U.S. Would Have Fired on The Iranians

UK Independent via. Hot Air ^

[Weight of Glory]

The executive officer - second-in-command on USS Underwood, the frigate working in the British-controlled task force with HMS Cornwall - said: “The unique US Navy rules of engagement say we not only have a right to self-defence but also an obligation to self-defence. They [the British] had every right in my mind and every justification to defend themselves rather than allow themselves to be taken. Our reaction was, ‘Why didn’t your guys defend themselves?’”…

[rlmorel]

Uh huh. Lets see...they did have a 50 cal on the Pueblo against...four torpedo boats with multiple machine guns, a subchaser with a 57 mm cannon and two MIGs.

What would you suggest the Captain and crew of the Pueblo have done?

[investigateworld]

Bit before my time, but this isn't the Royal Navy that rescued the lads aboard the Altmark :^(

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Actually, I thought it was all too obvious.

[PAR35]

The Brits were a little ahead of the US with radar, and we drew on their work.

Radar is one of those things where there were parallel developments in multiple countries. There is a brief article from the BBC here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/A591545

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

TANKS for the ping,Cas,,,4 has a new map up on the thread
that mite help get a handle on where this happened,,,

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Because political correctness has almost completely destroyed Britannia.

[Figment]

"The world screamed excessive force and the Israelis backed down"

And the Israelis still don't have the kidnapped troops back.

[Salem]

"The executive officer - second-in-command on USS Underwood, the frigate working in the British-controlled task force with HMS Cornwall - said: “The unique US Navy rules of engagement say we not only have a right to self-defence but also an obligation to self-defence. They [the British] had every right in my mind and every justification to defend themselves rather than allow themselves to be taken. Our reaction was, ‘Why didn’t your guys defend themselves?’”…

"Yesterday, the former First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Alan West, said British rules of engagement were “very much de-escalatory, because we don’t want wars starting …"

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Oh ... GEEEZ.

Somebody tell the Brits thanks much for all their help and support through the years, but it's time for them to go home.

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AMERICA AT WAR
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"PLAES DO NOT TOCH THE WAR"  by AnnaZ
One FReeper On The Line  by SNOWFLAKE
The Clash of Ideologies - A Review

"...It's time we recognized the nature of the conflict. It's total war and we are all involved. Nobody on our side is exempted because of age, gender, or handicap. The Islamofacists have stolen childhood from the world." [FReeper Retief]

"...That the totalitarian force pitted against freedom wears a religious makes this civil war among mankind all the more difficult to engage. Loving freedom as we do, it seems reprehensible to deliberate against a religion. But this is no ordinary religion as it demands absolute obedience of all to their religion at the cost of freedom itself." [FReeper Backtothestreets]

[george76]

‘Why didn’t your guys defend themselves?’”…

[george76]

British rules of engagement ...?

.

[Fred Nerks]

"Yesterday, the former First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Alan West, said British rules of engagement were “very much de-escalatory, because we don’t want wars starting …"

says it all IMO. Disgusting.

[SevenofNine]

Thanks for support through the years thanks for coming Salem

[ASA Vet]

I don't blame the Captain or crew. I blame the president of the US who called off the two F4C's that were enroute.

[Oztrich Boy]

Then what does this mean?

It means that Little Commander Horner is a blowhard

Our reaction was, ‘Why didn’t your guys defend themselves?’”…

I remember the same question being asked 20 years ago

[rlmorel]

By the way, if my response had overtones of irritation, it is because my dad did have a connection to CDR Bucher, and while the Captain of the USS Pueblo might not have been a top of the line Captain, he tried to do the best he could with what he had. Our military places value on the lives of its men...we generally don't require them to go down shooting in a hopeless cause, which is what that would have been.

[jveritas]

I am very disappointed with the British reaction about this terrorist act against them which is in fact a declaration of war. The British are acting in a very meek and weak fashion regarding this.

[george76]

Really ?

called off the two F4C's that were enroute...

.

[ASA Vet]

Yes, I detected the irritation. However it was misdirected.
I was on duty in a SCIF the day the Pueblo happened.

We were sure the US would do something.

I can't say much more without getting pissed off all over again.

[Fred Nerks]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6491581.stm

What are the rules of engagement in this type of situation?

"The rules are very much de-escalatory, because we don't want wars starting. The reason we are there is to be a force for good, to make the whole area safe, to look after the Iraqi big oil platforms and also to stop smuggling and terrorism there.

So we try to downplay things. Rather then roaring into action and sinking everything in sight we try to step back and that, of course, is why our chaps were effectively able to be captured and taken away.

If we find this is going to be a standard practice we need to think very carefully about what rules of engagement we want and how we operate. One can't allow as a standard practice nations to capture a nation's servicemen. That is clearly wrong."

Puke!

[rlmorel]

Yeah. My dad, in addition to being a friend (I kind of wanted to say drinking buddy) of CDR Bucher, was also the Security and Communications Officer at the time when we lived in Yokosuka, Japan. My dad spent two weeks straight in the Comm Hut on the base without coming home.