Iran Fires Back With Its Own Boat Video

Grainy Footage Depicts "Routine" Encounter With U.S. Ships; U.S. Formally Protests Incident

(CBS/AP)  Iran aired video Thursday of its boats and U.S. naval ships in the Persian Gulf in an apparent attempt to show that there was no confrontation between the vessels.

The grainy 5-minute, 20-second video - without sound or narration - showed a man speaking into a handheld radio, with three U.S. ships floating in the distance. It appeared to be shot from a small boat bobbing at least 100 meters from the American warships.

The footage did not show any Iranian boats approaching the U.S. vessels, nor any provocation. But the short clip likely did not show Sunday's entire encounter, which U.S. Navy officials described as threatening, and said lasted about 20 minutes.

It aired on Iran's state-run English-language channel Press TV, whose signal is often blocked inside Iran.

The clip also aired on the state-run Al-Alam Arabic channel, with an announcer saying the video showed "a routine and regular measure."

Later, another state TV channel aired 4 minutes of audio it said were radio communications between the Iranian boats and American ships.

"Coalition warship number 73, this is an Iranian navy patrol boat," a man's voice said in heavily-accented English. "This is coalition warship number 73 operating in international waters," an American voice replied.

Meanwhile Thursday, the U.S. lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Iran over the incident. The protest, which repeats public U.S. complaints about the "provocative" action, was sent to the Iranian Foreign Ministry through the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which looks after U.S. interests in Iran, deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters. He could not say if the Iranians had actually received and acknowledged receipt of the protest.

The Pentagon has released its own video of Sunday's incident, showing small Iranian boats swarming around U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz.

In the recording, a man threatens in English, "I am coming to you. ... You will explode after ... minutes."

The incident, which ended without any shots fired, has heightened U.S.-Iranian tension as President Bush visits the region. Mr. Bush was in the West Bank on Thursday, and heads next to Arab Gulf nations where he is expected to discuss strategy on Iran.

Iran has denied its boats threatened the U.S. vessels, and accused Washington of fabricating its video. The Pentagon dismissed that claim and warned its ships would respond with force if threatened.

The Iranian video "seems to underscore the fact that the U.S. ships were operating in international waters, something so far, at least, the Iranians have not refuted," retired U.S. Army Col. Jeff McCausland told CBS' The Early Show.

McCausland, who is director of national security affairs for the Washington-based law firm Buchanan, Ingersoll, and Rooney added that Iran's claim that the Pentagon's video was fabricated could be an attempt to "ratchet up" tensions between the two nations.

On Thursday, the Web site of the Iranian state broadcasting company quoted a top Revolutionary Guards commander as calling the Pentagon's video "unusual and illogical."

"This attention by the U.S. media and officials to a routine encounter means Americans are taking an unusual approach to very ordinary issue," Gen. Ali Fadavi, the Guards' acting naval chief, was quoted as saying.

[gkc99]

Even if the incident happened, the Darth Bushit regime has lied and lied and lied again to get what they want, so their credibility with any thinking person is ZERO!

This is what America has lost by tolerating this criminal and incompetent regime.

Time for regime change in America!

[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

[extremophil]

I totally believe the Iranians. They''ve never lied to anyone before, have they????

[rowdytexan2]

Oh, now this is good. Let''s just having a lying video contest, for pete''s sake. Which country can make up the best lie and air it.

[andrew_693]

Well, if we go by the record, which do you believe, the confirmed terrorists, or the leaders that stood in front of the whole world and lied about weapons of mass destruction, enron, blackwater, nation building, etc...... who do you believ ,thosder who are willing to die for their beliefs, or those who ask for deferments (Cheney) or hide under their daddy''s desk (bush). You see, the truth is no longer so clear cut, once you lie.......even the truth becomes doubtful.

[Con Mohrat]

Iranians can do phoney special effect movies too ?

[beehive21-2009]

Why were the iranian boats near the American ships ? Next time sink em, were not playing games,with thugs that gangbang there women and think only of 72 virgins upon death ? Robot mental tripping fools,be playin the wrong sea.

[Con Mohrat]

Will the next contrived special effects video from either side have rubber sharks and octopi.

Neither video was any fun.

[antoniof123]

Well, here we go again those of you who call anyone who doesn''t agree with you a traitor and then we have those of you who say it is a lie and so on and so forth.

Here is a possibility maybe it is propaganda on both sides and they both are lying.

In a conflict there can only be one right side however, both sides can be wrong. Which one do you think occurs most of the time?

