BBC: Aussie sailors “vigorously repelled” Iranian capture attempt
posted at 4:40 pm on June 21, 2007 by Allahpundit
The Beeb claims it happened before the incident with the British sailors. As Crocodile Dundee said: That’s not a thwarted naval raid, this is a thwarted naval raid.
Iranian naval forces in the Gulf tried to capture an Australian Navy boarding team but were vigorously repelled, the BBC has learned…
It turns out that Iranian forces made an earlier concerted attempt to seize a boarding party from the Royal Australian Navy…
The BBC has been told the Australians re-boarded the vessel they had just searched, aimed their machine guns at the approaching Iranians and warned them to back off, using what was said to be “highly colourful language”.
The Iranians withdrew, and the Australians were reportedly lifted off the ship by one of their own helicopters.
The circumstances for the Britons in March were slightly different in that they were caught so much by surprise that, had they attempted to repel the Iranians with their limited firepower, they would doubtless have taken very heavy casualties.
That’s good for a round of back-slapping and chest-thumping but a few particulars as to the time and place would have gone a long way. Iran’s always claimed, unpersuasively, that it was simply policing its waterways when it had the run-in with the Brits. If the Aussies were clearly in Iraqi waters when this happened, it would explode that excuse. Likewise, the Independent speculated after the British standoff ended that the kidnappings were revenge for the U.S. capture of the five Quds Force members in Irbil in January. When did the Aussie incident occur? Before that? Right before the British incident, thereby making that one a “second try”? Details, gents, details.
Blowback
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JayHaw Phrenzie on June 21, 2007 at 4:42 PM
The BBC might give out more details, but only if it includes the latest Coalition troop movements around Iraq.
common sensineer on June 21, 2007 at 4:47 PM
That’s not “highly colorful language”; THIS is “highly colorful language.”
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on June 21, 2007 at 4:48 PM
Crikey!
fogw on June 21, 2007 at 4:49 PM
It’s the principle of the 7 P’s – Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.
steveegg on June 21, 2007 at 4:52 PM
I’d love a transcript of the “highly colorful language” the Aussies used.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and surmise that it was not PC.
thirteen28 on June 21, 2007 at 4:55 PM
I can’t help but think that Admiral Nelson would hang his head in shame over the state of the Royal Navy….
Tim Burton on June 21, 2007 at 4:58 PM
Apparently, it was not The Queen’s English.
BohicaTwentyTwo on June 21, 2007 at 4:58 PM
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…
There was NO way they should have let themselves be captured without a fight…
And I’m saying that as one who trained, and led, boarding teams for the US Navy.
If they had tried it to us? First off there would have been a DD in the area to support us (very standard ops), and I once watched my CO put our Destroyer BETWEEN the merchant ship we were on, and a patrol boat coming towards us…. amazing how… reasonable… they get with a couple of 5 inch guns pointed their way…
And if insistant? and we were alone? sorry… they would have gotten a bit o M-60 and M-14 full auto luvin from us…
Romeo13 on June 21, 2007 at 5:09 PM
Just goes to show the Iranians were going to keep trying until somebody was made an ass of.
Most likely it was probably the highly colourful language that thwarted the attack.
Speakup on June 21, 2007 at 5:10 PM
LOL.
amerpundit on June 21, 2007 at 5:11 PM
And yet, were the exact words used relayed to her privately, she’d probably smile and tell the Governor General to relay her compliments, equally privately. She grew up during WWII, before massive wussification set in.
The Monster on June 21, 2007 at 5:12 PM
I’m guessing “tossers” and “sheep shaggers” were some of the more benign terms used.
thirteen28 on June 21, 2007 at 5:14 PM
Correct me if I’m wrong, if I remember correctly, didn’t the British sailors and marines actually outnumber the Iranians that captured them?
Sounds like a lack of preparation, planning and any actual watch/alertness!
SSG Fuzzy on June 21, 2007 at 5:21 PM
I feel ‘ya Romeo13. I’ve had more than one scramble up a jacob’s ladder from a RHIB myself.
There is no way on this earth our boys are ever going to be taken in that fashion. We are too motivated, too good at planning, too well trained, and we actually know which end of the weapon the rounds come out of. I haven’t done it in a while though. It’s still the pointy end, no?
Sounds like at least the Aussies have it right.
VBSS… ah, the good old days.
JunkCoast on June 21, 2007 at 5:29 PM
Ah yes… times like this I wonder if nearly everyone with a backbone left England during the colonial period…
Say what you will about stupid Aussie gun laws (and they really are stupid), but those blokes do know how to fight.
Jones Zemkophill on June 21, 2007 at 5:30 PM
Good on ya, Blokes!! That’s some bonzer military’in!
Hooray, once again, for the aussies!!
tickleddragon on June 21, 2007 at 5:42 PM
Good for the Aussie’s. How come this got so much less play that the pathetic actions of the RN personnel?
duff65 on June 21, 2007 at 5:43 PM
Because it makes the allies of the Enemy Press look bad????
ScottG on June 21, 2007 at 5:46 PM
Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi, Aussie Oi, Aussie Oi, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi
abinitioadinfinitum on June 21, 2007 at 5:46 PM
Entelechy on June 21, 2007 at 5:55 PM
The Aussies demonstrated that when you stand up to Islamic threats, they back down and press on to easier prey.
