MANAMA, Bahrain -- Two U.S. Navy vessels -- a submarine and an amphibious ship -- collided during the early morning hours Friday in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the Arabian peninsula, the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet reported.
The military said in a statement that the incident occurred around 1:00 a.m. local time on Friday (5 p.m. EDT, Thursday), when the USS Hartford, a submarine, and the USS New Orleans, an amphibious ship, collided. According to the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, 15 sailors aboard the Hartford were slightly injured but able to return to duty. No injuries were reported aboard the New Orleans.
Both ships were heading to port when the incident occurred in the narrow strait, said Lt. Nate Christensen. He said the incident occurred at night, and the submarine was submerged at the time, but said he could give no further details as the incident is still under investigation. Both vessels are now heading to port for repairs and evaluation, but Christensen said that following standard security procedures he could not say where the vessels were heading.
The New Orleans suffered a ruptured fuel tank, resulting in an oil spill of approximately 25,000 gallons (95,000 liters) of diesel fuel. There was no damage the nuclear reactor powering the Hartford, Christensen said. Both ships are currently operating under their own power.
The Navy said both ships were on regularly scheduled deployments to the region and conducting security operations. The Hartford is based in Groton, Conn. and the New Orleans is based in San Diego, Calif., the Navy said.
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#4
Should be some openings soon for Navy promotions. You spend your whole life getting a ship command, then just mess up one time and run into another ship (or run into anything, for that matter) and the whole career is shot.
#5
mess up one time and ... the whole career is shot.
Too bad that doesn't apply to politicians, too...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
03/20/2009 14:03 Comments ||
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#6
OK USN R'burgers - who hit whom here. The article says the sub was submerged, and both were heading to port (Bahrain? - inbound through the straits?) so where was the FUBAR?
#8
Considering that the amphib shouldn't have been able to spot the submarine, I'm thinking blame is going to land right on the sub commander for this. The amphib's captain will prolly still lose his command, but the majority of blame is going to be on the sub commander.
#9
I'll remind y'all that Submarines work very hard at NOT being detected, I'd chalk this one as a major success. (Sorta)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/20/2009 18:42 Comments ||
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#10
so where was the FUBAR?
I'd sumrise the sub was using the 'gator as a shadow to mask its signature. Sounds like a matter of either getting too close or a mis-communication before/during maneuvering.
#11
Drat Pappy - sounds likely, which would put the sub at fault for the assured clear distance rule, yes?. Also, given the fuel spill - would the tank be somewhere aft on the New Orleans?
TEHRAN, Iran Iran's supreme leader said Friday that world powers had been persuaded they could not block Iran's nuclear progress making no mention of a new-year's message sent by President Obama to his country, Reuters reported.
Neither Ayatollah Ali Khamenei nor Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad noted Obama's attempt to make a "new beginning" with their country in recorded messages they issued to mark the Iranian New Year.
Obama released the video Friday to coincide with the Iranian festival of Nowruz, which marks the arrival of spring. In the video, Obama says the U.S. is prepared to end the strained relations if Tehran tones down its combative rhetoric.
"This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect," Obama said.
A press adviser to Iran's president downplayed the video, saying "minor changes will not end the differences."
Ali Akbar Javanfekr told the Iranian state-run English-language Press TV satellite station that Iran will never forget U.S. meddling in Tehran's affairs. The two countries broke off relations after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
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#4
WORLD MIL FORUM > KYRGYZSTAN WORRIED OVER INCREASING MIGRATION OF CHINESE FOREIGN LABOR Kyrgyzstan + CENTRAL ASIA becom heavily dependent on Chin labor for national/econ dev, but at same time don't want too many Chin in their country?; + WORLD ECONOMY IN TRANSITION: THE RISE OF CHINA IS UNSTOPPABLE + G20 SUMMIT: WHY CANADA IS A SECOND-CLASS COUNTRY TO USA, CHINA, JAPAN, AND OTHER G-7 NATIONS [Canucks don't like to complain = make a fuss]???
* PAKISTANI DEFENSE FORUM > IRAN TELLS/WARNS PAKISTAN TO STOP USING ITS SOIL FOR [anti-Iran] ACTIVITIES AGZ IT; + CHINA ISN'T GOING TO LIKE THIS ONE/MONGOLIA TO ENHANCE DEFENSE COOPERATION WITH INDIA. INDIA repor already has a loong- established ANTI-CHIN "LISTENING POST" in Mongolia - now besides potens arms deals, may set up a new major Base inside Mongolia agz China???
As American audiences tuned into his appearance on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," President Obama tonight issued a notable video message aimed at the Iranian people and their leaders on the occasion of Nowruz, the traditional New Year's celebration in Iran and across much of Central Asia.
"In this season of new beginnings I would like to speak clearly to Iran's leaders," Obama says in the English-language recording, which is subtitled in Farsi. "We have serious differences that have grown over time. My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community."
"This process will not be advanced by threats," Obama continues. "We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual respect."
"This is huge," said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, a group that supports U.S. engagement with Tehran. "First of all, he is addressing the people and the government, which has not been done before. At one point he talks about the Islamic Republic. He's signaling hes not looking for regime change; hes recognizing Irans system.
"You always heard Rice and Bush say 'Iranian regime,'" Parsi noted. It's a big difference. That doesn't mean Obama doesnt support Iranian democratization, Parsi said. "But he recognizes the government that exists in Iran right now."
Parsi also found remarkable Obama's comments that he recognized Iran has a "rightful role among nations."
"When he is saying the U.S. seeks constructive ties between the U.S., Iran, and international community," Parsi added, "that is signaling strategic intent. He is making it clear is that where he wants to end up through diplomacy which he supports is a constructive, positive relationship with Iran, to put aside our enmity. That is huge."
Asked if Obama's message to Iran signals a concerted public diplomacy effort related to the Iran policy review underway, the White House official responded: "He's making clear to the Iranian people and government the future that he sees for the two countries and that we're prepared to engage in direct diplomacy." Full text of the message at headline link Continued on Page 47
Lebanon''s Parliament on Thursday approved a draft-law to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, but the measure will not come into effect in time for the June elections. Parliament convened in a session attended by more than 100 deputies, who showed strong support for the proposal, which calls for amending Article 21 of the Constitution. Because the opinions of children are particularly valuable.
Lebanese security forces have assembled a special 300-member team to protect the four Lebanese judges in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, although the release of their names has been delayed because of "security concerns," pan-Arab daily Ash-Sharq al-Awsat reported on Thursday.
According to the newspaper, UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who has the final decision on the matter, has not yet agreed to release the names of the judges because of security concerns.
The report added that Lebanon has assembled a special 300-strong security force to protect the judges. A Lebanese security official told Ash-Sharq al-Awsat that its members have been "subjected to very specialized training." Once the identities of the judges are made public, the force will "carry out [the judges'] protection, the protection of their houses, and the protection of their families."
The team is said to resemble "Fuhoud," the group which handles the security of visiting foreign delegations and high-level officials and handled the security of the international tribunal's prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, who was head of the UN commission investigating former Lebanese Prime Minster Rafik Hariri's assassination.
The group only awaits "information from the UN to begin its work," a Lebanese security official told Ash-Sharq al-Awsat. Even though the names of the judges have not yet been released, security authorities have stressed that measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the judges and their kin.
UN spokesman Farhan Haq told the newspaper that the organization has "trust in Lebanese security authorities." However, despite this trust and the preparedness achieved by Lebanese security officials, the names remain a secret.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Fred ||
03/20/2009 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
As American audiences tuned into his appearance on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," President Obama tonight issued a notable 
