Posted on 02/08/2002 6:27:00 PM PST by blam
Canadian frigate seizes ship in Arabian Sea
A Canadian frigate in the Arabian Sea has boarded and seized a tanker suspected of smuggling Iraqi oil in violation of United Nations sanctions.
Canadian Navy Commander Jim Heath said the HMCS Vancouver intercepted the 1,600-ton tanker on Monday when it left territorial waters near the Iran-Pakistan border.
A helicopter hovered over the ship, covering it with a machine-gun, while a six-man party scrambled aboard.
Once the African-registered ship MV Zakat was secure, 20 more Canadian sailors went aboard and searched the vessel for two-and-a-half days.
The search "revealed significant communications equipment, technical facilities, extensive repair equipment and hidden charts and documentation associated with seasoned smuggling operations and a likely smuggling co-ordination role," the navy said in a news release.
Vancouver hooked up a line and towed the Zakat to the approaches of the Straits of Hormuz where it was handed over to another coalition ship.
Story filed: 02:24 Saturday 9th February 2002
At the end of WW II, the Royal Canadian Navy was the third largest navy in the world.
Our frostbitten neighbors to the north have quite a seafaring tradition.
Overlooked, ignored and kicked in the guts. Situation normal, Australia.
Well, let's put an end to that complex right here and now.
The Aussie SAS has been active inside Afghanistan. I recall reading about their involvement, rather early on as I recall.
My error and I apologize.
And I was unaware of the exploits of the Adelaide, Anzac, Sydney and Kanimbla simply because they haven't been reported in any medium that I've read. What is the Kanimbla named for, anyway?
Those Canucks, they get all the press, don't they?
And did not Australians fight in every WW II theater? There was an RAAF wing in Bomber Command. The Aussies were the backbone of the British 8th Army in North Africa, also fighting their way up the boot of Italy. And diggers did the dirty work in both the CBI and SW Pacific.
Where, pray tell, did all those soldiers come from?
All better now?
Australia is running a huge risk backing the US. South East Asia is generally anti American, anti West, and anti Christian. They didn't like Australia before Sept 11 and with the world's largest Islamic country next door still pi$$ed at us for liberating East Timor, things could very easily get extremely dangerous.
BTW, KANIMBLA is named after an amphip ship which saw alot of action in the Pacific and North Africa during WW2. Also KANIMBLA is an ex USN ship, USS SAGINSAW.
Don't blame you.
And I, for one, would never mistake an Aussie for a Euroweenie.
Hell, you guys even play baseball!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.