US, UK Seize 3 Iraqi Vessels with Mines

Reuters ^ | 3/21/03

[Calpernia]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. and British navies have seized three Iraqi vessels carrying scores of mines in the Gulf, Fox News television reported on Friday. U.S. Navy vessels took control of one Iraqi vessel and two British ships intercepted two Iraqi tug boats in operations around the Faw peninsula in southern Iraq, Fox said quoting unnamed U.S. officials.

Reuters earlier reported military officials saying U.S. and British forces had seized two boats carrying 68 mines off southern Iraq.

[Calpernia]

Looks like we took those cargo ships!

[Calpernia]

Ping!

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Americans planted the mines aboard the ships, of course!

</sarcasm>

[HIDEK6]

Are these the ships that some thought were full of booby-trapped WMDs?

[Sabertooth]

Are these the three ships that had been out in the Indian Ocean for a couple of months, and suspected of carrying WMDs??

[Physicist]

You mean these three ships? I don't think they were tugboats.

[Calpernia]

Ah, cargo ship wasn't used as a "keyword". So it didn't come up when I searched.

[Calpernia]

I don't think they were tug boats either. Janes News Briefs reported that were Large Vessels. But I can't link that story here. You have to be a subscriber. I think the 'tug boats' is a translation thing.

[alnick]

Three cargo ships? How big can 68 mines be?

[Calpernia]

Are you asking me if there were Iraqi cargo ships? Or are you asking me everything that was on the ships?

[COBOL2Java]

The apparently innocent cargo stowed on an Iraqi tug

Sections of oil drums used to disguise a cargo of mines aboard the Iraqi tug converted to be a mine layer

[COBOL2Java]

A captured Iraqi launch used for minelaying

[Wolverine]

At least 1.5-2.5 meters across or more..!

[ALS]

Those are just popcorn kettles.......

[Paradox]

Wow, excellent pics, doesn't this violate some international law or something?

[Calpernia]

Oh so they were not the cargo ships. D@mn. This is why 'vessel' was not translating right....

[Newbomb Turk]

500# to 1000# mines just bases on the explosives weight alone.

[Physicist]

I think the 'tug boats' is a translation thing.

No, I think "tug boats" is accurate. This report is from three days ago; there was a whole slew of reports on Friday about the two tug boats and one missile ship. The pictures in post #11 are from that incident.

[Calpernia]

no one is arguing with you. Physicist. I'm talking about the way vessel was translating in my web search translator.

[Calpernia]

Can you please take (Cargo Ships!) out of the title of my post. These weren't the 'cargo ships' we were following in a story. They really are tug boats.