[omega39-2009]

As I stated yesterday, this is a non news story. This type of harassment is typical. Witness the Chinese spy plane incident, or the shots fired over the DMZ. The navy was training for this type of harassment 20 years ago when I was a part of it, I can only assume the training is even more so now. The question then becomes, why would this be a news story, After all, it''s not like oil speculators would go ape over activity like this in the straights of Hormoz and jack up the price of oil further, would it?

[walt1944-2009]

It has been learned that the Great Emperor Bush II has decided to let ABC decide which video of the alleged encounter between US Navy warships and Iranian gunboats is "authentic" by submitting them both to "America''s Funniest Videos" for judgement.

The Emperor also hopes that the winner will be eligible for the grand prize of $10,000 which would enable the Great Emperor to keep the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan going for another minute.

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!!

[Con Mohrat]

...why would this be a news story, After all, it''s not like oil speculators would go ape over activity like this in the straights of Hormoz and jack up the price of oil further, would it?
Posted by omega39 at 08:50 AM : Jan 10, 2008

~~~~~~~~

Partly true. It''s over $3/regular today, although it''s 7 cents/gallon in Venezuela.

It could be on orders from lame duck as he has nothing positive for his legacy but two lost wars.

[prinzowhales]

There was no incident in the Straits of Hormuz...just five speed boats, a severely edited tape and an unknown voice doing a voice over. Perhaps the Regime should hire a professional to push their war piggery through film, as they with the bogus ''rescue'' and touting of Jessica Lynch...Here''s a link with a whole bunch of bogus stories and mountains out of mole hills that CBSNBCABCFOXCNN along with print media outlets such as the NEW YORK TIMES and WASHINGTON POST propaganda arms of the Regime ahve tried to foist upon the American people:

http://www.citizinemag.com/politics/politics_0508_iraq_garsmith.htm

[starkx6-2009]

The only reason that this is an "issue" is the threat made by the iranians. I have played out at sea with many Russian and Chinese ships and aircraft, and we do get close to each other to the point where one vessel must take evasive manuvers. However, we never threaten each other with such provocative words, especially after the USS Cole incident.

[omega39-2009]

Partly true. It''''s over $3/regular today, although it''''s 7 cents/gallon in Venezuela.

It could be on orders from lame duck as he has nothing positive for his legacy but two lost wars.

Posted by Vet1971


Amazing huh, the Iranians could do far more damage to this country by playing on the fear and greed of the speculative markets than they ever could by dropping 5 "box bombs" in front of three warships.

[Con Mohrat]

Amazing huh, the Iranians could do far more damage to this country by playing on the fear and greed of the speculative markets than they ever could by dropping 5 "box bombs" in front of three warships.
Posted by omega39 at 09:03 AM : Jan 10, 2008

~~~~~~~~~

After we cause problems in the Straights of Hormuz, and the barges and sea mines have been sunk in the narrow shipping lanes, Saudi oil will travel in the opposite direction, down the Arabian Sea, around the Cape of Good Hope, and up the Atlantic, and we get to pay $4 a gallon for gasoline.

That will be part of the lame duck''s legacy.

And Venezuela''s gas will still be 7 cents a gallon.

[notblue]

It speaks volumes that the majority of posters for this story sidewith the Iranians. Unbelievable! You people truly are traitorous.

[king77shaw]

I would believe the Iranians before I would believe the Bush administration or the US/zionist mainstream media .. the media in the US has become pure propaganda - STOP BUYING IT!!

[b-easy63]

The Iranian video and communication shows ships bobbing in water and one identifying itself by stating what American vessel it is and then stating that it is operating in international waters. This may sound like a slam dunk but it isn''t. It would be like a cop catching a speeder going 85 in a 45 mph zone--0 who passes the cop his liscense and states (for the cop and for the camera) that he was only going 40. That is "smiling for the camera" and can be the truth or part of a scam. If we need doctored videos to start a war, surely our Naval CO would have been given his lines for the speech to keep the sham up?

So now we''ve heard video from both sides, which in and of itself is very interesting since for the past 4 years Bush has declined to share most information and resisted putting anything up to public scrutiny--citing national security--and then something which is definitely a matter of national security is "released".

Let''s think on that. Why would Bush all of sudden want a sharing moment about what is really going on with the American people? Maybe it is similar to him sharing the yellow cake story and curveballs nuclear lab lies and Saddam cozy with Al Qaeda--all later found out to be lies and manipulation to get a war.

Believe have of what you see--and none of what you hear. It is time we see the doctored GPS photos showing actual locations at the time, now boyz. LOL

[clestes-2009]

The Iranians have no reason to provoke the US Navy. They are sitting pretty in the middle east now, a rising power, thanks to the US invasion of Iraq.

