Iran: Ship Face-Off Video "Fabricated"

Reported Claim Of Denial By Iran's Military Is First Reaction To Straight Of Hormuz Incident

(CBS/AP)  Iran on Wednesday called the video and audio released by the Pentagon showing Iranian Revolutionary Guards boats confronting U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz "fabricated," an English-language state-run television station reported.

"The footage released by the U.S. Navy was compiled using file pictures and the audio has been fabricated," the state-run English-language channel Press TV quoted an official in the Revolutionary Guards as saying.

State TV did not give the name of the Revolutionary Guard figure and did not offer more details about how the official knew the footage was "fabricated."

The Pentagon on Tuesday released a four-minute, 20-second video that included audio showing small Iranian boats swarming around U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf. In the recording, a man speaking in heavily accented English threatened, "I am coming to you. ... You will explode after (inaudible) minutes."

The Iranian boats appeared to ignore repeated warnings from the U.S. ships, including horn blasts and radio transmissions, according to the video, which was shot from the bridge of the destroyer USS Hopper.

From the Hopper, after spotting the approaching Iranian boats, a U.S. Navy crew member says over the radio: "This is coalition warship. I am engaged in transit passage in accordance with international law. Intend no harm."

Often uneven and shaky, the video condenses what Navy officials have said was a 20-minute or so clash. It ends with a blank screen, as only the audio of the Navy's final warning can be heard, just after the voice warns that they are coming.

"Inbound small craft: You are approaching a coalition warship operating in international waters. Your identity in unknown; your intentions are unclear," the unidentified crew member says. He then cautions the Iranians that if they do no steer clear they will be "subject to defensive measures."

"Request that you alter course immediately to remain clear," the crew member says.

The Americans couldn't believe what they heard next, CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier reports.

After a pause, the man with the accent issues a final threat: "You will explode after (indecipherable) minutes."

Earlier Tuesday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards corps denied that its boats sent threatening messages to the U.S. Navy convoy, and it defended its right to ask American vessels to identify themselves.

The Guards have said their boats approached the convoy early Sunday and asked the U.S. ships to identify themselves, then allowed them to continue into the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a prime Middle East oil-shipping lane.

"No threatening messages were exchanged," state television quoted an identified Revolutionary Guards official as saying Tuesday.

American officials said the Iranian boats harassed the U.S. vessels and threatened to blow them up, calling the incident a dangerous provocation as President George W. Bush prepared to leave Tuesday on his first major trip to the Middle East.

The White House called the alleged incident "a reckless and provocative act," reports CBS News correspondent Mark Knoller.

A top U.S. Navy commander in the region said Monday that the Iranian boats radioed a message "to the effect that they were closing (on) our ships and that the ships would explode - the U.S. ships would explode," said Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, the commander of U.S. 5th Fleet, which patrols the Gulf and is based at nearby Bahrain.

The Pentagon said five small Iranian boats repeatedly "charged" three U.S. warships - cruiser USS Port Royal, destroyer USS Hopper and frigate USS Ingraham - on what the U.S. Navy called a routine passage in international waters.

It also said the Iranian vessels dropped boxes in the water and warned the U.S. ships that they would set off "explosions," a U.S. Defense Department official said.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry called the incident a "normal" encounter between the two countries' ships and said it had been resolved.

U.S. Navy and Iranian officials have said in the past that vessels from the two rival nations frequently come into contact in the waters of the narrow, heavily trafficked Gulf. They often communicate by radio to avoid incidents.

But the latest incident was the first time U.S. officials have spoken of such a direct threat from Iranian boats.

On Tuesday, senior Revolutionary Guards commander Ali Reza Tangsiri was quoted as saying Iran had the right to ask any ships to identify themselves upon entering or leaving the Persian Gulf.

"It is a basic responsibility of patrolling units of the Revolutionary Guards to take necessary interception measures toward any vessels entering into the waters of the Persian Gulf," Tangsiri said, according to the Mehr news agency.

"We are entitled to use our definite right in the Strait of Hormuz to take controlling measures in relation to the entry of any vessel into the Persian Gulf," he was quoted as saying.

[antizion]

Gulf of Tonkin warmed over-Yawn...

[cbs_oliver]

"The Americans couldn''t believe what they heard next, CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier reports."

In view of the current record of dishonesty by the US military officers - especially regarding Iran - Ms. Dozier would be more responsible if she did not report what "Americans couldn''t believe".

