CNN: Officials: Iranian patrol boats probe Iraqi waters

[sabra]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/19/iran.iraq/index.html

Officials: Iranian patrol boats probe Iraqi waters

• Officials: Iranian patrol boats recently entered Iraqi waters near oil terminals
• U.S. Navy officer says Iran trying to see what response its actions get
• Iran's actions the subject of recent U.S. military briefings, officials say
• U.S. assessment is Iran trying to raise its military presence in Persian Gulf

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Iranian patrol boats have increased attempts in the last week to assess defenses near Iraqi offshore oil terminals, U.S. military officials said Monday.

The Iranian actions at the northern end of the Persian Gulf have been a subject of operational briefings for U.S. military personnel in recent days, the officials said.

The officials -- who said they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter -- said that the United States does not see the Iranian moves as aggressive or provocative. The assessment is that the probes are part of an Iranian effort to raise its military presence in the gulf.

...

A senior U.S. Navy officer said he thinks Iran is trying to see what response its actions get from Iraqi and U.S. naval forces. The Navy officer said that in the last several months Iranian naval forces have expanded their area of operations inside the gulf, often increasing activity in offshore areas for training and exercises.

[villager]

1. a gulf named "Tonkin," no doubt....

n/t

[Doctor_J]

2. When do our pitchforks and torches come out?

:grr:

[IndianaGreen]

3. Are these the same unnamed officials that said Iran was behind attacks on our forces?

Sorry, but the burden of proof lies on the Pentagon. Unless they present incontrovertible and solid evidence to support their claims, we must dismiss their pronouncements as lies and prowar propaganda.

[SutaUvaca]

4. Great. Here we go.

The setting up of Iran continues apace.

"A senior U.S. Navy officer said he thinks Iran is trying to see what response its actions get from Iraqi and U.S. naval forces."

So, we have an un-named official quoting an un-named senior Navy officer who is a mind-reader. I wonder if Iranians have a guy who says, "I think the US carrier groups are patrolling near our shores more in order to assess our defenses better."?

[Elidor]

5. Here's a shot of one of them

Oops, wrong pic.

[ohio2007]

14. That looks like the PT-109

It's not just a job, it's an adventure.


look at him scoot !

[Warren Stupidity]

6. I'll take Just Like Vietnam for 150 pts Alex.

Oh for fucks sake. This cannot be happening.

[Zhade]

7. STOP. LYING!

Fuck!

[muryan]

8. i honestly wouldnt be surprise if they were in the area

but it makes no difference if they are there or not. I they arent engaged in any hostilities towards american troops than who cares

[maryallen]

9. What "OFFICIALS," CNN??

What "Military OFFICIALS," CNN?
Name your sources, CNN, so they can be checked.
No more free rides, politicians: Call CNN on this outlandish reporting!@

CNN:
So, you think you can just toss a few names out and hope something sticks?
Being complicit in getting us into an ILLEGAL war in Iraq wasn't enough for you, CNN?
Now, you're going to beat the drum for yet another illegal and unnecessary war in IRAN, CNN?
How many treasonous actions are you going to make before your FCC license is reviewed and yanked, CNN?

[ohio2007]

15. It's old news actually

The Iranians have been patrolling their border waters ever since the Invasion. It isn't breaking news but somebody must know "sweep weeks" are around the corner, need to get those rating up.

soon they will announce the "breaking news" about small arms cross border fire that occurs regularly.

get ready ;)

[lyonn]

10. The article mentions Iraqi waters. What does that mean?

Do we have our fleet in "Iraqi Waters"? Do the Iranians have their designated waters? Where is a map showing how this works? Iraq has a very small area as I recall that strictly belonging to Iraq.

[ohio2007]

16. It means you should bone up on maritime law and international waters

here is a very bad comparison ;
The city of Oakland California is an Iraqi port.
San Fransisco is Iranian port.
they share the same waterways to the open sea

better yet,
Baton Rouge and New Orleans both along the Mississippi delta /

People want to see a shooting war break out and journalists in the media want to win Pulitzer Prizes. They are feeding off each other

[Warren Stupidity]

18. Iran and Iraq share that little bit around Basra. nt.

[Marie26]

11. More anonymous officials

And, bullshit that they weren't authorized to leak this information. Of course it was authorized.

[Andrushka]

12. Are these

the same offshore terminals that the US swept onto and took over on the second day of the invasion and sit right on the sea international boundary with Iran?

(on edit: the info below from http://www.answers.com/topic/shatt-al-arab)
The Shatt al-Arab, or Arvandrud in Persian, provides Iraq with its only means of access to the Persian Gulf. Issues of joint sovereignty over the waterway have long been a source of contention between Iran and Iraq. In 1975 Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi of Iran and Vice President Saddam Hussein of Iraq signed the Algiers Agreement, which demarcated the thalweg (middle) line along the Shatt al-Arab as the border between the two states. In September 1980 Iraq launched an offensive against the Islamic Republic of Iran, declaring one of its intentions to be the restoration of the Shatt al-Arab to sole Iraqi sovereignty. Hostilities were brought to an end in 1988, but a peace agreement remains to be signed between the two countries. UN Resolution 598 has not been implemented other than to establish a cease-fire; sovereignty of and navigation rights in the Shatt al-Arab remain unresolved. Since Iraq's massive defeat at the hands of the United States in the Gulf War of 1991, borders have reverted to the 1975 demarcations, albeit unofficially.

[ohio2007]

17. good historical find Andrushka !

on another side note, Saddams 4rth largest military in the world no longer threatens anybody in the midle east....so... the world is full of prowling wolves looking for satisfaction in the power vacuum.

Some want to compare this to Viet Nam but;

.... Hostilities were brought to an end in 1988, but a peace agreement remains to be signed between the two countries...

It reads more like North Korea.

[Andrushka]

19. Actually...

I am slightly mistaken. I think the above is about the area at the mouth of the Tigris - these two terminals sit further out to sea. Apparently, they were targeted by Iran during the Iraq-Iran war, and some militants tried to bomb one of them a few years back (killed two US saiors in the process, if you recall).

Found this on the British Navy's site:



(http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server?show=nav.5868&outputFormat=print)

The two black 'dots' are the terminals. Not a very detailed map, but I haven't been able to dig up anything else that has international borders for that part of the gulf. As you can see, they are not far from Iranian territory. Any unauthorized boat that comes within 2200 yards of them can be fired upon, apparently.

[ohio2007]

13. Iraqi oil rigs at sea are a lot closer to Iranian waters then their own soil

taking the 12 mile limit into consideration,those Iranian 'gunboats' can shoot at the rigs from inside their own borders.

More of the rigs are being turned over to and manned by the Iraqi navy forces.
Guess we can trust them to do the right thing and protect their national interests.