Iran Responds to US Rescue of Captured Fishermen By Ali Akbar Dareini | Christian Science Monitor | 7 hrs ago Excerpts: Irans government on Saturday welcomed the U.S. Navy's rescue of 13 Iranian fishermen held by pirates, calling it a positive humanitarian gesture. U.S. officials announced Friday that the fishermen had been rescued by a U.S. Navy destroyer on Thursday, more than 40 days after their boat was commandeered by suspected Somali pirates in the northern Arabian Sea. The rescue came just days after Tehran warned the U.S. to keep the same group of warships out of the Persian Gulf in a reflection of Iran's fear that American warships could try to enforce an embargo against Iranian oil exports. "The rescue of Iranian sailors by American forces is considered a humanitarian gesture and we welcome this behavior," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by state TV's Al-Alam Arabic channel. Amid escalating tension with Iran over its nuclear program, the Obama administration reveled in delivering Friday's announcement and highlighted the fact that the rescuing ships were the same ones Iran's army chief had just said were no longer welcome in the Persian Gulf. Naval forces from several countries patrol shipping lanes in the region in pursuit of Somali pirates. The pirates, who are after huge ransoms, have dramatically expanded their range in recent years and targeted some of the largest vessels to take to the seas, including oil supertankers. The episode occurred after a week of tough talk from Iranian leaders, including the statement that American vessels were no longer welcome in the Gulf. Iran also warned it could block the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a sixth of the world's oil flows to market. The Iranian threats, which were brushed aside by the Obama administration, were in response to strong economic sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear enrichment program. A week ago, President Barack Obama signed into law new sanctions targeting Iran's central bank and its ability to sell petroleum abroad. At the same time, Iran has sought to project its naval power, carrying out 10 days of military drills at sea near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iran is also planning new military exercises near the Hormuz Strait next month. Read full article: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-responds-us-rescue-captured-fishermen-204359153.html Well, this is a special treat for President Obama doing a humanitarian good deed for Iran so that the crazy guy will owe him one . But what were American helicopters doing in that section of the world? Surveillance of the whole world, and observing every country is, in fact, the United States becoming the police of the world. Is this overly intrusive, nosy, paranoid, or what? Is America setting itself up to be in strategic places should another war resume anywhere in the world? Does President Obama want to be another Commander In Chief, or didnt we learn a few lessons from that ten year excursion in lies, deceit, corruption, fraud, financial ruin, and a lack of prestige among the worlds nations? Both President Obama and Congress are out of step with priorities crucially needed in our own country, which should be number one on their priority list, but they appear to be obsessed with everybody elses business except our own!!
On one hand I'm glad someone is fighting those Somali pirates. On the other I wonder why we are spending the money to do so when the United States has no more flagged vessels. If American ship owners want to flag their ships in foreign nations to avoid hiring American seamen let them pay for pirate fighting on their own.
Can the Iranian situation be defused?... Iran crisis: Can conflict be averted? 11 January 2012 - Iranian military exercises near the Strait of Hormuz in December ratcheted up tension
The guy everyone thinks is in charge in Iran isn't. He might be anti West but a lot of those in the Iranian government aren't as anti West as he is.
Most crew aboard the oil tankers are Filipino regardless of who owns the ship . I think its pretty much the norm.
Well, they were leaving the Arabian Gulf area where they had previously been shadowing the Iranian naval manoevers while Iranian politicians threated to cut of a quarter of the world supply of oil by closing the Straits of Hormuz. The helicopters were up because they knew they were in pirate waters so they were searching for pirates as a secondary mission as they went from Point A to Point B. So which part of the ship's mission to you object to? Taking rudimentary measures to ensure a global economic meltdown doesn't occur if Iranian nutcases try and carry through on their threats? Or trying to keep the waters of the Indian Ocean off the Horn of Africa free from piracy?