It’s worth remembering that way back in 1979 the US embassy was not the first protested by the radical Iranian students. They protested at the Soviet embassy but when they tried to scale the wall, the Russians shot the first one. At the US embassy, the Marines were ordered to retreat in the face of students who pressed to test American resolve and found themselves in possession of an embassy, much to their surprise.
The West needs to stop rationalizing the enemy Muslim behavior and start standing up to it, forcefully and without apology.
Tantor on June 21, 2007 at 5:56 PM
but I bet the Aussies didn’t get goody bags.
TomNLA on June 21, 2007 at 6:03 PM
When I first heard the story about the Brits reaction to the Iranian ambush, my first thought was “do not get off the big boat – use it as cover”.
Maybe I play too many video games. Or perhaps common sense is something they don’t teach in the British Navy.
Agrippa2k on June 21, 2007 at 6:15 PM
Aussies kick a$$!
csdeven on June 21, 2007 at 6:15 PM
I have spent a bunch of time racing boats with and against Aussies. I can’t think of any people that I wouldn’t rather go against than Aussies. The only thing worse would be to try and get between them and beer. Horror.
JackStraw on June 21, 2007 at 6:23 PM
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE, OY OY OY
Savage on June 21, 2007 at 6:23 PM
Aussies- proof that gumballs DO still exist in this world.
NTWR on June 21, 2007 at 6:25 PM
I love Australia more and more. I must visit there so I can decide where I want to live when the Clinton/Obama ticket win next year!
Brisbane? Perth? Darwin? Adelaide?
SouthernGent on June 21, 2007 at 6:26 PM
It’s a SAS saying.
Poodlemania works too :-)
steveegg on June 21, 2007 at 6:32 PM
Is anyone buying that, at all? Aside from the truthers and the like, that is.
It’s like debunking the Easter Bunny.
Pablo on June 21, 2007 at 6:50 PM
LOL… funny part about yer statement there matey…
I’m on me way to fencing practice in about 10 minutes…
SeaWolf
Black Scarf
Band of Black Tigers
http://www.blacktigers.us/blacktigers/
Romeo13 on June 21, 2007 at 6:57 PM
No surprise one of the biggest nanny-state country’s citizens acted like scared children, while the country founded by prisoners refused to go with full gusto.
Neo on June 21, 2007 at 7:57 PM
Word. I’d like to move there too if it weren’t for the gun ban…wait, if Clinton/Obama win there will be a gun ban here.
NTWR on June 21, 2007 at 8:11 PM
Aussies love a fight.
Alden Pyle on June 21, 2007 at 8:40 PM
Once again the Aussies show that they are one of top (if not the only) allies in this fight. The UK (while I love their military) their government is full of Dhimmies…
BadBrad on June 21, 2007 at 9:05 PM
I’ll bet that “colourful language” would make even a trucker blush.
Yakko77 on June 21, 2007 at 9:56 PM
How about diaper-head-sheep-shaggers or pull-starts or q-tips?
Or maybe the crew had seen Monty Pythons Holy Grail and said, “I wave my private parts at you, you tiny wiper of other people’s bottoms…I fart in your general direction!”
Or maybe it went something like this…Now toss off ya sheep-shaggin, pull-startin, diaper-head, q-tip tossers before we send you to Davey Jone’s locker…aaarrg!!
Liberty or Death on June 21, 2007 at 11:31 PM
Australia has officially replaced Britain as America’s best ally.
/salute Australia.
Never submit!!
Montana on June 21, 2007 at 11:34 PM
I’ll second that, and it’s precisely this type of pacifism that has led us to where we are today, our enemy doesn’t fear us sufficiently as we have a history of backing down.
Correct me if I’m mistaken here, but it’s my understanding that an embassy is considered a sovereign nation/territory/area of the country whose embassy it is, in other words, if people attack the embassy it’s akin to attacking the country itself, am I right?
If so then the Russians did the right thing, they defended their sovereignty, we on the other hand cowered and appeased a group that have now become one of our biggest threats, part of the axis of
weaselsevil! Of course we all know who was president then, one of the biggest pansy-presidents to ever hold office, Mr. Peanut himself, Jimmy Carter!If Reagen had been president at the time those students would have been mowed down with 50-cals like weeds! But then again if Reagan had been president the Iranians would probably have never taken over our embassy and the hostages, ’cause that dog don’t hunt with Rebulicans in the White House!
Liberty or Death on June 22, 2007 at 12:26 AM
One of the HA headlines about this says the Iran/Aussie attack happened in Dec of 2004.
F15Mech on June 22, 2007 at 1:19 AM
Despite the protests of Hudson from Aliens, it appears that harsh language can be an effective weapon.
/nerd
BohicaTwentyTwo on June 22, 2007 at 8:07 AM
Hobart. It’s on the South Island, as the Tassie’s like to call it. It’s a quaint harbor town, absolutely gorgeous, and they love us Yanks. There’s a steakhouse on the main quay called the Ball ‘n’ Chain, best beef south of Texas.
But oy, mike it a ‘oliday plan, mite. Nae way da’ Glacier annat Obammer feller gets ‘lected.
Freelancer on June 22, 2007 at 3:29 PM