Article

2016-01-13 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Reports of U.S. sailors' prompt release is speculation - Iran's Revolutionary Guards

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Posted by Besoeker 2016-01-13 04:57|| || Front Page|| [8 views ] Top

#1 Trump needs to pick this up and run hard with it, exposing Champ and the regime for what they are. See Ralph Peters for additional comment and classic anatomic descriptor.

Posted by Besoeker 2016-01-13 05:04|| 2016-01-13 05:04|| Front Page Top

#2 Ever thought it might be a show to increase Baraq's popularity (O delivers "strong message", sailors promptly released), Besoeker?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2016-01-13 05:44|| 2016-01-13 05:44|| Front Page Top

#3 Released! And yes g(r)om, the PR aspects will no doubt be exploited. I can almost see the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens clenching his fists:

By LUIS MARTINEZ and KELLY STEVENSON
5 minutes ago
Good Morning America

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has released 10 U.S. Navy sailors who were being held after their boats are said to have drifted into Iranian waters on a journey from Kuwait to Bahrain Tuesday.

"Ten U.S. Navy Sailors safely returned to U.S. custody today, after departing Iran. There are no indications that the Sailors were harmed during their brief detention,” according to a statement from the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs Office.

"The Sailors departed Farsi Island at at 8:43 a.m. GMT, aboard the two Riverine Command Boats (RCB) that they had been operating when they lost contact with the U.S. Navy. The Sailors were later transferred ashore by U.S. Navy aircraft, while other Sailors took charge of the RCBs and continued transiting toward Bahrain, the boats' original destination. The Navy will investigate the circumstances that led to the Sailors' presence in Iran," the statement added.

Cmdr. Kevin Stephens, spokesman for U.S. Fifth Fleet, told ABC News the sailors were recovered aboard Navy cruiser USS Anzio, which was in international waters, just outside Iranian territorial waters. Once on board, they were given an initial medical evaluation and were flown to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. They will receive additional assessments on board before being taken ashore to a facility in the region, although that may not be Bahrain.

Posted by Besoeker 2016-01-13 07:46|| 2016-01-13 07:46|| Front Page Top

#4 Well, at least these kids are safe.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2016-01-13 08:23|| 2016-01-13 08:23|| Front Page Top

#5 A real leader would tell Iran they had 5 hours to release the sailors AND the boats or the two aircraft carriers in the area would start to unleash hell. Followed by the bombers at Diego Garcia. Then by the B-2s back home.

If they still didn't comply, they could expect Ranger battalions and Marine Brigades to be rolled into their enrichment facilities with the orders "Go Nuts".

Posted by DarthVader 2016-01-13 11:21|| 2016-01-13 11:21|| Front Page Top

#6 The Times of Israel reports Iran claims the US apologized, Biden says no, and Kerry says his diplomatic friendship with the head of the nuclear negotiations swung the deal. That last suggests that he did make some meaningless apology, since his previous "friendship" consisted of being screamed at until he surrendered.

Posted by trailing wife 2016-01-13 11:23|| 2016-01-13 11:23|| Front Page Top

#7 I'll bet the boats didn't really have mechanical difficulties.

Posted by gorb 2016-01-13 11:25|| 2016-01-13 11:25|| Front Page Top

#8 Also this, from Ynet:

Iran says seizure of US boats a lesson to 'troublemakers' in Congress

Iran's army chief said on Wednesday the seizure of two US navy boats and their 10 sailors should be a lesson to members the US Congress trying to impose new sanctions on Tehran.

"This incident in the Persian Gulf, which probably will not be the American forces' last mistake in the region, should be a lesson to troublemakers in the US Congress," Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, head of Iran's armed forces, was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

Posted by trailing wife 2016-01-13 11:25|| 2016-01-13 11:25|| Front Page Top

#9 At gorb, #7: I was wondering about that. I don't know these boats at all. I've read that these are twin diesel engined boats. How does it happen that all four engines break down at once?

Posted by Steve White 2016-01-13 13:36|| 2016-01-13 13:36|| Front Page Top

#10 We must have spec'd some really crappy military hardware, I'm sure.

