Posted on 01/23/2009 2:24:49 PM PST by lewisglad
Military sources report that a US Navy Coast Guard team this week boarded an Iranian arms ship flying a Cypriot flag in the Red Sea and found weapons in its hold.
This was the first time an America warship had ever intercepted an Iranian vessel in international water. The incident activated the Memo of Understanding the former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice signed with Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni a week ago on actions to halt the flow of Iranian arms to Hamas as part of the Gaza ceasefire.
The Iranian ship's captain showed the US boarding team documents recording the Syrian port of Latakia as its cargo's destination. DEBKAfile reports that both US and Israeli intelligence are certain the arms were bound for Hamas. But according to international law, the US Navy's Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, set up last week to combat piracy, was not authorized to confiscate the cargo or stop the ship because no enforcement mechanism was yet in place.
After a few hours, therefore, the US force released the Iranian vessel and two warships escorted it out of Red Sea waters. The ship and its escort are due to enter the Suez Canal heading north Saturday night, Jan. 23, after being prevented from unloading its arms freight on the coast of Sinai or Gaza.
Tehran has so far not reacted to the incident.
DEBKAfile revealed last week that the new US task force policing the waters of the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Red Sea, under the command of Rear Adm. Terry McKnight, had been additionally assigned with intercepting Iranian ships smuggling arms for Hamas, often in conjunction with Somali pirates and Sinai Bedouin militias.
Massed on the lead ship San Antonio is a helicopter detachment, a "surgical team" for dealing with small speedboats trying to hem the ship in and 14 Navy VBSS members, including two Navy boarding officers. The Coast Guard detachment is made up of eight members, all of them qualified as boarding officers.
watch empty suit phony now give the order to not intercept Iranian ships.
Did this occur before or after the 20th?
I hate to be picky, but isn't GAZA AFTER the Suez on a trip from Iran to Syria?
You said — “watch empty suit phony now give the order to not intercept Iranian ships.”
Obama (in another FReeper article here) has already stated that he intends to stop the arms shipments to the Hamas and will work with Israel to do so. I don’t know how they intend to do it, but that’s, at least, what he’s stated...
He probably already did but the Navy doesn’t take orders from an illegal immigrant.
Well..., this is what the article said — “After a few hours, therefore, the US force released the Iranian vessel and two warships escorted it out of Red Sea waters. The ship and its escort are due to enter the Suez Canal heading north Saturday night, Jan. 23, after being prevented from unloading its arms freight on the coast of Sinai or Gaza.”
I read that the UN restrictions were what stopped us from confiscating the arms.
You said — “He probably already did but the Navy doesn’t take orders from an illegal immigrant.”
It makes for good “hyperbole” but it isn’t the fact of what Obama can do as President of the United States...
US anti-piracy task force to intercept Iran's Hamas arms ship DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
January 21, 2009, 9:23 AM (GMT+02:00)
The USS San Antonio amphibian warship, heading the Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 patrolling the Gulf of Aden for pirates, has been assigned with hunting down the Iranian cargo vessel carrying 60 tons of rockets and other arms for smuggling into Gaza.
This is revealed by exclusive military sources. CTF 151 is a new American force, announced in Washington Saturday Jan. 17, for fighting the Somali pirates plaguing the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Red Sea, under the command of Rear Adm. Terry McKnight. These are the very waterways plied by Iranian arms smugglers for Hamas, often in conjunction with Somali pirates and Sinai Bedouin militias.
Massed on the San Antonio 's decks now cruising in the Gulf of Aden is a helicopter detachment, a "surgical team" for dealing with small speedboats trying to hem the ship in and boarding teams with their own small boats and helicopters. US marine and coast guard units make up the interception force.
Israel's foreign minister Tzipi Livni flew to Brussels Wednesday, Jan. 21, to discuss adding the European Union to the understanding she signed with the US last Friday for ending the flow of smuggled Iranian weapons to Gaza. Washington and Jerusalem hope to bring European governments aboard this understanding, capitalizing on the momentum generated by Israel's unilateral ceasefire and the support shown by six European leaders when they visited Egypt's Sharm el Sheik and Jerusalem Sunday Jan. 18.
Egypt and Israel are negotiating Cairo's end of the operation for stifling the influx of smuggled arms to Gaza. Livni is after undertakings by as many European governments as possible to allow their anti-piracy patrols with the CTF 151 to double for missions to intercept Iranian arms smuggling vessels. Our sources in Brussels report that she cannot count on getting all them all to join because some EU members willing to combat piracy may hold back from attack Iranian shipping.
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5869
Would not surprise me if Zero ordered the Navy to ESCORT Iranian arms ships directly into Gaza. Jerk.
probably after. they reported it was “going to happen” about 2-3 days ago
That CG Captain’s taking a chance, then. Zero’s Administration may order ROE changes retroactive to the 20th, making this a career-ending move.
LOL! In other words, “Leave Al Qaeda alone” Obama executive order # 2347.
You said — “Would not surprise me if Zero ordered the Navy to ESCORT Iranian arms ships directly into Gaza. Jerk.”
He’s already stated that he will work with Israel to stop the arms flow to the Hamas. He’s already on the record for that one. So, at least, he can be held to his “on the record” statements to that effect...
Well, I don’t think he would change it, because of what’s he’s already stated, in just the last day or two about supporting Israel in stopping the arms flow to the Hamas. He’s already on the record for that, just in the last day or two...
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Obama (in another FReeper article here) has already stated that he intends to stop the arms shipments to the Hamas and will work with Israel to do so
end quote
yea he always does what he says right
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