The US Navy killed an Indian fisherman and wounded three others in the southern Persian Gulf off the coast of Dubai on Monday, with US officials claiming the unidentified fishing boat approached the US warship.
A spokesman for the US Navy’s 5th Fleet based in nearby Bahrain, Lieutenant Greg Raelson, said the small vessel “disregarded warnings and rapidly approached” the US Navy ship, the Rappahonnock.
“The U.S. crew repeatedly attempted to warn the vessel’s operators to turn away from their deliberate approach,” the Pentagon said in a press statement Monday. “When those efforts failed to deter the approaching vessel, the security team on the Rappahannock fired rounds from a .50-caliber machine gun.”
“US ships have an inherent right to self defence against potential threats…The safety of our vessels and our personnel is of the utmost priority,” Raelson told Al Jazeera.
The incident raised fears this afternoon that the US Navy may have shot upon an Iranian vessel, a move which could have ratcheted up tensions in the region considerably. But a Navy official told ABC News, “I can’t emphasize enough that this has nothing to do with Iran.”
The Obama administration has significantly increased its military and naval presence in the Persian Gulf region as of late. The build up, planned for at least a year, comes mainly in the form of Navy warships and minesweepers patrolling the waterway to the south of Iran. Stealthy F-22 and F-15C warplanes have also been placed into two separate bases in the Persian Gulf.
“Those additional attack aircraft give the United States military greater capability against coastal missile batteries that could threaten shipping, as well as the reach to strike other targets deeper inside Iran,” reported the New York Times earlier this month.
US policy toward the region is now primarily about militarily threatening Iran by surrounding the country with readied forces and weapons. Monday’s incident only ended in the killing of one innocent fisherman and the wounding of three others, but it shows how dangerous militarizing the area can be.
Much ado about nothing.
Unless you happen to be friends or family of the people on the fishing boat.
Or if you care about the lives of strangers. Or even if you are very selfish and don't care about the fisherman's life at all, you should still care about the incident for your own sake. If the US government is let off the hook for things like this abroad then certainly it will be more likely to get away with crimes that it commits domestically, possibly against you.
"Monday’s incident only ended in the killing of one innocent fisherman and the wounding of three others." I'm sure the family of the dead fisherman would appreciate this article.
Whatever the pentegon says. After all, the navy is a "global force for good". And we all believe that, right?
of course, the US was saved from deadly fish hooks.
I along with a boat load of fisher persons came under the AIM of a Fifty calibre M2 Machine gun in my local Australian Harbour a few years back, Noting that WE were all Australian Citizens on an Australian Boat in an Australian Harbour, and they have the Audacity to aim a Machine Gun and Note we were close enough for me to see the sailor Pull the charge Lever. Fortunately a Water Police Boat pulled between us and the US Military Ship.
Who the Hell do they think they are?
paranoid schitzoids on acid
Like Mom said, you go lookin' for trouble, you're sure to find it.
The asininity of the US Navy in matters of navigational courtesy is legendary. "Freedom of the Seas" – what a joke! More like, "Freedom to do whatever we please on the seas." It sounds like the Indian pleasure craft was doing it's thing and failed to realize that the US Navy has a permanent shoot to kill zone around its ships. It's the same mentality that fueled those signs on Humvees saying, "Stay back 50 meters or we will shoot." The arrogance, of course, is lost on folks like the fellow above, although if anyone did it to them, they'd be sobbing like children who'd spilled their milk. Imagine their reaction if the Chinese or Russians acted this way.
Few people have vision good enough to read a sign on a Humvee from 50' away, not to mention the fact how many Iraqis and Afghanis read English?
Maybe the Indians need to send a nuclear frigate to protect it's citizens and their freedom, of navigation…….
Why do they hate BRAINDEAD us…….???
Quote: "US ships have an inherent right to self defence". US ships only ? What about ships in international waters with humanitarian aid heading for Gaza ?
As an Indian, to me the interesting thing about this isn't the shooting itself – the Empire's expected to murder innocents on a daily basis – but that the spinelessly slavish Indian government and corporate-owned media have kept their mouths tightly shut over the episode. If I hadn't read this article I wouldn't even have heard about it.
Compare and contrast to the media circus that took place when Italian marines shot dead Indian fishermen some months ago.
