- Thu Jan 14, 2016 9:31 am
#67210
I'm sorry to say this Justme, but you don't understand the situation regarding the incident with Iran detaining our sailors. The patrol boat was three miles off of Farsi Island. Farsi Island is a super-sensitive military installation for Iran and is their first line of defense for any incursion into their territory, This is equivalent to the Iranians being three miles off of Norfolk Naval Base. (I wonder how we would have reacted in that scenario?) I'm sure that the first thought that went through the Iran's head was that the patrol boats were on intelligence gathering missions. Had I been in charge of that Iranian commander, I would have reacted the same as they wee probably investigating to see if, in reality, the sailors were intelligence gathering. If intelligence data had been found the situation would have unfolded differently. As to why the sailors were detained, that is a bit more complicated. First, the commander of the Iranian boat was probably a medium level officer and had to answer to a higher superior on shore, Then it gets more complicated. The Iranian military seized the boat but the Iranian Revolutionary Guard stuck it's nose into the situation and every thing was in turmoil for a while. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is a military/political group that answers to the Muslim Cleric in charge over there. He is their only boss. The IRG is a bit radical and has reacted badly in the past.
To sum up, I think the situation was resolved well; as well as it could be dealing with Iran. We got our nose tweaked a bit but no one was injured or killed which is a big plus in my book. Iran saved face and the USA got out of the situation without injury or dead sailors.