War with Iran...?

Question

Why is everyone so eager after they capture those sailors? I know tensions with Iraq aren't great Scuttlebutt is they are training, and sending fighters in Iraq. Tensions are tense with them. They are trying to develop nuclear technology. I mean if something happen sure to those sailors. But this isn't the first time this has happen with sailors being captured by Iran. We just imposed sanctions on them. Let's take it from there, and see where it goes. Anyone have any input, be great? Thanks.

But I was trying to point out that this has happen before. When we were in a conflict with Iraq. An no war with Iran happen.

Answer 1

Iran took the sailors, that is an act of war. And tensions are very high and it could be the point that push us all in to war.

Answer 2

Yes we did impose sanctions on Iran. How well did that work?

Iran will not listen to anyone, we will have to physically make them do what we want.

And "war" with Iran would probably just be air strikes, rather than a land invasion.

It would be ideal to wait until we are able to stabilize Iraq and Afghanistan so we would have most of the troops home, that way we could have our full focus on Iran. But Iran is not exactly making that an easy choice right now.

The sad thing is if/when this happens everyone will point their finger at the US, when in realty Iran has been bringing this on themselves for a long time.

Answer 3

We are playing games with those sailors lives. We don't know how they are being treated. Politics and worries about whether a war would start should not be considered. Britian should immediatly get the sailors regardless. They have all the right to do so this is such an easy judgement, a hard decicion to make, but none the less the correct decision is clear as day. If a war is created then it was inevitable.

Answer 4

I don't want to see a war with Iran, but I wouldn't blame Britan if they decided to send in troops to get their sailors back. The kidnapping of British soldiers in Iraqi waters is an act of war and should not be looked at lightly. They were not "captured", they were kidnapped. Plain and simple. To capture someone is to take them in custody in a place that they are not supposed to be. The British sailors were in Iraqi waters so they were kidnapped by naval forces from Iran that entered Iraqi waters on a raid.

Look for a push of coalition ground forces toward the Iranian boarder in Iraq and a build up of even more coalition naval forces in the waters. This could get ugly, so be prepared.

Answer 5

The crazy thing here is that if we used the same logic that we applied to Iraq, we would have bombed the hell out of Iran by now.

We're pretty sure Iran is working on WMDs. Indeed they may be close to having nuclear weapons.

We know Iran is helping our enemies in Iraq.

Iran has taken NATO military personell prisoner for no reason.

Iran has a hostile attitude towards western nations and to Israel.

Iran has oil!

Man, if we were not mired in Iraq, we would have attacked Iran long ago. We thought Iraq had WMDs. They had none. Iran basicaly admits to trying to develop them, or at least to trying to develop the basic technology to build them.

Answer 6

Iran might be trying to provoke Britain or the United States into retaliating but both governments should try to use diplomatic methods first. As long as the sailors are still alive, it would be wise to be very cautious.. But a military response should not be completely ruled out as a last resort for the worst case scenario.

I hope people have these British sailors and their families in their thoughts and prayers.

Answer 7

Iran WANTS SOMETHING !
Probably the withdrawl of Britain from the whole middle east and an end to UN sanctions.
We'll see a show trial of the "invaders" and they'll be sentenced to death or long confinement.

If the west gives in to Iran's demands things will go to hell quickly.

Answer 8

England wants the captured sailor back but war is a very big step. this is a matter for the united nations to handle.

Answer 9

Iranian blood will flow.

Answer 10

Iran is developing nuclear technology and probably weapons grade uranium refuses to cease enrichment of uranium for negotiations with the UN.

Iran sends fighters and weapons to Iraq.

Iran captured British sailors in Iraqi waters and may try them for espionage because Britain will not admit to their "mistake".

Take it from there?

Iran is in a heap of trouble.....

Iran is dealing with two issues.
o- First, Iran has captured 15 British Royal Navy personnel.
o- Second, Iran has refused to cooperate with the UNSC regarding cessation of uranium enrichment.