I wonder if the Indian government will dare protest if the Empire carries out bombing raids on Indian soil as part of the Global War Of Terror?
The Indian govt this morning demanded a full investigation after the eyewitnesses, the other fishermen, said they received no warning whatsoever from the ship. I would be willing to bet that that is the truth. ; if the fishing boat was that close to the ship and speeding at them, the Navy wouldn't have had time to do all the warning things they claim they did. I see them panicking and shooting the boat.
Another hot potato for the hapless Hillary…….. Her latest performances of her "personal hysteria" diplomacy have made the Obama crew more problems than it has solved… Needless to mention the only objective of concern is their continued possession of the levers of power…… America's and American's best interests are nearer the bottom than top of their priority list…… It's them and their camp followers….. then their patrons…… Fat cats, then contributers, special friends…… I wonder where what is best for America places…….???
We have no idea whether or not this story is even true or if the Regime Navy is lying to protect its ass, sort of like when a SWAT team here assaults the wrong house, terrorizing and occasionially murdering innocent people and says, "Ohh…sorry about that." The Washington/NATO Axis has crammed the Persian Gulf so full of warships, it's no wonder these sailors would be on edge with hair triggers. I find it difficult to believe a little fishing boat would not notice a big warship right in its path and keep going straight at it. You'd think those morons on the navy vessel would at least fire a warning shot first, but knowing their mentality, they probably just shot them for fun because they knew there would be zero accountability, just like cops in this country have. After all, what's a couple of fishermen in the Persian Gulf or terrorized elderly people and children in Anytown USA to minions of the Big Bad Empire?
And probably the criminals thought they were shooting at an Iranian vessel.
More enemies for the empire being created every day.
That's good. Hopefully the world will get sick and tired of the US Empire and stop being collaborators.
how come than the israelis managed to sank uss liberty and the latter didnt defend itself?
The Israelis didn't succeed in sinking the "Liberty", but severely damaged the ship and killed 34 of her crew. "Liberty" was an intelligence-gathering ship converted from a World War II cargo vessel, and was only lightly armed with a couple of .50 caliber machine guns, I believe. Not much defense against repeated Israeli air attacks with napalm, rockets and cannon, as well as being torpedoed by Israeli gunboats.
The LIberty was a technical research vessel, converted from being a WWII
cargo ship, it was not a ship made for battle. http://navalwarfare.blogspot.com/2008/01/uss-libe…
They didn't sink the Liberty, it was able to limp into port under escort by other US ships. Her crew was able to keep her afloat and under her own power. The Liberty did try to defend herself, but she only had four .50 cal machine guns, not very useful against jets.
F-22 is not an attack airplane. Neither is an F-15 C, which is far from stealthy. Both are primarily air defense.
More facts…less distortion, please.
Correct. Still…
> air defense
This is called "air superiority" these days, I think.
“US ships have an inherent right to self defence against potential threats…The safety of our vessels and our personnel is of the utmost priority,” Raelson told Al Jazeera.
What the hell are out navy vessels where he's trying to make a living?
“Your comment must be approved by the site admins before it will appear publicly.”
Damn, you piss me off.
[moderator’s note: Confucius say “it is better to be pissed off than to be pissed on” – TLK]
I'm sure the US ship has videos of the encounter; they will show how the fishing boat was attacking them. All they have to do is show what happened.
Suggesting as a Navy spokesperson did “… that this has nothing to do with Iran” is like suggesting that the 1914 assassination of Archduke Ferdinand had nothing to do with World War I. Few if any events in this world occur in a vacuum.
Louis Farshee
“US ships have an inherent right to self defence against potential threats" No they don't. You can't arbitrarily call something a "threat" and then kill people over it. Everything's a "potential" threat. Get out of the Gulf and go home and you won't feel threatened.
A global force for good.
Obviously you are being sarcastic. I've seen that Navy recruiting ad– good for a laugh or an overwhelming wave of nausea.
Unfortunately our military budget siphons off so much money to make smart weapons that there is nothing left over to make smart people.
Shoot to kill before a warning shot is fired across the bow, just what kind of terrorist state are we?
Interviews of the victims in the hospital, they all claiming that no warning whatsoever was given, what kind of a gutless wonder sailors and cowardly joy-stick drone killers is our military evolving into?