Beliefs are so hard to confirm!

Maybe better would be to report what "so and so said they thought and believed".

Reporting the sources would be especially good. "Captain Ahaby said that the officers on the bridge reported ....."

[beehive21-2009]

TV it''s TV , the iranians love to make the news and will do anything to be on tv, thinking it makes them powerful ? Showing the world iran is a leader ? However the world only see iran as a little joke,ran by little jokers.

[gkc99]

The same US power structure that is so sanctimonious now were the same kind of folks who lied about the Gulf of Tonkin, causing the deaths of millions of innocent bystanders not to mention 50,000+ Americans.

The boy that cried wolf.

And every cop car in America has a better video cam than what''s apparently installed on our top of the line Navy ships! You''d think they could have gotten better pictures of this alleged incident than some swabbie with a phone cam. For all you can tell from the video it was some water skiers from Dhahran!

[gkc99]

"Most sane Americans know that Iran is a dangerous threat and that Ahmadenijad is a nutcase who''''s trying to hasten the arrival of the "12th Imam" or "Mahdi" of shiite islam. "--Posted by singinrick



Iran could be a dangerous threat and this incident still have been manufactured by the Darth Bushit regime to drum up the war fever in advance of the coming elections. It''s the only card they have left to play. Any "terror" attacks are now highly suspect as well.

[extremophil]

Of course the tape was fabricated! And 9/11 was staged, and Marilyn Monroe killed JFK, and Pearl Harbor was planned by FDR, and a UFO kidnapped Elvis'' love child. Ya can''t fool me!

[samsel3]

Nothing has changed on Iran. The administrations interest in Iran & nukes is a smoke screen for their real agenda. Their true interests are Cheney''s energy policy.Condi Rice is a former board member of Chevron Oil and mouthpiece for the administrations energy policy. Part of that policy is the The Caspian Sea pipeline which will go through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,Pakistan, to the gulf of Oman and on to India & Nepal.It will be cheaper to construct if they can go through Iran, but regime change is necessary first. The Caspian sea area holds one third of the world''s oil and south asian oil markets are their target market. This pipeline was also the reason for the Afghanistan invasion. Cheney''s energy policy is the root of all these middle east wars, a federal court judge sealed all documents associated with it for the administration, and the national media are not allowed to discuss or comment on it. More troops are needed in Afghanistan to protect the contractors building the pipeline. Iran stands in the way of total control of global oil now with sales of oil to China''s Sinopec Oil,deal signed Dec.10,2007. Months ago China said there would be dire consequences if the US interfered with there direct oil contracts with Iran. Both parties in the Congress should be very concerned with China''s growing war machine and need for oil. They are the real threat & the administration doesn''t care they are in control ! All that matters to them is BIG OIL and their corporate stock portfolios.

[jetlizhan]

of course the iranians would say this - is anybody surprised? they are crazy evil muslim people.

[rowdytexan2]

-Anyone who believes in a word out of that maniac nutcase Ahmadenijad''''s mouth is insane

Ya! Ya! But then you believe BUSH! The liar of all liars! What does that say about you?

[samsel3]

What flavor is the kool-aid today ?

[aaabee-2009]

377 Days, 00 Hours, 50 Minutes, 45 Seconds left of the Bush reign of horror.

Hope we can make it out alive.

[aaabee-2009]

Posted by parrot2 at 08:40 AM : Jan 09, 2008

Very well stated. :)

[watcher269-2009]

The last seven years have been a Republican fabrication to remove the rights of Americans. This administration has lowered the educational standards for our children to a point that they don''t know math, history or geography. A dumb population is a Republican population - statistics show that inbred, uneducated southern white folk vote republican and fight in wars.

This is what this administration wants - a dumb america does not question - it does not ask why - it does not want to know the truth. They do exactly what they are told in the true southern Christian fashion.

Republicans - Kill for GOD. And of course are closet homosexuals but that''s another story.

singinrick wrote:

"Most sane Americans know that Iran is a dangerous threat and that Ahmadenijad is a nutcase who''''s trying to hasten the arrival of the "12th Imam" or "Mahdi" of shiite islam."

Ahmadinejad might be a nut job, but then so is GW Bush. And so is Cheney. And so are most of the Republicans who were involved in taking us to war against Iraq.

This video is funny though - clearly whoever it was on the other end of the radio was stirring up those on board the USS Hopper. And it worked.

Regardless, those Iranians in the speedboats wouldn''t have stood a chance against our Navy and they knew it.