Posted by gorb 2016-01-13 13:47|| 2016-01-13 13:47|| Front Page Top

#11 Run out of fuel?

Posted by Sven the pelter 2016-01-13 13:50|| 2016-01-13 13:50|| Front Page Top

#12 Towing not an option? Air cover? Other vessels in the area? Did the actual release take place a bit later than expected [after the State of the Union.... as opposed to just prior] ?

Posted by Besoeker 2016-01-13 13:52|| 2016-01-13 13:52|| Front Page Top

#13 I'very been wondering if strict ROES forced them to surrender to the Iranians, who may or may not have actually stopped them in Iranian waters.

Posted by Wheagum the Rasher of Bacon8442 2016-01-13 14:00|| 2016-01-13 14:00|| Front Page Top

#14 Per this article (HT Instapundit), these boats of Swedish origin are not designed for this climate and overheat regularly.

Posted by Dar 2016-01-13 14:50|| 2016-01-13 14:50|| Front Page Top

#15 Hate to say this but I got to wonder about the crew -- they surrendered like a bunch of British swabbies, read their hostage video scripts w/out complaint and posed for pics in their disgrace, with nary a Hawaiian good luck hand gesture.

Posted by regular joe 2016-01-13 15:33|| 2016-01-13 15:33|| Front Page Top

#16 Easy on the lads RJ. If I were a betting man I'd wager they were under very strict orders. When overtaken, it appears the gun mounts were empty as well. The report of failing communications is highly, highly suspect. Not to mention the incident's proximity to the State of the Union Address.

Had the release taken place just prior to the State of the Union, I cannot believe it would have gone unmentioned.

Please go ahead and call me cynical.

Posted by Besoeker 2016-01-13 15:40|| 2016-01-13 15:40|| Front Page Top

#17 Correction to the above. Not ALL of the gun mounts were empty.

Video

Posted by Besoeker 2016-01-13 15:48|| 2016-01-13 15:48|| Front Page Top

#18 I remember back when we were a legitimate superpower.

Posted by Crusader 2016-01-13 15:50|| 2016-01-13 15:50|| Front Page Top

#19 Kerry on the news, the giveaway (rooghly paraphrasing yesterday's statement):

"Just think where we'd be (USN crew seizure) if we didn't have the Iran Deal negotiations as a communication vehicle."

Posted by Besoeker 2016-01-13 18:34|| 2016-01-13 18:34|| Front Page Top

#20 May had missed it, but a CNN Segment this sunny Guam AM repor that the 10 USN have been formally released, but AFAIK has not mentioned anything about their two boats also being returned.

Personally, I'm more inclined to believe that this was a covert, PCorrect-Deniable Diplomatic exchange between two Nations overtly hostile to one another but in need of rapprochment agz a common threat or as per a common agenda.

IMO THE BOATS, OR IN ALTERN WHAT MILTECHS OR OTHER THAT WAS OVERTLY OR COVERTLY ON THEM, WERE A "GIFT" = "TRANSFER" FROM THE OBAMA-LED OWG GLOBALIST CO-SUPERPOWER US TO ITS SIMILAR CO-SUPERPOWER MUSLIM SIBLING.

Posted by Josephmendiola 2016-01-13 19:55|| 2016-01-13 19:55|| Front Page Top

#21 Do the outfits they are wearing qualify as uniforms under Geneva conventions?

Posted by KBK 2016-01-13 21:10|| 2016-01-13 21:10|| Front Page Top

#22 You nailed it Joe.

Posted by Besoeker 2016-01-13 21:11|| 2016-01-13 21:11|| Front Page Top

#23 How can you defend yourself when you have to worry about being prosecuted at home?

Posted by chris 2016-01-13 23:42|| 2016-01-13 23:42|| Front Page Top

23:47 JosephMendiola
23:44 anymouse
23:43 chris
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23:15 trailing wife
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21:13 Sven the pelter
21:11 Besoeker
21:10 KBK
21:03 Airandee
20:58 Sven the pelter
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20:52 Ebbart Glererong5900
20:32 Frank G
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