Why would they risk losing EVERYTHING they have gained by provoking the US??

This is another push by the Bush admin to try and start another military conflict in the middle east. They are still after regime change in Iran.

[clestes-2009]

notblue,

We are informed, open-minded and intelligent. We look at history and make decisions based on FACTS.

We do not ignore the truth or make illogical conclusions based on PR.

You ought to try it sometime.

[omega39-2009]

This is another push by the Bush admin to try and start another military conflict in the middle east. They are still after regime change in Iran.
Posted by clestes

At the very least, continued hostilities can keep oil prices (and oil company profits) from dropping. Both sides benefit from $100/bbl oil, that is why this had to be news.

[notblue]

I believe America over Iran! Did the hated Bush drive the ship? Was he even present! The milititants have already flown planes and BOATS into American ships and buildings. It is idiotic to think these Iranians wouldn''t do the same already knowing the history of these savage attacks. You people must purposely ignore this history to make your idiotic naive statements.

[b-easy63]

The only reason that this is an "issue" is the threat made by the iranians. I have played out at sea with many Russian and Chinese ships and aircraft, and we do get close to each other to the point where one vessel must take evasive manuvers. However, we never threaten each other with such provocative words, especially after the USS Cole incident.

Posted by starkx6 at 09:01 AM : Jan 10, 2008


How do you KNOW the Iranians actually made that threat? Because someone cobbled together a video? We are in that region based on a cart load of LIES and MISINFORMATION whose real purpose was to start a war.

We are also usually kept in the dark about everything from who outed a CIA agent, to wiretaps to our Energy programs. The only time Bush gives us a "sharing Moment" is when he is lying about something and wants our support--then his brainwashing bs comes out. Any other time, everything he and Cheney say, do or cause is shrouded under "NATIONAL SECURITY".

Well, confrontations in international waters is definitely "national security" so why is the Shrub giving us a sharing moment? The man is indeed a consummate liar--I trust neither side--but consider, the Iranians are right outside their own country--a place they have a legitimate right to be---our ships are thousands of miles away from home--in a place and due to a situation that may not be legal at all.

[drinuk]

Of course Iran was trying it on, prior to the Bush trip to Israel, anything to take the attention from the visit. Whatever you think of Dr "Strangelove" Bush, The navy should have sat their ***** in the water, these mad water bourne mullers need a lesson, the Brits should have done and we certainly should have.

[b-easy63]

Dear Bus: Most of us think our video is a lie and you are trying to set us up for another war. Nice try--but you have exceeded your quota of fake stories and propaganda. Instead of reading ''MY Pet Goat'', you should have read "The boy who cried wolf" YOu lie to start wars and only tell us more lies to keep it going. You''ve done it so much, that only your lying followers believe you. WE ain''t drinking that kool aide. Sorry.

[notblue]

clestes, you people are terrorists supporters who twist facts to suit your hate Bush and America agenda. People who suffer from your level of brainwashing no longer need facts or truth to support your twisted reality just hatred for Bush and America.

[omega39-2009]

I believe America over Iran! Did the hated Bush drive the ship? Was he even present!!

Judging from the lack of "Mission Accomplished" banners being visible in the grainy video, I''m guessing no.

[prinzowhales]

Bush and the Swine Regime of Demo-publicans are in big trouble here in the US, as illustrated by the blatant manipulation of the New Hampshire vote using their Diebold and felons at LHS--the people who tabulate the ''vote''.

What do monsters do when they are in political trouble?--They try to sir up war...they form parties ''of National Unity''...they resort to "the last refuge of the scoundrel"...patriotism...a false patriotism that uses love of country for personal gain...a flag of convenience to scuttle beneath...as they use ''other people''s money'' for their businesses, they use ''other people''s blood'' for their own sinister enterprises.

Why is it always August 1914 under the Bush Regime?

Down with the Regime!

[rudy654-2009]

Are you we to understand that the Iranians don''t know about the US''s superior fire power?

[b-easy63]

The milititants have already flown planes and BOATS into American ships and buildings. It is idiotic to think these Iranians wouldn''''t do the same already knowing the history of these savage attacks. You people must purposely ignore this history to make your idiotic naive statements.

Posted by notblue at 10:04 AM : Jan 10, 2008


Okay Der. Bizzaro. NO Iranians flew planes into our buildings. No Iraqis either. Probably no afghanis either. A lot of Saudi Arabians did (19 out of about 22) but we don''t even begin to attack them or give them sanctions. What we have here is a failure to communicate--the people Bush needs to convince (the majority of Americans now) aren''t buying his lies--as for you and others who suck up anything he says...well--fool you once--shame on him, fool you twice--shame on you--now that he is fooling you for the umpteenth time--we can validate your place in the moronic sucker club.