And as for the danger, most of the video footage that the Navy has released is shaky - and it''s shaky because it was shot at a great distance and was zoomed in.

This is no different to Soviet and American pilots stirring each other up during the Cold War - each side posturing with no real intent to fire on each other.

Give me a break.

[quetzal666]

well even if it was correct, at least they have the nuts to stand up to US Agrgession in little boats,
you dont see the SHRUB doing anything similar by himslef, he needs massive backup just to go take a leak!!!!

fitedafuture at 07:54 AM wrote:

"I say that to my girlfriend all the time, Im comin and ill explode in a few minutes, no one makes a pentagon tape out of it..."

LOL.

Now, could someone please explain this to Singinrick - he''ll never understand it.

[samsel3]

Nothing has changed on Iran. The administrations interest in Iran & nukes is a smoke screen for their real agenda. Their true interests are Cheney''s energy policy.Condi Rice is a former board member of Chevron Oil and mouthpiece for the administrations energy policy. Part of that policy is the The Caspian Sea pipeline which will go through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,Pakistan, to the gulf of Oman and on to India & Nepal.It will be cheaper to construct if they can go through Iran, but regime change is necessary first. The Caspian sea area holds one third of the world''s oil and south asian oil markets are their target market. This pipeline was also the reason for the Afghanistan invasion. Cheney''s energy policy is the root of all these middle east wars, a federal court judge sealed all documents associated with it for the administration, and the national media are not allowed to discuss or comment on it. More troops are needed in Afghanistan to protect the contractors building the pipeline. Iran stands in the way of total control of global oil now with sales of oil to China''''s Sinopec Oil,deal signed Dec.10,2007. Months ago China said there would be dire consequences if the US interfered with there direct oil contracts with Iran. Both parties in the Congress should be very concerned with China''s growing war machine and need for oil. They are the real threat & the administration doesn''t care they are in control ! All that matters to them is BIG OIL and their corporate stock portfolios.

Twenty or so minutes of video, edited down to 4 minutes and it still only looks as dangerous as a scene in an Elvis movie.

If you look really closely, you can see one of the dangerous Iranian guardsmen drop his pants and moon the USS Hopper.

Yep - our Navy was in real danger.

I hope their feelings weren''t hurt.

[neenga]

"statistics show that inbred, uneducated southern white folk vote republican and fight in wars"

Movies, tv, etc., love to portray us that way. We smile at the criticism because we know how biased and ignorant its sources are. Also, keeping that hillbilly image alive keeps "others" from moving here and destroying our gentle way of life, which they LOVE to do. They may deride southerners, but they all seem to want to live here and make it "just like upstate" or "exit 82." And plenty of those folks are as inbred and uneducated as anyone else.

[crater7]

SHIP FACE-OFF VIDEO "FABRICATED";

PERSONALLY I THINK THE CREW OF THE HOPPER DONE A GREAT JOB DEFUSING A POSSIBLE MILITARY CONFRONTATION THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

IF THE IRANIAN''S THINK THIS VIDEO WAS FABRICATED, THEN THE NEXT TIME IRAN FEELS THE URGE TO PROVOKE OUR SHIPS, THEY SHOULD BLOW THESE IRANIAN BOATS OUT OF THE WATER, AND BE SURE THAT IT IS ON VEDIO. LETS SEE IF IRAN CLAIMS THAT THE VEDIO IS FABRICATED????

[mbcsmith]

Posted by mcdazz at 09:33 AM : Jan 09, 2008

Fvcking LIB terrorist sympathizer. The brave sailors and officers on that ship deserve praise for not blowing that boat out of the water. REMEMBER THE COLE! Never forget.

[kissamaarse]

Some of the posters conveniently forget that this is the BUSH GOVERNMENT, and they lied us into war with Iraq. They are capable of any deceit. Were it any other presidential administration, there would be credibility. Even Nixon had greater credibility.

[clestes-2009]

This sounds like to me another effort on the shrub admin to start trouble with Iran. I read that the CO had been ordred to fire on them and wisely held back. Certainly if there was no real reason.

And here is the reason I think this.

Iran has been consistantly avoiding provoking the US for several years now. First, it stopped its nuclear weapon program, if it even had one. ElBaradei has never confirmed that fact.

Second, it stopped its support of Shiite aggression against US troops in Iraq. Petraeus admitted as much last week. Not that it was nearly as high as shrub wanted us to think.

