Iran 'unable to take Australians'

BBC ^

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

The Australians have also been patrolling northern Gulf waters

Iranian naval forces in the Gulf tried to capture an Australian Navy boarding team but were vigorously repelled, the BBC has learned.

The incident took place before Iran successfully seized 15 British sailors and Marines in March.

The lessons from the earlier attempt do not appear to have been applied in time by British maritime patrols.

The 15 Britons were searching a cargo boat in the Gulf when they were captured over a boundary dispute.

'Having none of it'

When Iranian Revolutionary Guards captured the British sailors and Royal Marines in March, it was not exactly their first attempt.

It turns out that Iranian forces made an earlier concerted attempt to seize a boarding party from the Royal Australian Navy.

The Australians, though, to quote one military source, "were having none of it".

The British personnel were eventually released

The BBC has been told the Australians re-boarded the vessel they had just searched, aimed their machine guns at the approaching Iranians and warned them to back off, using what was said to be "highly colourful language".

The Iranians withdrew, and the Australians were reportedly lifted off the ship by one of their own helicopters.

The circumstances for the Britons in March were slightly different in that they were caught so much by surprise that, had they attempted to repel the Iranians with their limited firepower, they would doubtless have taken very heavy casualties.

But military sources say that what is of concern is that the Royal Navy did not appear to have taken sufficient account of the lessons of the Australian encounter.

In an oblique reference to the threat from Iran, Britain's First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, has recently admitted there was a need for greater strategic awareness in the northern Gulf.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Kudos to the Aussies--living up to their rough and tumble cultural stereotype. Hopefully if this happened to Americans, they would do the same, rather than copy the British response (not that there aren't brave Britons or that most Britons aren't brave; just using the similar British capture incident).

[edcoil]

Before the british? we were told this was an entirely new approach which is why the brit’s were surprised and gave up so easy.

[onja]

If the British soldiers had done that, they’d be dead.

The situation was a lot different with the Aussies. Still, the British command should have learned and given the troops more military support.

[SolidWood]

That’s the way the Britons hsould have handled it. The Islamic cockroaches are only good at terrorist, coward, sneak attacks against unarmed people. When confronted with force they fold like cheap suits.

[Greg F]

Man. Imagine that. A naval crew defending their vessel.

[mikrofon]

"Heh, that's not a navy ... now THIS is a navy!"

[Bahbah]

The BBC has been told the Australians re-boarded the vessel they had just searched, aimed their machine guns at the approaching Iranians and warned them to back off, using what was said to be "highly colourful language".

LOL. I'll just bet they did. God bless the Australians.

[AmericaUnited]

The Aussies giving the Iranians the old “You call that a knife, No, this is a knife.”

[ASA Vet]

Man. Imagine that. A naval crew defending their vessel.

[ulm1]

Bull poop. The Brit DESTROYER should have opened fire and blown the scum out of the water. Either that or chase them until they caught them.

[montag813]

Were any iPod’s captured by the enemy?

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[Moose4]

The problem with the Brits wasn’t so much the sailors themselves (well, excepting the ones that were crying for their mum afterward)...it was the ROE they were operating under, and the fact they were sent out without sufficient firepower or planning. If this is true, and the Aussies had to repel an attempt before, and the RN knew about it, then the capture of the British crew is even more of an indictment on their officers and the way the RN was operating.

}:-)4

[reagan_fanatic]

The BBC has been told the Australians re-boarded the vessel they had just searched, aimed their machine guns at the approaching Iranians and warned them to back off, using what was said to be "highly colourful language".

Wow! God bless the Aussies! The Iranians would not be throwing their weight around like they are doing now if more countries would follow the Aussie example.

My hat's off to them!

[Retired COB]

That's a nice picture. In case you don't know the name of the ship in the picture, it's the USS Banner, AGER2 (That's an Auxiliary Geographic Environmental Research Vessel #2). AGER1 was the USS Pueblo.

I spent about a month temporary duty on it when it was home ported in Japan (after the Koreans had taken the Pueblo). Even the cook on this ship needed a TS clearance, because he had to know how many days to provision for, and that info was top secret.

[CJ Wolf]

“If the British soldiers had done that, they’d be dead.”

Doubt it. The Iranians would never attack the British outright. If they (Iranians) had fired shots and killed it would have led to all out war. They attempted and succeeded in a political kidnapping.

[Mopp4]

Britain's First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, has recently admitted there was a need for greater strategic awareness in the northern Gulf.

Should change his title to Admiral Obvious

[noname07718]

A sailor defends his ship with more intensity than anything I know. I once saw sailors manning the rail with fire hoses and M-60’s as they were entering San Diego harbor in the early 80’s. This was after Reagan got rid of that wuss carter. (He doesn’t even rate a capital letter in his name.)

Some tree hugger group (Greenpeace type) threatened to board the Cruiser because they felt that there were Nuclear warheads on board. The M-60 belts had not been fed into the weapon, nut they were ready. Thos guys manning the fire hoses looked very determined as well. There were Navy out riders in smaller patrol boats. All of the observable Sailors looked very determined that there would be no boarding that day.

The Bartender in the Convention Center (Omni at the time) told me that there would be some very hurting civilians if they tried. He tried to explain the bonding a Sailor has with his ship. My sense was that it is not a bond to be trifled with and have an expectation of making a statement other than to the Police in the emergency room of the local hospital.

[NRA2BFree]

Good for the Aussies! I admire them so much. They’ve been a good friend to the US, and their stand against Muslims is the stand I wish America would take.

[kabar]

Scumbag Richardson and Principi toured the USS Puebolo "captured by North Korea in the 1960s that is now used to inspire anti-American sentiment in the reclusive communist regime."

The USS Pueblo is still a commissioned ship on active duty with the USN. These jerks acted as shills for North Korean propraganda. And Richardson wants to be President of the US. What a joke.

Richardson tours captured U.S. warship