[prinzowhales]

Speed boats, speed. That is what they do...there was no aggressiveness in their manuveuring, any more than there is aggression in the ski boats on the remnants of Lake Lanier. The voice uttering the threat can not even be tied to the speed boats...anyone can break onto an open com...This is an obvious Zio-Nazi tactic to push our nation to war once again for Big Oil, the Paper Money Mongers and the Zionists.

Down with the Regime!

[clestes-2009]

notblue,

Nonsense! What gobbli-*** you think.

There are plenty of trustworthy news sources both US and international that print the truth and they can read and understood by anyone willing to have an openmind and at least average intelligence.

Facts are facts, my friend. They cannot be denied. If you look at them objectively you can draw the correct conclusions.

[b-easy63]

clestes, you people are terrorists supporters who twist facts to suit your hate Bush and America agenda. People who suffer from your level of brainwashing no longer need facts or truth to support your twisted reality just hatred for Bush and America.

Posted by notblue at 10:10 AM : Jan 10, 2008

Here 5 hard but easy questions

And why is there sooo much hatred of Bush ? (I don''t think there is hatred of America by this side--just a different view of America).

Is it because Bush has been a divider not a uniter and that he lied so many times and is nation building in Iraq after stating he would not be that kind of President?

Can America ever be wrong? If so, can Americans call their own country on it--or are they supposed to back it no matter what it does?

Finally, what kind of person backs wrong actions---just because they are from a place? That is like having a monster for a child and defending him and excusing him no matter what.

[prinzowhales]

notblue--Your Zio-Nazi agenda is not an American agenda, stop trying to peddle it as one. If anyone is "twisted" it is YOU! What kind of miserable little monster would want the death of human beings...want war and destruction...because of a whatever happened in the Straits of Hormuz?--A PSYCHOTIC ENEMY OF PEACE!

[clestes-2009]

Fact 1. They Iranians have shown no provocations before now. They stopped their nuclear weapon lab in 2003, if they even had one, ElBaradei has never confirmed that.

Fact 2. They released the British sailors unharmed.

Fact 3. They are being invited to sit at the negiotiating table along with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt to discuss the middle east future. They have not been there for decades.

Fact 4. They have everything to lose and nothing to gain by provoking the US.

Fact 5. Bush is worried about his legacy.

Fact 6. Big oil wants to control the middle east oil pipelines and Iran stands in the way.

Fact 7. The Bush admin has been embarressed by the NIE and would love nothing better than to be proved right.

Think about all the above, check them out.

Chances are you won''t, of course, because facts don''t mean anything to you.

[b-easy63]

Both sides have a history of lying--but only one side stands to gain from true confrontation by starting a war. It is the same side that lied about the connection to Al Qaeda, yellowcake, bio warfare labs, using WP, wiretapping, rendition, torture and many other issues. That side needs more war--they are banking on Americans being too stupid and scared to see through this new set of lies--after all, tell people stuff, long enough, and it can replace the truth.

Iran sees the horror of Iraq--why would they want that? We think we did and are doing Iraq a favor by our invasion and war--so why not "share some" of our ''freedom train wreck'' with Iran?

[boatdocster]

Does it not seem strange that''s it poor grainy video?

This year we will spend 600 billion plus on defense, more than the rest of the world combined!!!; we have satellites that can take pictures of license plates from space and some of the best video and telecommunications equipment in the world, but the best we get for this ''encounter'' is cheap video. An Aegis class ship, one of the most advanced in the world but the Navy can not say if the radio transmissions came from the boats or from the shore?

Lets get all the facts on the table and get them straight before we start another Bush style, preemptive, shoot first and ask questions later (and perhaps unnecessary) war. War should not be the first American option for everything. We are supposed to be better than that!

[infidel_us]

You bedwetting libs are such WHINERS! (hence the ''bedwetter'' adjective)

WHY would the US be trying to start a war with Iran? WHY would Bush want to start another war? He''ll be in office another 11 months......WHY would he????

You people are idiots!

[notblue]

Prinzo, b-easy and the rest of you terrorist regime supporters. You people talk about me wanting death and destruction when it is your brotheres in Jihad who spoon it up every day! You people claim self intelligence and clear vision of reality yet you can somehow in a extremely simplistic and moronic way blame ONE MAN for ALL the worlds problems while IGNORING the DAILY attrocities of the radicals and radical supporters like Iran! America is working to maintain a level of peace in the middle east by fighting the Islamic extremists while Iran has worked tirelessly to destabalize our efforts and where does your support go? To the dictators of these radical regimes and you people call me ignorant and blind. You people are brainwashed morons who someday will reep what you sow.