Third, it released the British sailors last spring without harm.

Fourth, it has never provoked any US warships in the Straits of Hormuz before, even though the Iranians consider it Iranian waters.

mbcsmith wrote:

"Fvcking LIB terrorist sympathizer. The brave sailors and officers on that ship deserve praise for not blowing that boat out of the water. REMEMBER THE COLE! Never forget."

I remember the Cole only too well.

I also remember the Gulf of Tonkin "incident", and I also remember how much GW Bush and his criminals have lied to us time and time again.

Now, go and grow up.

[prinzowhales]

If the Iranian boats had been pulling skiers the order would have "prepare to repel boarders!"

[clestes-2009]

to continue...


The end result of all this behavior in conjunction with the NIE has been the acceptance of Iran as a political player in the middle east by the other middle east countries. For the first time in decades they are invited to visit Saudi Arabia, twice now. They are meeting with Egypt, a first. They have been invited to sit at the negiotiating table with Saudi Arabia, Jorden, Egypt to discuss middle east problems. They are a rising power player in the middle east and everyone knows it.

This is HUGE! They have everything to lose by inviting military conflict with the US. So do all the other countries. No matter how much one thinks they are madmen, they clearly are not.

No, I just do not see Iran provoking US war ships unnecessarily.

[clestes-2009]

Now, lets look at what the Bush admin has to lose by starting military conflict with Iran.

The short answer is not much. Bush is worried about his legacy and Cheney is telling him that to save it, a war with Iran must be. He was embarressed by the NIE and has fumbled since then, exclaiming how Iran is still the immediate danger he has always claimed. His legacy in the middle east is in a sorry state. His one true success, the removal of the Taliban from Afganistan is in serious danger of being call a failure, as anyone knows who is watching Afganistan. The Taliban has made a serious resurgence and now virually runs the country. Opium trade is at an all-time high. More troops are going to be needed to put a stop to losing it completely.


Iraq is still a dangerous unstable place. No matter how he touts the success of the surge, the true measure of success is with the parliment and that is no where, still deadlocked as it has been for years. In Pakistan, the push by the Bush admin to put Benizer Bhutto back in politics where she would no doubt make Musharriff behave has ended in her death.

No, a war with Iran would put all these problems on the back burner and even if it turned out to be a disaster worse than Iraq, which it would, is beside the point. It would be a huge gamble and Bush has already proved that he is willing to take big risks, if the prize is big enough

[fitedafuture]

one thing ive notice , we usually have alot of enemies whose countries start with an I , Italy, Iraq, Iran etc..

[crater7]

and by the way, crater7, it is "video" not "vedio";

THANKS nikosk1.

HEY, I KNEW THIS WAS COMMING THANKS FOR LESSON OF THE DAY.
AND BY THE WAY, "GOOD POST".

[offtheback]

Oh go blow it out your azz, raguhead


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by gunnerv1

Brilliant, thank you for your thoughtful contribution

[omega39-2009]

Oh come on you people. I remember way back when, in my navy days we had the same "problem" with the Russians during the Cold War, and those days involved ships, real big ships, no row-boats. It is just part of the game to keep the blood flowing and the war-happy president looking for an excuse to keep the fear carrot in front of the horse.
Posted by nikosk1

Soviet "bears" tracking the US battle group from overhead and soviet submarines shadowing it from underneath.

[mbcsmith]

I also remember the Gulf of Tonkin "incident", and I also remember how much GW Bush and his criminals have lied to us time and time again.

Now, go and grow up.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by mcdazz at 10:05 AM : Jan 09, 2008

Let''s see now, you draw a straight line from an incident 40 years ago to today. Brilliant! You haven''t got a clue. Your hatred overshadows any rational thought. In your America, a "lie" is anything you disagree with. YOU are what''s wrong with this country.

[clestes-2009]

singinrick,

By what measure do you judge him evil?

[wolf563]

Perhaps the U.S.Navy should have fired a few rounds at the quick boats and missed . Tell them it was an arcive video and that it was resolved . IRAN provokes first all who come in contact with them then accuse them of agression . I think they need to be put in that position themselves and see how they like it . The I.R.G. needs to be *** slapped before they start WW III .If the IRANIAN GUARDS DO start something the Irainian gov. will say they acted alone and do not represent the people of Iran . IT`S TIME TO CLEAN THE LITTER BOX OF ALL THE *** THAT IS IRAN . Iran is like a little dog that nips at your ankles until you just can`t stand it any more ,and when you react and kick the *** out of them for what it was doing .you are made out to be the bad guys for reacting the way that you did .

