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.

[samsel3]

Russia is the second largest supplier of oil on the planet, the Saudis are number one. After Saddam was removed they lost one of there sources and moved to Iran to fill the void. In exchange they also negotiated contracts to build multiple nuclear power plants in Iran. Russia is well aware of the Cheney plan for the Casapian Sea pipeline which will be cheaper to build if the US goes through Iran. Iran does not want to negotiate with the US on this pipeline. Cheney wants regime change, but Russia does not because it''s not in there economic interest. Thats the real deal !
Russia reneged on contracts with BP oil UK for new Siberian wells and also renegotiated contracts for existing BP production wells in Russia for less money. BP was not happy and teamed up with US oil interests for the Caspian Pipeline deal now under construction.

[bobnjersey]

[They better figure it out quickly because George Bush isn''''t going to solve this problem for them. ][Posted by AJMarine1 at 11:13 PM : Jan 09, 2008]

of course he''s not ... cause solving problems is not something he''s very good at.

[samsel3]

One million barrels per day capacity for the Eilat Ashkelon pipeline where tankers are filled at the Red Sea port for transport to Asian markets. Currently tankers are unloaded at Ashkelon and pumped through Israel to Eilat a Red Sea terminal. The Turkey Israel pipelines project will save tanker transport costs to Ashkelon and increase market share for Caspian Sea oil. This is the purpose behind the Bush peace talks!

[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.

[samsel3]

January 9, 2007 Bush met with the president of Turkey on the 10th he was in Israel. The connection is the Turkey Israeli pipelines, the real purpose of the recent middle east peace summit . The actual story is the proposed oil pipelines that will be built down the coast from Turkey to Israel. Condi Rice is trying to broker this deal. BP oil, US oil interests and the Saudis all have a stake in that pipeline. Domonique Strauss- Khan managing director of the International Monetary Fund and Robert Zoellick president of the World Bank were in attendance. Big money won''t finance the venture without stability in the region.
In the Daily telegraph, July 22, 2006 Condoleeza Rice stated her main objective in the middle east was not to push a ceasefire in Lebanon, but to cause an isolation of Syria and Iran. The strategic objective is all tied to oil and oil pipelines. In April of 2006 Israel & Turkey made their announcement which included four pipelines which will bypass Syria & Lebanon. The source of the oil is the BTC pipeline from the Caspian Sea Region. Shareholders in the BTC pipeline are: British Petroleum, AzBTC, Chevron, Statoil, TPAO, ENI, Total, Itochu, INPEX, Conoco-Phillips & Amerada Hess. Another very important factor on the war with Lebanon is that Israel will have a strategic role in protecting the pipeline and transportation corridor out of Ceyhan Turkey. The strategy will weaken Russian oil''s role in central asia and also isolate Iran.

[feelfree1]

ourtomorrows,

Re: "You scare because you and those like you have such an impassioned hate not just for the President, but you really have a true hatred of your own country."

I don''t believe that George W. Bush was ever legitimately elected as President of the United States- either in 2000, or in 2004. I think that the Bush regime probably allowed the attacks of 9/11/01 to occur, at the very least. And I think that plans to overthrow Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, were in the works well before George W. Bush was ever even sworn in.

I suppose that you may not agree on these points, but perhaps that will give you a bit of insight as to why I feel the way that I do.

I don''t hate Bush, or any one else. I am disappointed that the American experiment with democracy may be near its conclusion, but I remain hopeful.

Good luck to you.

[feelfree1]

krenz4,

Re: "Besides, feelfree, you said that I obediently stood by and let oour blood, dignity and treasure be squandered, where were you? I see you screaming and stomping about it now, but what did YOU do to stop the ''''unelected murderers?"

####

Everything that I could manage.

[ajmarine1]

Can you imagine the long faces in the Clinton campaign yesterday? They must have been saying, oh my god, we may have to bomb Iran?
Please don''t bore me with that garbage that she will use diplomacy and negotiations to dig the world out of the hole that Iran''s nuke bomb represents. The Iranians will negotiate and send diplomats to meetings and one day they will announce they have successfully tested a nuke.
So what''s Hillary going to do then? What will Giuliani do? What would Huckabee or Obama or Edwards or McCain or Romney do?
They better figure it out quickly because George Bush isn''t going to solve this problem for them. And when whoever walks into the Oval Office, the Iran bomb is going to be sitting on the desk.
Good luck on this, Dems. Bush would have done it had he had some support, but you killed that. You better start backtracking and getting a whole lot more hawkish. Your day on the hot seat is coming.

