensing systems it looks like the Navy is using a cheap Chinese drone with a crappy video feed.

Or somebody ran the video through the make it look like VHS filter on their video creation and editing workstation.

The video doesn't break up like compressed digital video does. The artifacts look more like loss of line sync errors.

I would hope our defense industry would provide our sailors with better quality sensing systems than what is shown in the videos.

[null and void]

They didn’t think they’d get caught, and even if they did, the MSM and President 100,000,000 votes to 0 Saint Hillary!™ the Divine would cover for them.

[SaveFerris]

I need one of those next time I go fishing!

With some torpedoes, of course. That way I have a chance!

[jimwatx]

You think thermal is only used at night? Really?

What exactly would be the point of using thermal imaging in broad daylight unless you wanted blurred imaging as opposed to regular video of the incident?

[freeandfreezing]

Ok, you are claiming false flag SO PUT YOUR THEORY OUT THERE.

Why don't you start by explaining why it would benefit Iran to conduct the attacks. Particularly attacking a Japanese owned ship while the Japanese Prime Minister is visiting. Once we have heard your theory we can discuss why other parties might want to influence what happens in the Middle East.

[af_vet_rr]

Why don't you start by explaining why it would benefit Iran to conduct the attacks.

Let's see: The Iranians would lose their air force, their navy, their missile stockpiles, potentially lose the lives of Iranian leadership, they would be weakened enough that the younger generations might rise up and have a shot at ousting the old hardliners, and their economy would truly hit rock bottom with a simple blockade and embargo.

Wait, those are all bad things for the Iranian leadership, aren't they?

[jimwatx]

Limpet mines can only breach the outer hullof tankers and are not considered effective at penetrating the inner hull. Iran has both torpedoes and anti-ship missile which could have easiyt taken down these tankers from quite some distance away, yet you claim they would rather use an ineffective mine close up where they be could easily observed? Yeah right *rolls eyes*

[thoughtomator]

Over on Gab, folks who unironically call themselves National Socialists and are 24/7/365 blaming Jews for everything bad that has happened in the world since the beginning of time, are distributing that very same video and giving the exact same argument.

And I recognize both the video and the argument because I have heard both for years as part of the conspiracy theory that says Israel wants to carve out a “Greater Israel” and absorb half the Middle East.

And they obsess over the USS Liberty too.

So... you are different from them, how? Tell me, I really want to know. I would not want to be left with the impression that a modern day neo-Nazi is posting on FR.