[omega39-2009]

singinrick,

By what measure do you judge him evil?

Posted by clestes


He doesn''t "tithe".

[omega39-2009]

Lets look at this story for what it is.






















A chance for speculators to jack up oil even further.

[vet_sk]

Sad, isn''t it. The place George Bush has put us where we can no longer trust our own government. I am not convinced either.

We got lied into Iraq and they were trying to lie us into Iran - until the intelligence committee came forward with their report that Iran did not have weapons. I am afraid Bush may be trying to find another way.

[mbcsmith]

Sooo, you belive dumbya''''s lies would have been true if we only agreed with it ?? - Am i missing something here ?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by parrot2 at 10:24 AM : Jan 09, 2008

Absolutely, moron, the definition of to "lie"

[mbcsmith]

Gulf of Tonkin all the way mbcsmith!
Get a life and learn to get along.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by jh6379 at 10:25 AM : Jan 09, 2008

I don''t get along with terrorist sympathizers such as you. JIHAD is your answer. Freedom is mine.

[clestes-2009]

wolf563 and mbcsmith,

so read my posts and respond with reasons why Iran provoked the incident, cause right now I cannot find a single reason they would.

[three-o-six]

Sure, and we should believe a government whose leader says that the holocaust didn%u2019t happen!

mbcsmith wrote:

"Let''s see now, you draw a straight line from an incident 40 years ago to today. Brilliant! You haven''t got a clue. Your hatred overshadows any rational thought. In your America, a "lie" is anything you disagree with. YOU are what''s wrong with this country."

It seems to me that it''s *your* kind that has driven this country into the mess that it''s currently in.

As for my "hatred", I haven''t expressed anything "hateful" in any of my posts in relation to this.

Well, it could be argued that I have expressed my dislike of the lies of GW Bush, but then, I''m not prepared to have my government lie to drag us into another war based on propaganda and lies.

But that''s hardly "hateful".

I do, however, get the impression that you''re a rather hateful person who needs to have someone or something to hate so that you can feel good about yourself.

Regardless, I can see this "provocative" incident for what it is - a bunch of Iranian morons poking fun at the US Navy.

Unfortunately, the liars in the GW Bush admin have tried to turn it into a major incident when it should have been downplayed as a stupid joke that could have backfired on the Iranians.

20 minutes of "provocative" actions edited down to a shaky 4 minutes of video footage?

Get real.

mbcsmith wrote:

"I don''t get along with terrorist sympathizers such as you. JIHAD is your answer. Freedom is mine."

It seems to me as though you''re your own terrorist.

You should see a shrink about your paranoia.

[mbcsmith]

20 minutes of "provocative" actions edited down to a shaky 4 minutes of video footage?

Get real.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by mcdazz at 10:47 AM : Jan 09, 2008


Spoken like a true LIB terrorist sympathizer. Your 70 virgins will have a serious rash.

[mbcsmith]

so read my posts and respond with reasons why Iran provoked the incident, cause right now I cannot find a single reason they would.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by clestes at 10:45 AM : Jan 09, 2008

watch the tape, moron. Geez, another LIB terrorist sympathizer. Is this what moron.org is teaching these lemmings.

[mbcsmith]

LOL...LOL again. LIBS are so funny.

mbcsmith wrote:

"Spoken like a true LIB terrorist sympathizer. Your 70 virgins will have a serious rash."

Eh? You really do need to see a shrink about your paranoia and your delusions.

Does paranoid schizophrenia run in your family?

Hmmm - I suspect so.

And what''s with all your hateful comments? Have you declared jihad on commonsense?

[mbcsmith]

And what''''s with all your hateful comments? Have you declared jihad on commonsense?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by mcdazz at 10:56 AM : Jan 09, 2008

Nope, just LIB terrorist sympathizers. Those of your ilk want to call our brave fighting men and women in uniform murderers. You can go straight to helll!

[offtheback]

-Anyone who believes in a word out of that maniac nutcase Ahmadenijad''''s mouth is insane parrot2.

The man is pure evil.
Posted by singinrick

Quite true, but the same is true of GWB and any who have ever done business with his.

[offtheback]

from moving here and destroying our gentle way of life
Posted by neenga

That siad, let''s throw the kids in the truck and go mud boggin dude!!!!