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WTF is the US Coast Guard doing in the Persian Gulf?

D

Dari

Lifer
I thought their job was to protect American waters?

link

US ships 'in second rescue of Iranians in Gulf'
File photo of US Coast Guard cutter Monomoy The US Coast Guard cutter Monomoy was involved in Tuesday's rescue
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A US ship has picked up Iranians in trouble at sea, in the second such rescue in less than a week, the Pentagon has said.

US Coast Guard cutter Monomoy rescued six Iranian mariners after their vessel broke down in the Gulf.

One of the six had suffered burns and is receiving treatment, Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters.

The US Navy rescued 13 Iranian fishermen last Thursday after they were captured by Somali pirates.

Both incidents come at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.

'Humanitarian gesture'

In the latest incident, the six Iranians were some 50 miles (90km) south-east of the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr when they got into trouble early on Tuesday, Mr Little said.
Map

The crew used flares and flashlights to hail the passing Monomoy. The vessel's master indicated "that the engine room was flooding and [the ship was] not seaworthy", Mr Little added.

The Pentagon said the Iranian mariners would be repatriated, although it has not yet been determined how.

Last Thursday, forces assigned to the John C Stennis aircraft carrier group - on its way from the Gulf to Afghanistan - received a distress call from the Al Molai fishing vessel.

The ship had been boarded by pirates in the Arabian Sea more than a month ago, and its crew had been kept in "harsh conditions", the Pentagon said at the time.

A US Navy spokesman said the force went out of its way to "treat the fishing crew with kindness and respect" and provided them with fuel and food for their return journey home.

Washington says its forces routinely rescue sailors in distress - regardless of nationality - but wanted to highlight the two recent incidents in light of the current tensions between the two countries.

Tehran has not commented on Tuesday's incident, but described last Thursday's rescue as a "humanitarian gesture".

However, days earlier Tehran had warned the carrier not to return to the region once it left for Afghanistan.

Faced with the prospect of fresh sanctions over its nuclear programme, Iran has threatened to block the transport of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington has rejected Iran's warning to keep its forces out of Gulf waters, and has warned it will resist any attempt by Tehran to close the Strait.
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Hayabusa Rider said:
The Coast Guard has always been involved in other activities. It's not new nor news really.
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From Wikipedia
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the US military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters) and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set. It operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the Department of the Navy by the President at any time, or by Congress during time of war.
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So they're usually under the DHS but they serve at the pleasure of the president. Still, they shouldn't be out there. I can't imagine why the Navy would need them in that part of the world unless they're being setup as sitting ducks. I mean, the Iraq War is over, right?
 
Yeah, we definitely can't afford defense cuts. I mean what are Iranian fishermen going to do without our Coast Guard.
 
Dari said:
Both of what you'll mentioned seems like it should be under the purview of the respective nations in that region. It seems like they're outsourcing their border and maritime security to us.
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Most African nations cannot afford to feed their people on a routine basis, let alone patrol their waters for pirates.
 
Coast Guard has the experience in shallow water operations.

If the threat of mines and/or small attack patrol craft every happens; they have the training in small boats and interdiction.
Small attacks boats have similar profile as drug runners.
 
cybrsage said:
Right...but where do the Somali Pirates come from?
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Somali pirates are nowhere near the Persian Gulf. They may be in the Indian Ocean but I don't think they venture near the crowded area of the eastern Arabian peninsula. They usually stick to African coastline, Yemeni coastline, or the middle of the Indian ocean. The latest rescue was with a vessel that was broken. It wasn't a criminal act that spurred the CG to act. And most of those countries in the Gulf are super-rich.
 
Dari said:
Somali pirates are nowhere near the Persian Gulf. They may be in the Indian Ocean but I don't think they venture near the crowded area of the eastern Arabian peninsula. They usually stick to African coastline, Yemeni coastline, or the middle of the Indian ocean. The latest rescue was with a vessel that was broken. It wasn't a criminal act that spurred the CG to act. And most of those countries in the Gulf are super-rich.
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You have no clue do you??
 
Dari said:
Both of what you'll mentioned seems like it should be under the purview of the respective nations in that region. It seems like they're outsourcing their border and maritime security to us.
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Which is exceptionally profitable for the US.
 
Nothing more than carrying out the ageless tradition of the British Empire...

Unless TPTB are setting the Iranians up for an "unprovoked attack" on U.S. property and personnel so they can have the people demand retaliation, catapulting us into a nuclear world war that could've been stopped if they hadn't wanted it so badly.

Kinda makes you go "hmmmmm...".
 
tluxon said:
Nothing more than carrying out the ageless tradition of the British Empire...

Unless TPTB are setting the Iranians up for an "unprovoked attack" on U.S. property and personnel so they can have the people demand retaliation, catapulting us into a nuclear world war that could've been stopped if they hadn't wanted it so badly.

Kinda makes you go "hmmmmm...".
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That is the kind of response I would expect out of somebody with ONLY 8 posts...lol
 
senseamp said:
Yeah, we definitely can't afford defense cuts. I mean what are Iranian fishermen going to do without our Coast Guard.
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You realize the reason we have to have the biggest army in the world is so that no one sais no when we increase our national debt? We need another loan and we need more oil. No? Well, we'll just park a few aircraft carriers off your coast and see how you feel about that.
 
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