# Five Iranian Boats threaten 3 US Navy ships **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 8, 2008, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716 "2008-01-08T09:48:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/181 "2008-01-13T00:48:41Z")
Misunderstandings between ships happen all the time. When you throw politics into it your got potential for some really stuff to wrong. No skipper worth a darn would allow his ship into a postition that might come into conflict with another. It looks (at best) like sloppy seamanship. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/182 "2008-01-13T01:05:16Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] Where is any evidence of any of the boats crossing in front of the ships? [/QUOTE] The original footage is 30+ minutes long. Best condensed video I can find is on [Liveleak](http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e5f_1200114215). At roughly 2 minutes, by the setting sun you can see the Iranian reconnaissance craft are west of the coalition warships with an apparently open horizon to west and southwest. Look at the Strait and you’ll see the Iranian boats were directly in the path of the _Hopper_ as she approached the Persian Gulf. As for the white boxes: they were confirmed through weapon sighting. If you look at the short form of the video I linked, you’ll see in the [beginning](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj262/elcidviscoso/Straight%20Dope%20Shares/boatszoom.jpg) the boats [are just dots](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj262/elcidviscoso/Straight%20Dope%20Shares/boatsnozoom.jpg). It’s only after almost 20 minutes have passed that we can make out the color of the boats. There are probably no deck cams with the ability to zoom that far and weapons videos are released sporadically at best. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/183 "2008-01-13T01:16:01Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] As for the white boxes: they were confirmed through weapon sighting. If you look at the short form of the video I linked, you’ll see in the [beginning](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj262/elcidviscoso/Straight%20Dope%20Shares/boatszoom.jpg) the boats [are just dots](http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj262/elcidviscoso/Straight%20Dope%20Shares/boatsnozoom.jpg). It’s only after almost 20 minutes have passed that we can make out the color of the boats. There are probably no deck cams with the ability to zoom that far and weapons videos are released sporadically at best. [/QUOTE] They were also confirmed to [not be a threat](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/11/AR2008011103730.html) : > [@](#): > > The small, boxlike objects dropped in the water by Iranian boats as they approached U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf on Sunday posed no threat to the American vessels, U.S. officials said yesterday, even as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff charged that the incident reflects Iran’s new tactics of asymmetric warfare. > > After passing the white objects, commanders on the USS Port Royal and its accompanying destroyer and frigate decided there was so little danger from the objects that they did not bother to radio other ships to warn them, the officials said. This is simply a minor incident that our government is blowing up for political purposes. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/184 "2008-01-13T01:41:59Z")
> [@Der Trihs](#): > > This is simply a minor incident that our government is blowing up for political purposes. Ordinarily I’d agree with you about this, but we mustn’t look at it in a vacuum. This was the third (and most opportunistic) act of harassment by the Iranians, and with or without the white boxes quite a provocative act. But back to the white boxes, what if I told you once in relative proximity the sensor arrays on one of the coalition ships lit up like a Christmas tree? I have no doubt the boxes were harmless in the short term, but probes might have compromised the operational presence of any of the ships. Specifically, little white boxes might have trapped three warships in the Persian Gulf. It’s a good thing we have countermeasures against this quaint sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/185 "2008-01-13T02:12:13Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] But back to the white boxes, what if I told you once in relative proximity the sensor arrays on one of the coalition ships lit up like a Christmas tree? [/QUOTE] I wouldn’t believe you. Why would I ? ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/186 "2008-01-13T02:32:23Z")
“Yes, I heard the orders, Admiral. Perhaps you didn’t understand me? _We can’t move. There are boxes out there!_” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/187 "2008-01-13T03:19:29Z")
“Good God, son, are they _white_ boxes?!” ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/188 "2008-01-13T04:30:30Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] Show me the WMD.Is that in your reality.? [/QUOTE] Please…put down the drugs and back away from the keyboard. Slowly… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/189 "2008-01-13T04:55:47Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] Upon reflection, I may have been unduly harsh with **Mr. Moto** in this thread. I am sorry for that, **Mr. Moto**. My ire at the lack of integrity among our leaders and our media got the better of me. [/QUOTE] Thank you for that. I can certainly understand vehement disagreement with my attitudes about the Iraq war, but regarding the Iranian situation I don’t believe I have said much that was terribly controversial. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/190 "2008-01-14T16:06:43Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Thank you for that. I can certainly understand vehement disagreement with my attitudes about the Iraq war, but regarding the Iranian situation I don’t believe I have said much that was terribly controversial. [/QUOTE] Only that you continue to treat any information coming from this administration as gospel. I find that to be “controversial” myself, and that is what pisses me off. By the way, a full video of the incident is available online: > **[Who Spun The Hormuz Incident? (Update - The Full Video)](http://cernigsnewshog.blogspot.com/2008/01/who-spun-hormuz-incident.html)** > > By Cernig By now, anyone following the changing story of the almost-clash between three US Navy capital ships and five Iranian speedboats in... Bottom line from the summary posted there: > [@](#): > > No multiple white boxes in the water. > > No mysterious voice threatening explosions. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/191 "2008-01-14T16:41:52Z")
I don’t know what planet this blogger is on, frankly. He characterizes a boat half a mile away as pretty far - I was always trained that that was operating close indeed - that’s only 1000 yards. When American ships are this close, you need to be really careful. Nautical stationkeeping is just about the most difficult thing you can imagine, and if you screw it up you have big hunks of steel smashing into each other at pretty high speeds. It happens more often than we’d like just within our own navy, and does kill people and damage an awful lot of our equipment. Now the Iranians are screwing around in boats sufficiently unpredictably that danger signals have to be sounded (as mentioned) and I have to be reassured by you or this blogger because they’re only 1000 yards out? Lunacy. And regardless of whatever is said from now on, this much needs to be said - half a mile is close, not far, when you’re dealing with ships. 200 yards is suicidally close, and this distance was mentioned earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/192 "2008-01-14T16:52:36Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] And regardless of whatever is said from now on, this much needs to be said - half a mile is close, not far, when you’re dealing with ships. 200 yards is suicidally close, and this distance was mentioned earlier. [/QUOTE] That’s fine. I’ll even defer to your opinion on the significance of relative distances between ships. However, that isn’t the point, or at least it isn’t the primary alarm that has been raised around this incident. It was that these boats issued a threat via radio and dropped white boxes in the water. If you want to contend that the matter is of concern because the boats came within 1000 yards of the vessels, great. Make that case and sound that alarm. Just don’t embellish the matter with bullshit in order to get people’s concern up. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/193 "2008-01-14T22:34:31Z")
Well considering the fact that I expressed some concern early on in this discussion about the proximity, I think I’m fairly on record on that point at least. As to the other stuff, well, verbal threats and “objects hazardous to navigation” and other things become a bigger problem with proximity, and proximity (and unsafe navigation practices) is enough of a problem all by itself. I’m more concerned, frankly, that this is ramping up to be a pattern - the Whidbey Island fired warning shots against an Iranian boat in December. This only came out when this current stuff was reported. Given that we have a bit of history here with the Iranians at sea, I think we all should be concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Skylark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Skylark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skylark)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716/194 "2008-01-15T01:26:14Z")
Navy sed last week [this](http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34211). Navy folk say they’re not too concerned about it, or are even much aware. I’ll be relocating soon and I’ve got some contacts; I’ll report how much this is worth caring about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-iranian-boats-threaten-3-us-navy-ships/432716.md?page=9)