If Iran captured 15 members of the US Navy, would you support a retaliation against Iran?

Question

So we can bring home and free our countrymen.

Answer 1

My heart says yes, but then my mind would stop me because I knew that the result would be many more deaths, and we would have little chance of getting the original 15 back anyways.

They could be hidden anywhere in a country the size of California (we can't even find the nukes!).

Not only that, the Iranian people would act very differently to any invasion to get them back than what we got in Iraq.

It would be the same as what happened in Israel last year. They went to war. They fought to a stalemate. And they NEVER got their soldiers back.

The same would happen in Iran.

Negotiation, I'm afraid, is all we have to work with with Iran right now. Not much to work with at all, and they know this. They know the UK can't retaliate militarily without making things worse.

Answer 2

The Iranians say the sailors were in Iranian water. While I have not followed the issue all that much I have not heard that the Iranians were wrong or lying. If they were in Iranian water the Iranians are within their rights to arrest them for messing about with their trade, just as the UK or US would have the right to arrest Dutchmen for doing the same sort of thing.

The fact that the British are not kicking up a real big stink may indicate there is some doubt.

If the Iranians have any sense the sailors will return soon with stories of having been interrogated but otherwise well treated.

Answer 3

The US has cover for its people. Apparently the UK was stretched pretty thin. About a year or so ago, my neighbor was in the Gulf and when an Iranian Navy patrol boat moved in their direction, a gunship moved in between the fast boat and the gunboat. The gun boat turned around and went back into port.

The US Navy always has air cover and the fast boats are not alone. They usually have a big brother not far away and a Destroyer can reach out and touch anyone it needs too.

Answer 4

no. diplomacy is the best way to avoid deaths. jumping immediately to violence would very likely get the captives executed. I'm glad it happened to Brits and not us because:
I have every confidence that a non-violent solution will be worked out by them. If it were our people, bubblehead would probably rush in and get a whole lot of good soldiers killed.

Answer 5

I would hope the guys standing on the deck of the ship watching would have the freedom without risk of being court marshaled to shoot the he11 out of the idiots who were taking our guys into custody

Answer 6

Moqdada Al Sadr has killed US marines and George Bush refuses to even call him an "Enemy of America". What makes you think he's going to declare war on Iran because of some soldiers? He'll do what he wants to do and then afterward he'll say it's for the troops.

Answer 7

It has happened before. some americans were kidnapped from a embassy under Carter who tried (unsucessfully) to liberate them and failed. But then Reagan came to office and Iran knew that if they F**ked with Reagan they were screwed.
REAGAN DOES NOT PLAY AROUND.....

"Mr. Gorbachev..... Throw down your wall!" -Ronald Reagan

Straight to the point.

And it did happen. The wall came down.

Answer 8

Yes. Clinton never retaliated when AlQaeda blew up the USS Cole which was a clear act of war. The kidnapping of US Navy seaman in international waters is an act of war.

Answer 9

Yes. Don't do what Johnson did to the crew of the Pueblo or what Carter did to hostages in Iran.

Answer 10

I'd support a retaliation by the USA for them kidnapping British soldiers personally.