Posted on 04/28/2015 8:28:26 AM PDT by RaceBannon
Tuesday, 28 April 2015 Iran has fired at a U.S. cargo ship and has directed it to Bandar Abbas port on the southern coast of Iran, Al Arabiya News Channel has reported on Tuesday.
Up to 34 American sailors are believed to be onboard the ship, Al Arabiya reported.
(developing story)
Last Update: Tuesday, 28 April 2015 KSA 17:32 - GMT 14:32
At least five Iranian ships are reported to have intercepted the vessel, which has no US citizens on board. It is thought to be heading towards Larak Island.
US Army Colonel Steve Warren said the cargo ship initially ignored the patrol boats, but complied after the vessels fired several warning shots.
Iranian forces are also thought to have boarded the Maersk Tigris, which is flagged to the Marshall Islands.
http://news.sky.com/story/1473854/iranian-patrol-boat-fires-on-us-cargo-ship
A well coordinated F111 sortie could resolve this matter quickly.
He is not ignoring it. He approves. To jihadist Moslems anything infidel is fair game and anything American is the fairest of the fair game exceeded only by anything Israeli.
Technically it is not an American ship being that it is registered in Marshall Islands.
Are we witnessing a new Tonkin Gulf???
Here we go again, not a Reagan in sight (but plenty of Perots).
“Are we witnessing a new Tonkin Gulf???”
No because this actually happened and the Tonkin incident didn’t.
Or not.
There’s a lot of ships flagged in the Marshall islands for tax purposes.
US flag ships have a US crew. The Tigris does not.
Go here and you can see the ship's position in real time and it is just outside Bandar Abbas exactly as is being reported by Reuters and denied by the liars in the White House.
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/home?centerx=30¢ery=25&zoom=2&level1=140
Are you sure it's not a magenta feather boa?
That said, the USA is treaty-obligated to provide for the defense of the Marshall Islands, the vessel's flagging country.
The officers are Italian or Croatian and the crew is Filipino. The only way there is Americans on board would be if trident security is on board.
Our Nation, in its infancy, before it had any power or international standing, before we had Nukes, Submarines, Missiles, Aircraft Carriers, or drones, fought (and WON!) two wars over this very issue.
The first time, against the Barbary Pirates, was and overseas war which required a long sea voyage.
The second one, on our own soil, involved the burning of our capital city.
The “Marines Hymn” commemorates the first war, and the “Star Spangled Banner” commemorates the second.
It is a sad commentary that this current act of piracy will probably not be addressed by the government at all.
“AN overseas war”, not “and overseas war”
Sorry, my blood is boiling and my brain hurts.
Wikipedia: “The Compact of Free Association with the United States gives the U.S. sole responsibility for international defense of the Marshall Islands.”
A shipped flagged for the Marshall Islands is effectively a US flagged ship due to the Compact of Free Association in which defense matters of the Marshal Islands are administrated by the US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_of_Free_Association
The US will absolutely be responsible for recovering this ship and her crew from the Iranians.
Let the Danes handle it...its their frickin boat.
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