U.S. sailors divulged sensitive information while held by Iran: Navy

[Daemon of Decay]

U.S. sailors who blundered into Iranian waters in January divulged sensitive information to their captors while held at gunpoint by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S. Navy report said on Thursday.

It said some of the 10 crew members gave away capabilities of their vessels, one of them disclosing his vessel's potential speed and suggesting it was on a "presence" mission to demonstrate U.S. military power in the Gulf.

The incident, which embarrassed the United States, rattled nerves days before implementation of a U.S.-nuclear accord between Iran and world powers negotiated by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama.

"It is clear that some, if not all, crew members provided at least some information to interrogators beyond name, rank, service number and date of birth," the report said.

Reuters - Full Article

[slick_miester]

Sniff, sniff: I smell another Charles McVay. Or is that Frank Wuterich?

Ain't it funny how the Naval Service always punishes most harshly those they've left out to dry.

[Daemon of Decay]

Sniff, sniff: I smell another Charles McVay. Or is that Frank Wuterich?

Ain't it funny how the Naval Service always punishes most harshly those they've left out to dry.

It certainly won't convince those who think this was all a plot by Obama or Iran.

Still, it does sound like a comedy of errors - and is pretty damning. From the article:

Problems had plagued the mission from the beginning. The task force commander ordered the 250-nautical-mile transit, the longest the crews had attempted, on short notice, and "severely underestimated" the transit's risks.

"He lacked a questioning attitude, failed to promote a culture of safety, and disregarded appropriate backup from his staff and subordinate commands," the report said.

The boats' captains and crew did not review or follow their planned course from the moment they left port, the report said, and inadvertently went through Saudi Arabian territorial waters before entering Iranian waters off the coast of Iran's Farsi Island in the Gulf.

At one point, the crew members did not realize they were near Farsi Island because none of them zoomed into their navigation system's map.

[slick_miester]

A task force commander who didn't train his subordinates in the basics of their duties . . . . which flag officer nominated him for promotion? Which hacks in Congress approved it? And let's not forget the cabinet secretaries and the C-in-C who forwarded the admirals' recommendation onto Congress.

The political establishment is griping about the characters they promote to be ranking officers. Wonder why they didn't think of that earlier in the process. Maybe next time one of their perfumed princes will get more of our guys killed.

[johns624]

perfumed princes.

I see that someone else also read Hackworth...

[Mountain Man]

As usual, the revelations of wrongdoing occur after the Obama jackass is well out of the barn.

[Gixxer86g]

Reuters - Full Article

Bad stuff. And I stand corrected.

Thankfully the USS Gravely wasn't crewed with these jokers.

[Trung Si]

Too many true leaders have been purged or have been forced to retire under this administration, PC and Diversity training have taken the place of actual mission training and being taught the UCMJ like I was during my time in.

[Half Pint John]

This isn't the military I served in. I have a problem even calling them military. To much time spent on i phones and games? This reflects very badly on the workings of the USN of today.

[andrewza]

This is indeed a embrasing event. Some really poor navigation going on. I mean was there not mine hunter that hit a reef due to poor navigation skills.

[T. A. Gardner]

Well, they can use the "Hillary defense" if they're charged for it...

[Trung Si]

Well, they can use the "Hillary defense" if they're charged for it...

[Arnold J Rimmer]

Given that these were two speed boats, how exactly were they demonstrating a military presence?

The entire affair seems utterly insane.

[Daemon of Decay]

Given that these were two speed boats, how exactly were they demonstrating a military presence?

The entire affair seems utterly insane.

And yet plenty of angry Conservatives here wanted these men to start a war with Iran when it happened.