Iranian ships 'harass' U.S. Navy

[JS.Fortnight.A]

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/me...avy/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7175325.stm
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/01/07/43906.html

Okay, so apparently 5 Iranian Revolutionary Guard made hostile manuvers including approaching (within 200 yards) of U.S. naval ships that were in international waters according to the U.S."In one radio transmission, the Iranians told the U.S. Navy: "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes".

They also floated several white boxes in the water, the U.S. ships took evasive maneuvers away from the boxes, and one of the U.S. ships was just about to give the order to release their weapons, when the Iranian boats departed.

My thoughts after hearing this are as such, as analysts on CNN made mention as well, the Iranians are obviously testing us, prodding our defenses and tactics as well as of course 'their limits'.

The war-monger side of me says, "that U.S. ship which was all but ready to open up on them...should have."

While at the same time (as the U.S. Navy also did it understands that) one needs to consider the international incident ramifications. Would the loss of 5 boats and the sailors move Iran into a position where it would consider that as an act of war? Greater conflict in Iraq?

Where does one draw the line? They pretty much rubbed our nose in a pile of steamy **** and we took it... Was the U.S. navy right in withholding its fire, or should it have let the Iranian's have what they obviously wanted (to buy 5 new boats and recruit more sailors.)? What does Iran gain by pulling this sort of crap time and again?; media coverage sure, they want attention. But the U.S. could totally pwn them at that game.

Thoughts?

[eddie]

Well as I'm sure you know, the Iranians said to the U.S. sometime ago that they would stop backing many Shia militias. Maybe this was testing them, and if they lost five boats, an excuse to start backing and supplying the militias once again. Although I imagine Iran could make up any excuse to back militas.

[[R-CON]ZZEZ]

Not the first time they pull a stunt like that, they just want attention - to flex their muscles to the US and Arab world that they're strong now.

[robbo]

The Iranians are planning somthing i mean they have been very active in the past year.
If the US opened fire on them i wouldnt blame them, but they didnt which was the more sensible option.
Remember Iran has somthing like 11million soldiers USA has around 2million(? educated guess) but yeh far superior tecnology. If Iran started supplying militias with some serious gear (RPG29s, KORNET missiles, SA7, Gambits) this could lead to huge losses in Iraq and a dramatic change in tactics.

[eddie]

Originally Posted by robbo

The Iranians are planning somthing i mean they have been very active in the past year.
If the US opened fire on them i wouldnt blame them, but they didnt which was the more sensible option.
Remember Iran has somthing like 11million soldiers USA has around 2million(? educated guess) but yeh far superior tecnology.

You could say that about Russia, it doesn't mean it's true. The Russian bombers incurred Norwegian airspace multiple times in 2007, and only once in Britain's airspace (that we know of).

[SiN|ScarFace]

Even if they fired, it would probably be across the bow. So what if they are messing with us, international waters or not we are much closer to their world than they are to ours. What if an Iranian fleet was off the coast of California in "international waters" and we were eyeballing them and messing with them, no one would give a shit about it.

Nothing happened, end of story.

[JS.Fortnight.A]

You could say that about Russia, it doesn't mean it's true. The Russian bombers incurred Norwegian airspace multiple times in 2007, and only once in Britain's airspace (that we know of).

Same goes for China. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1811

[[R-MOD]dunehunter]

I doubt it would have been across the bow. Dropping stuff into the water, making threats like that...if I was the captain, and if they didn't turn away, I'd probably have sunk them.

[[R-DEV]Masaq]

As far as Russia and China go; that's normal military gung-ho crap. It's the modern equivilant of putting Sputnik into space or putting some extra swords on the wheels of your chariot.

Iran? Good grief, you guys realise that the some in the US Administration have refused to rule out military action against Iran? Hell, if *I* were an Iranian skipper I'd think it was justified to warn US warships off my patch. Granted, you run the very real risk of getting killed but hey, spark an incident off and what'll happen? Much of the MidEast contemplates joining into the festivities, and you could certainly make the US/Saudi relationship pretty strained.

America can't face down an entire region.



EDIT:

Oh and robbo? 2 million? Nah, the US has just over 1.4 million in active service.
SOURCE: http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/MILITARY/ms0.pdf

As for your figure of 11 million of Iran... what are you smoking, old chap? The PLA only employs 2.2 million.

(For comparision, the UK National Health Service is a larger employer of full-time staff than the United States Military).

[robbo]

Originally Posted by [R-MOD]Masaq

Oh and robbo? 2 million? Nah, the US has just over 1.4 million in active service.
SOURCE: http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/MILITARY/ms0.pdf

As for your figure of 11 million of Iran... what are you smoking, old chap? The PLA only employs 2.2 million.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...f_total_troops

PLA is third.
"Total troops: 12,285,000 (1st)"