US Marines Board Iraq Tanker and Sink It

CNN ^ | November 17, 2001 | CNN Reporting

[Peach]

CNN just reported at 10:30 a.m. EST that US Marines boarded an Iraq oil tanker and based on what was found on the tanker, deliberately sank the tanker. Two US Marines are missing. There was a grahic at the bottom of the screen that stated the same thing, but now they are interviewing some politician about congressional matters. Did anyone else see this report?

[Peach]

I missed the first minute of this report and would like further info if anyone has it.

[Peach]

Sorry for the double post; you can see I never post anything.

[VA Advogado]

I find it hard to believe the jarheads would sink the ship with their own on board, eh?

[Joe Miner]

Jeez they sank it? And now two marines are missing? I don't think it was the marines that sank it.

[kcvl]

Oil Tanker Sinks, 2 Sailors Missing

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Navy (news - web sites) was searching Sunday for two U.S. sailors missing in waters of the Persian Gulf after the sinking of an oil tanker they and other security forces had boarded, officials said.

The identities of the two sailors were not released, pending notification of relatives.

A statement issued Sunday by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command headquarters in Bahrain said the tanker, named Samra, sank at about 4:45 a.m. local time Sunday (9:45 p.m. Saturday EST) in the northern Gulf. It did not say what caused the ship to sink.

The tanker had been boarded by U.S. sailors because it was carrying an estimated 1,700 metric tons of Iraqi oil in violation of U.N. sanctions against Iraq, officials said. The tanker had a crew of 14 Iraqis. Ten Iraqis were recovered alive after the tanker sank; one Iraqi was found dead, and three were missing.

In addition to the two American sailors missing, six others were recovered alive, officials said.

The U.S. sailors had boarded the tanker from the USS Peterson, a destroyer whose home port is Norfolk, Va.

[OldFriend]

Why not wait for the facts before trying to be first.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

If true, I'd like to see if Saddam has the ball bearings to declare war on the U.S. for what, I am sure, he will call, "an act of terrorism".

[caseyblane]

anything new? What sank it?

[blam]

Something does not make any sense about this story. Was there a fight over this tanker? Was it loaded with oil? Enviromental concerns over oil spill? Hmmmm? First shot of the second war with Iraq?

[Peach]

Excuse me, old friend. I reported what I heard on CNN but said that I would like more information because I missed the first minute of the report. And, by the way, CNN has been known to get THEIR facts wrong which is why I turned to FR. Let's not get so touchy with each other, Friend. I've never posted an article here before and wasn't interested in being first, only interested in getting information.

[Peach]

By the way, Friend - which fact is it that I got incorrect? That we sank the tanker? That's what I heard on CNN and this article which was posted said it is not known what sank the tanker.

[debg]

I heard the initial report from CNN. They indicated that the sinking was probably "accidental" in that the loads some of these ships carry cause them to be off-balanced. FWIW (maybe they read a babelfish report!)

[Amerigomag]

Since this is AP (as opposed to a translated report) the article implies that as a result of the boarding we now have one sunken ship, two missing and six wounded sailors.

Doesn't sound to routine.

[ScholarWarrior]

CNN further reported accident. Neither scuttled nor attacked.
Evidently overloaded oil tanker deep in water and listing.
I guess when marines boarded, the tanker flipped over.

[blam]

"I've never posted an article here before and wasn't interested in being first, only interested in getting information."

Thanks for the post Peach. Ignore the hecklers.

[Don Myers]

"I guess when marines boarded, the tanker flipped over."

Are we to assume that we have some very big marines walking around tipping over ships? I don't know. That just doesn't sound right to me.

[cksharks]

With Idiots you just have to tell them to bite your ass!

[operation clinton cleanup]

I'd like to see if Saddam has the ball bearings to declare war on the U.S. It is my understanding he did this ten years ago and is yet to sign a peace treaty. He broke the cease fire agreement in June 1991 when he barred U.N. inspectors from taking his nuclear program records.

[Peach]

Thanks for the support, blam. (smiles)