Part 2

[ajmarine1]

After the NIE report came out and all the shouting and arguing about it, my only question is: Who is George Bush supporting for president in ''08?
It appears to me he is supporting the candidate who will bomb Iran. It''s clear he''s not going to do it, that he''s standing pat on Iraq, and he''s not going to disturb the tacit deal he has with Ahmadinejad that if Iran stays out of Iraq, Bush will stand down on bombing Iran over its bomb.
But you can hear him talk about it almost any hour of the day now: Iran is dangerous, which is true; Iran maintains the capability to build a bomb and quickly, which is true; and Iran may have halted its bomb program, but it is proceeding with stockpiling the material with which it could make a bomb almost overnight, which is also true, even if it''s a slight exaggeration.
So Bush seems to be saying, I''m done. I don''t have Europe behind me on attacking Iran, I don''t have the Congress, I don''t have the American people, so fine, you guys can deal with it. The you guys, of course, is the collection of presidential candidates who want his job.

Part 1

[cfin5]

They could''ve give them a nice healthy splashing or just let some good ole'' Kentucky boy put a hard one through their motors. Let''em do some rowing back to port :)

[ourtomorrows]

FeelFree1

You say you don''t waste much time on hatred but almost every word you type is encased with it.

People like you scare me more than the Iranians or any terrorists (real or perhaps made up in your world).

You scare because you and those like you have such an impassioned hate not just for the President, but you really have a true hatred of your own country. You and and others say how much you love your country but simply hate what Bush has done to it. You may be able to make yourselves believe that but your own words reveal something far different.

You are blinded by your own bitterness and hatred. The Bush team may have done much that people disagree with, but to compare it to the Nazis is beyond silly and worse yet, is insulting to the 10s of millions who died fighting them.

Would that your arguments were more rational and not so colored by your hate or perhaps some misdirected guilt.

But then again, I am only some poor deluded horror that has surrendered my soul to President Bush and his followers. So be it. I am comforted when I realize that you and people like have been and hopefully always will be, little more than a screaming blurb on a website or blog or marching through some street with a sign that no one cares to read. Take comfort in your free expression and i will take comfort in knowing that in the world outside this site or other like it, you are nothing but a small voice upon the wind that no one hears.

[cfin5]

We need to have our military on our border -- Bush needs to stop Mexico''''s military incurisions into our own country

Posted by j-whitman at 07:23 PM : Jan 09, 2008-----------------I agree bigtime on that one.

[krenz4]

Besides, feelfree, you said that I obediently stood by and let oour blood, dignity and treasure be squandered, where were you? I see you screaming and stomping about it now, but what did YOU do to stop the ''unelected murderers?"

[cfin5]

They could have launched something like a TOW missile. At that close of range, I doubt a PHALANX would stop it unless it was locked, loaded and waiting for so much as one of those guys lighting a cigarette.

[krenz4]

so, feelfree, im sure that desposts'' the world over would be so happy to have the Bush administration tried and hanged on live television. That would really show the world how sorry we were! That would certainly restore our country in the eyes of the world. You sir, are really whats wrong with this country. These days. What will you do when the Bush Admin is history and you have no more evil BUZZWORDS to spout? I really pity you. You will be on top of a building with a scope within a few sad years...

[j-whitman]

We need to have our military on our border -- Bush needs to stop Mexico''s military incurisions into our own country

[cfin5]

FeelFree1,......Uhm, feel free to READ THE ARTICLE dude.

[rudy654-2009]

have not seen anyone make that claim, but there certainly were no "boxes", as we can all see from the video, and there was certainly no significant threat.Posted by FeelFree1 at 07:14 PM

The article states that all of this occurred within 20 minutes. If they were laying down boxes, then it would have had to be more than 20 minutes.

[feelfree1]

cfin5,

Re: "So the speed boats were a fabrication huh?"

I have not seen anyone make that claim, but there certainly were no "boxes", as we can all see from the video, and there was certainly no significant threat.

Can you offer anything else but a straw-man of your own construction, to knock down?

[cfin5]

So the speed boats were a fabrication huh?.....Weeeeel just test the next fabrication theory with the U.S. Navy approved "fabrication theory tester" called a MK15 PHALANX. Trust but verify!