At 10:30 a.m. on March 23, 2007, six IRCG guard boats ambushed, surrounded and seized two Royal Navy 'ribs' (rigid-hulled inflatable boats) containing 15 Royal Navy personnel (eight sailors and seven marines) from the frigate HMS Cornwall. The Royal Navy boats were on patrol just outside the mouth* of the 125-mile waterway which divides Iraq from Iran. Sovereignty over the waterway, and corresponding territorial waters, is disputed between Iraq and Iran. A 1975 treaty recognized the middle of the waterway as its border. It is called "Shatt al-Arab" waterway in Arabic meaning "Arab Coastline". It is called "Arvandrud" in Persian meaning "Arvand River".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6494289.stm
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAN_WHERES_THE_BORDER?SITE=MIDTF&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-03-27-15-05-08
(map of waterway and HMS Cornwall area of operation)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6494289.stm#map

The British MoD says the Royal Navy patrol was inspecting an Iraqi fishing boat anchored at the mouth of the waterway which was suspected of smuggling automobiles.
British MoD say the British were:
o- 1.7 nautical miles (2 miles; 3.1 kilometers) inside Iraqi territory at precisely 29 degrees 50.36 minutes north latitude and 048 degrees 43.08 minutes east longitude

IRGC say the British were:
o- 0.5 km deep into the Iranian waters
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1257880,00.html
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2042289,00.html
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRITISH_SEIZED_IRAN?SITE=PASUN&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL
Map of both positions:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/galleries/593.html?SITE=MIDTF&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Under the mandate of the UNSC Resolution 1723, the British team had been conducting a compliance inspection of a suspicious Iraqi merchant ship. The intercepted British crew being ambushed and surrounded by IRGC surrendered without a fight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1723

It is alleged that similar Iraqi vessels routinely transport Iraqi Shiites into Iran for training by the elite Quds force, a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. In addition, Iraqi vessels transport arms from Iran to Iraq.

The 15 Royal Navy personnel are being held in Tehran at the Revolutionary Guard Corps base.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6494289.stm.

Iran has elicited "confessions" from the 15 British sailors they captured and may put them on trial for espionage.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1563877.ece
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2042259,00.html

“If it is proven that they deliberately entered Iranian territory, they will be charged with espionage. If that is proven, they can expect a very serious penalty since according to Iranian law, espionage is one of the most serious offences.” Espionage carries a death sentence.

Iran's detention of 15 Royal Navy personnel is "unjustified and wrong", Prime Minister Tony Blair has said. UK officials are waiting to be granted access to the HMS Cornwall staff, who were seized on Friday, and have not been told where the group are held. "It simply is not true that they went into Iranian territorial waters and I hope the Iranian government understands how fundamental an issue this is for us," Mr Blair said. "We have certainly sent the message back to them very clearly indeed. They should not be under any doubt at all about how seriously we regard this act, which is unjustified and wrong."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6493391.stm
(in French)
http://www.france24.com/france24Public/fr/administration/article-afp.html?id=070327102418.nid1l893&cat=monde

The British government release the GPS coordinates as evidence demonstrating that its 15 naval personnel detained by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards last Friday were seized while in Iraqi waters and not inside Iranian territory.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d26b393e-dbbe-11db-9233-000b5df10621.html

Iran is preparing to release Faye Turney, the sole female among the 15 captured personnel of the Royal Navy. Clad in a white tunic and a black shayla-style head scarf, she appeared on Al-Alam TV, an Arabic-Language, Iranian state-run TV station that is carried across the Middle East. "Obviously we trespassed into their waters," was her statement which continued with details of how she had been treated.
http://www.comcast.net/news/international/index.jsp?cat=INTERNATIONAL&fn=/2007/03/28/621792.html
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRITISH_SEIZED_IRAN?SITE=PASUN&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL
see the video
http://video.ap.org/v/en-ap/v.htm?f=MIDTF&g=1EF1EAE6-3EFC-42CA-93E9-
more detail video
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/default.stm
see her letter to her parents
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/galleries/593.html?SITE=MIDTF&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Iranian Prime Minister Mottaki has retracted the possible release of Mrs. Turney and indicated that Iran wants Britain to admit their "mistake".
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8O5FP200&show_article=1

