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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| As RB expected: Pentagon: U.S. sailors made 'navigational error' into Iranian waters |
| 2016-01-14 |
| The Pentagon said Thursday the 10 U.S. sailors who were held by Iran before being released on Wednesday had made a navigational mistake that led them into Iranian waters. Here's point A. Here's point B. Don't go into area C. Got it? "The information that they have given us, and through their commanders is that they did stray accidentally into Iranian waters due to a navigation error," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in an interview with Spanish-language broadcaster Univision in Miami. "So that seems to be the original cause of this, according to the interviews that we have done." Does this mean they didn't have any GPS devices to record the track they took between point A and point B? Carter's comments were the most detailed so far from American officials on the incident, which rattled nerves just before the expected implementation of a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Because they were all sitting around brainstorming on what might stick with the majority of voters. On Thursday, Carter said the sailors apparently did not radio in to tell U.S. commanders they were off-course before encountering the Iranians. They didn't see it coming, or were they jammed maybe? "They did not report this navigational error at the time. It may be that they were trying to sort it out at the time they encountered the Iranian boats and discovered they were inside of the territorial waters of Iran," Carter said in the interview. Maybe they were all taking a nap or watching one guy reel in a big swordfish. He denied that the sailors were on a covert mission, saying instead, "they were simply transiting from one place to another." This is probably the only true part of this article. Maybe. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #9 Civilian GPS is hard to jam. Military GPS, much more difficult to do. This story smells. Truth will out. But it might need to wait for a new CINC. |
| Posted by: Sven the pelter 2016-01-14 19:44 |
| #8 I too suspect they were in international waters, but Iran grabbed them anyway, because asshole regimes like Iran tend to make illegitimate, unrecognized territorial claims to what everyone else agrees is international waters. Especially since Iran swiped their GPS units, making it conveniently impossible to prove their exact location either way. I read this as Iran giving Obozo and Kerry a wedgie, even after they've already agreed to hand over their lunch money. Just because they can. |
| Posted by: RandomJD 2016-01-14 19:14 |
| #7 Lots of small, flat islands in a relatively shallow sea. Factor in the winter weather (high winds and mid-to-rough seas.) Not sure about cruising speed, but I'll assume they were on the 'most-economical'. That's not going to help. No doubt the IRGC were also tracking the craft, probably from the moment they left Bahrain. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2016-01-14 18:34 |
| #6 I suspect the issue here is that under international law uninhabited islands can't have territorial waters. And I recall that putting a military base on an uninhabited island doesn't make it inhabited. The territorial waters Iran claims may not have been marked on the US Navy chart they were using. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2016-01-14 18:21 |
| #5 Tilting axis Telluric Current shift causing 'navigation error', or littoral diver 'snag-and-drag'? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2016-01-14 16:47 |
| #4 Iranians already on record as removing GPS devices, so the cover story of being off course is perfectly unverifiable. And it's never about embarrassing Baraka Hussein, he has no shame. It's all about embarrassing America, which of course Baraka is totes about |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2016-01-14 16:38 |
| #3 I believe it is very likely that we will never hear the real story of what happened. If the truth is embarrassing to Obama, the sailors will be under strict orders to never talk about it. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2016-01-14 16:34 |
| #2 It would be interesting to see, as has been suggested by another blogger here, if the vessels have had all their comms and nav equipment removed before release. ALso, what were the ROE regarding encountering Iranian vessels? Also, what was the USN quick response plan and what was the ToT if it was initiated? FInally, how far up Susan Rice's phone tree did they have to go to get permission to do anything, and how long did it take for her to call a meeting to discuss options on the optics of any action? |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2016-01-14 15:42 |
| #1 I'm not an expert but I see three options (1) They were in Iranian waters because they dropped off or picked up someone (2) Engine damage and drifting led them into Iranian water (3) They were in international waters and the Iranians grabbed them anyway but admitting that would make Obama look like a fool. I don't see the 'lost' as a credible story these days. I'm betting on option 3. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2016-01-14 15:35 |