See the picture? - That's one of the Iranian boats in question.

[kpete]

See the picture above? That's one of the Iranian boats in question. Notice that it is an open boat. Notice that it has no way to keep ambient noise -- choppy seas, motor noise, things like that -- away from any recording gear that might be on the boat. Notice that there doesn't seem to be much room for anything, much less high-class recording gear capable of blocking out all ambient noise -- or the explosives that the threatening voice on the tape said would be used to blow up the American warships.

...they've just been fakin' it; they're not really makin' it...
http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/12/come-saturday-morning-fakin-it/#more-15323

[seemslikeadream]

1. and a terrorist wouldn't leave home without his ORANGE life vest

[IntravenousDemilo]

3. Exactly. If they'd been serious about blowing up a US boat, why would they bother with jackets?

It would be like the 9/11 hijackers having learned how to land a plane in flight school... completely irrelevant after an explosion.

[moodforaday]

14. Yes, or...

Or it would be like the 9/11 hijackers packing their wills and flight manuals in their checked baggage. But - banish the thought!

[petronius]

29. Well, if the boat broke down or sunk en route, or was otherwise unable to reach the target,

I think even the most ardent suicide attacker might be glad of his orange (hopefully USCG-approved) life vest...

[rug]

19. They were moderate suicide bombers.

[Richard Steele]

2. K&R

[catnhatnh]

4. Somewhere on TV last night....

...after too many beers, one of the cable shows had a new video showing what appeared to be older, larger, commercial boats (think "fishing boats") and said THOSE were the Iranians in question...Sorry I can't remember where.

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. If our Navy can't stop one of these

Or even a "swarm" of them, it's because they are not preparing or want a pretext. Think about what a short burst from a Phalanx CIWS gatling gun would do to a boat like that. The only problem is not getting sucker punched.

[NutmegYankee]

26. It's a problem of justification.

If one got real close, and we fired at them, they might take it as the first hostile act, rather than as a defensive measure. It's not a good situation.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

6. Looks more like a drug runner than a warship.

Maybe they have a load of explosive Opium poppies.

[Yael]

7. This was a test of American stupidity.

They floated it out there to see where we rank on the national scale so that they know how cheaply they can sell the next war to us.

[Lerkfish]

10. exactly.

although consider the real audience was Isreal, where Bush was politicking at the time this happened.

[seemslikeadream]

11. I think this may have been the reason for the "incident"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2668765

[Karenina]

13. REMEMBER THE DRONES IN IRAQ!!!

Damn. I wish I'd kept the pictures of those puppies!!! Balsa wood and duct tape, JUST LIKE THE KIDS USED TO MAKE!!! :rofl:

[tabasco]

8. Head for the hills!

The Iranian navy is going to conquer the USA and make us all wear burqas!!!

[NNN0LHI]

9. Looks like Don Johnson steering the boat with his feet

Doesn't it?

Don

[Kurovski]

12. Impeach, Indict Imprison.

Fer crissake.

[Thothmes]

27. Actually

its impeach, convict, remove from office. Then indict, try, convict then imprison if so sentenced.

[Kurovski]

28. ICRFOTITCTIISS

OK

[Orwellian_Ghost]

15. Here's the other

[FogerRox]

16. Plenty of room for Missiles racks, they are a danger to us all

[onehandle]

17. Except the Cole was attacked by a small inflatable rubber boat loaded with C-4.

A high powered motor boat also loaded with C-4 could do the same or worse.

I would be 100% in favor of blowing them out of the water if a small boat like this came too close.

It's apparent to me that they never came near or were being threatening beyond what they may or may not have said.

They were a potential threat, but they never came close enough to attack.

Bush is making headlines out of a small event that the American ship handled properly, imo.

[DemoTex]

18. It's POPPY! In his gas-guzzlin' Cigarette boat!

Blue fish must be running in the Straits of Vermouth,

[tekisui]

20. This was the third Naval *incident* with the Iranians in recent months.

One even included a US warship firing warning shots. I think they are staging war.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

21. When I am not coming for yoooooo

My boat is docked at the Inlet Breezeway Marina in Stone Harbor, N.J.

Stop by and say hello.

And now, back to what I never said:

I am coming for yoooooooooooooooooooooooo
I am coming for yoooooooooooooooooooooooo
I am coming for yoooooooooooooooooooooooo

[spanone]

22. the entire incident was bullshit and timed for bu$h* visit...imo

[mogster]

23. Kick and see also this thread:

'Filipino Monkey' - it's just monkey business
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2673872&mesg_id=2673872

[B Calm]

24. I don't even see a radio antenna

[NutmegYankee]

25. Yeah I see that boat - AND I see this!

It's easy to make comments from the safety of land.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. How dangerous could boats like this be?

USS COLE... any other questions?

Now as to this particular incident... the Gulf of Tonkin comes to mind... which WE admitted many years later to staging. Yes, I don't buy the official story... okie dokie.

But don't believe the crap that boats like these ones cannot do any damage to a US Navy Ship, or other navy ship. The USS Cole should disavow you of that belief.

[cynatnite]

31. There are radios and mics that can filter out noises...

such as water, moter, etc. Truckers, motorcyclists and other use them as well. Not hard to find at all.

Also, it was a boat much smaller that hit the Cole.

For the record, I think bush is making a lot of hay out of something that probably wouldn't have happened were he not in office.

[ConsAreLiars]

32. So, is the shit-your-pants cowardice of the Navy and the Cons feigned or real?

According to the interview with one of the commanders he felt threatened (frightened) when he heard the laughably bogus "We are coming to yoooou" along with seeing the five speedboats. I hope he was just a suckup trying to please his bosses, but if he was really that stupid-scared he should be reduced to toilet cleaning until retirement. Jeez, what a disgrace, in either case.

(edit typo)

[killbotfactory]

33. So I'm sure they have video of them dumping boxes in the water

right?

[krispos42]

34. The danger in this boat lies in the provocation

Yeah, it could be packed with a quarter-ton or half-ton of TNT or C-4 to do a suicide run on a destroyer, which, even if the damage was moderate, would cause far more damage than the speedboat is worth, AND would necessitate the wounded destroyer to home port for repairs and refitting. A valuable tactical and strategic asset removed from the theatre for several months.

Small boats like this are also hard to pick up on radar, as well, so they can get close while moving fast.

But the big threat involves us shooting first under questionable provocations. Some gung-ho freeper type with a .50-caliber machine gun, perhaps.