On 4 June 2004, eight British servicemen were detained for three days, after Iran said they had entered Iranian territorial waters. They were released unharmed, but their equipment was not returned. During their detention, according to former detainee Marine Scott Fallon, they endured a mock execution and appeared blindfolded and forced to apologize for their "mistake" on Iranian TV..
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=721052004

Regarding enrichment of uranium, Iranian President Mahmaoud Ahmadinejad abruptly cancelled his appearance before the U.N. security council and in his stead, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki Iran spoke. He indicated that Iran was willing to continue negotiations but without the precondition that uranium enrichment must be halted.

Mottaki said, "the world has two options to proceed on the nuclear issue: continued negotiations or confrontation. Choosing the path of confrontation ... will have its own consequences. "
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070325/D8O3E7J00.html

The U.N. security council unanimously voted to expand sanctions on March 24, 2007. The new resolution 1747 calls on Iran to comply fully with all previous UN resolutions and join negotiations to reach agreement so as to restore international confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. Full transparency and cooperation with the IAEA are required. Suspension of Iran’s banned nuclear activities will elicit the parallel suspension of sanctions. The package of incentives offered Tehran last year for its cooperation remains on the table. The full text of the draft of resolution 1747 appears at this website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6455853.stm

Military confrontation may be on the horizon.

In addition to the British frigate HMS Cornwall, there is a multi-national strike force in the Persian Gulf. Furthermore, there are British naval vessels stationed at the Diego Garcia atoll in the Indian ocean. The British Royal Navy may take action with its Special Boat Service (SBS) , the British Royal Navy's special forces unit. The service's motto is "By Strength and Guile". It forms part of the United Kingdom Special Forces, alongside the Special Air Service (SAS), Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), and Special Forces Support Group (SFSG).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Boat_Service

Ready to assist are the American aircraft carrier strike group Bremerton-based aircraft carrier CVN-73 USS John C. Stennis, the American aircraft carrier strike group CVN-69 USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the French nuclear carrier Charles de Gaulle and its task force are all in close appoximation in the Persian Gulf. A 3rd carrier group, the CVN-68 USS Nimitz, may also be in the Persian Gulf soon as it was scheduled for its WESTPAC07 deployment to replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower which was deployed December 2006.
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=3961
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/batgru-68.htm
The US may have deployed 4 or 5 carrier groups in the Persian Gulf
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070328/62741920.html
Hmmmmm
Maybe CVN-76 Reagan was deployed
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/batgru-76.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/where.htm
Maybe CVN-72 Lincoln?
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/batgru-72.htm
Is CVN-77 Bush ready?
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/cvn-77.htm

More details about military options can be found here:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iran-strikes.htm

On Tuesday, March 27, 2007, the two US strike groups, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Stennis, along with guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam, conducted military exercises in the Persian Gulf. The participants included 15 warships and more than 100 aircraft..

Each carrier carries an air wing of F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet fighter-bombers, EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft, S-3 Viking refueling and anti-submarine planes, and E-2C Hawkeye airborne command-and-control aircraft.

Also taking part were six guided-missile destroyers, the Anzio, Ramage, O'Kane, Mason, Preble and Nitze; the frigate Hawes; amphibious assault ships Boxer and Bataan; and the minesweepers Scout, Gladiator and Ardent.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-03/28/content_838185.htm

The Isfahan plant is above ground, but Natanz is more than 50ft below and would require either a tactical nuclear missile or a conventional bunker-buster bomb to destroy it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1753223,00.html.


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