[b-easy63]

Does it not seem strange that''''s it poor grainy video?

Posted by boatdocster at 10:25 AM : Jan 10, 2008

It''s the Iranians who do not have state of the art video, not us. But that in and of itself means nothing.
If they don''t make the videos poor and grainy, any 1st year Graphic design student will see the cut and paste of the videos. I wonder how much we spent to put our version together. Bush does not share NSI so why now? They already made a mistake in admitting that the Navy had to "get the footage together to show to the public by putting together the video footage" That is suspicious enough. First, we aren''t supposed to be shown anything about National Security. Second--the act of having to get anything put together suggests doctoring.

Why share now? Bush wanted to use another yellow cake story--but the CIA warned him it was too easy to debunk when the rest of the world followed that trail?

So now we get **** poor video. Where is the GPS info? it will show where everyone was. I bet the ''doctors of video'' did not think of that. Get the GPS info and match it to the video frame, by frame--if it does not match--we are looking at **************. As for the sound--given we lied and had fake news stations speaking Iraqi in Iraq and lying about the war--finding a person to give lines for a video is nothing.

[omega39-2009]

, any 1st year Graphic design student will see the cut and paste of the videos. I wonder how much we spent to put our version together.
Posted by b-easy63

Knowing free spending Bush, I''m guessing 17 million to have the rendon group do it.

[hillaryin08]

The Iranians hav been warned and the next time this happens they will meet Allah. No story here except for the conspiricy wackos.

[b-easy63]

WHY would the US be trying to start a war with Iran? WHY would Bush want to start another war? He''''ll be in office another 11 months......WHY would he????

You people are idiots!

Posted by Infidel_Us at 10:28 AM : Jan 10, 2008


Hmmmm. Good point. Why would Bush want another war, just as he is leaving office. Of course he would not have to leave office if he declared a "state of emergency" before the transition and suspended elections. Sort of like Musharref did in Pakistan. Do you think that is it? Is that also why Bush wants full control of its state''s militia/National Guard and the power to use the Guard against American citizens in the event of an "emergency".

The man scrapped our participation in the Geneva Conventions and asked for immunity from war crimes---there is not much downhill to go to from there. Why not another war---it has been very, very profitable for some--like the Carlisle Group, Exxon, BP, etc Energy concerns. Things that strangely, Bush, Cheney and Rice are heavily invested in and whose dealings are now all secret and a matter of national security. LOL

[vega_1618]

yeah why

[rudy654-2009]

The Iranians hav been warned and the next time this happens they will meet Allah. No story here except for the conspiricy wackos. Posted by hillaryin08 at 10:37 AM

Well, it''s a good thing they know that, isn''t it? I mean, they certainly didn''t know that the US has superior fire before, but now they do, right?

[clestes-2009]

Doesn''t the timing of this feeling funny to anyone??

I mean, first we keep hearing how the Iranians are building a nuclear weapon. That turns out to be false.

Bush still claims they are a threat, but really has no evidence to back up this claim.

He gets ready to go to the middle east, for the first time, still claiming this and suddenly there is an incident in the Strait of Hormuz where 5 Iranian speed boats "provoke" 3 massive US warships.

Does all this sound staged to anyone? It sure does to me. He is DESPERATE to attack Iran and is trying anything to force a confrontation.

How does he think peace is going to be accomplished with Israel and Palistine if the US is warring with Iran??

[clestes-2009]

hillaryin08,

Iran has no intention of provoking the US. They have been careful NOT to when they could have anytime this past 5 years.

[hillaryin08]

The Iranians hav been warned and the next time this happens they will meet Allah. No story here except for the conspiricy wackos. Posted by hillaryin08 at 10:37 AM

Well, it''''s a good thing they know that, isn''''t it? I mean, they certainly didn''''t know that the US has superior fire before, but now they do, right?


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

Posted by rudy654 at 10:39 AM : Jan 10, 2008

No, our commanders in the field gave them the benifit of doubt. If they were those suicide types it doesent matter for them anyways.

Fair warning has been givin, do you think they would do the same for us?

[rudy654-2009]

If they were those suicide types it doesent matter for them anyways.

Fair warning has been givin, do you think they would do the same for us? Posted by hillaryin08 at 10:44 AM

They are suicide types? How do you know that?