Amen

Of course I did.. and so did the crews on the Destroyers. That's my point! The Cole was taken off guard.

But I believe your point is to just use this event to further some other cause. I'm not buyin.

Ok. My apologies. I didn't read the rules. I admit I do sometimes come out swinging. I'm used to discussing these things on cigar related boards. And let me tell ya. The notion that cigar smokers are predominantly rich, white republican men is no fallacy. And I have become used to a much nastier, take no prisoners environment.

And so with my tail between my legs, I promise to try to remain civil

Clinton enjoyed cigars with Monica, all the Kennedy's loved em, so I think your categorization of cigar smokers is inaccurate but hey, I am snipping an Opus X as we speak. Woo hoo! Where did you find cigar related boards?

Opus X hey? That's hardcore. Try cigarfamily.com. It's run by the Fuentes. You'll see what I was saying. Although they've pretty much squashed political discussion.

More strupidy from the right. How dumb do they think we are? The threatening radio transmission heard at the end of a video showing apparently harassing maneuvers by Iranian patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz last weekend may have come not from the Iranian crews, but from a locally famous heckler known among ship drivers as the "Filipino Monkey."

While the threat — "I am coming to you. You will explode in a few minutes" — was picked up during the incident, further jacking up the tension, there's no proof yet of its origin.

The United States on Thursday lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Iran over the incident Sunday in which Iranian speedboats made contact with U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf.

Adm. William Fallon, the top U.S. military commander in the Mideast, said Friday that Iran runs the risk of triggering an unintended conflict if its boats continue to harass U.S. warships in the strait.

The Navy is sensitive about small boats because of the 2000 al-Qaida attack on the USS Cole as it refueled in Yemen, which resulted in the deaths of 17 sailors.

Also on Friday, a Navy official said that the USS Whidbey Island fired warning shots at a small Iranian boat that was rapidly approaching it in the Strait of Hormuz on Dec. 19 during one of two serious encounters that month.

In another incident that month, the USS Carr sounded a warning by whistle Dec. 22 after it encountered three small Iranian craft, two of which were armed, the official said.

Since Sunday's incident was announced to the public a day later, the Navy has said it's unclear where the voice came from. In the videotape released by the Pentagon on Tuesday, the screen goes black at the end and the voice can be heard, distancing it from the scenes on the water.

"We don't know for sure where they came from," said Cmdr. Lydia Robertson, spokeswoman for Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. "It could have been a shore station."

"Based on my experience operating in that part of the world, where there is a lot of maritime activity; trying to discern [who is speaking on the radio channel] is very hard to do," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said Friday.

Indeed, the voice in the audio sounds different from the one belonging to an Iranian officer shown speaking to the cruiser Port Royal over a radio from a small open boat in the video released by Iranian authorities. Asked if U.S. officials considered whether the threats came from someone besides the Iranians when releasing the video and audio, Roughead said: "The reason there is audio superimposed over the video is it gives you a better idea of what is happening."

In recent years, American ships operating in the Middle East have had to contend with a mysterious but profane voice known as the "Filipino Monkey," likely more than one person, who listens in on ship-to-ship radio traffic and then jumps in, shouting insults and jabbering vile epithets. Navy women are said to suffer particularly degrading treatment.



Rick Hoffman, a retired captain who spent many of his 17 years in the Gulf, said he was subjected to the renegade radio talker repeatedly during the so-called "Tanker Wars" of the late 1980s when Iran and Iraq were at war.

"For 25 years there's been this mythical guy out there who, hour after hour, shouts obscenities and threats," he said. "He could be tied up pierside somewhere or he could be on the bridge of a merchant ship."

Additional information from The Associated Press

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004121278_iran12.html

You can not honostly believe that Hilary isgoing to be voted into office, can you?

madisonman,

I was not aware of the
threats made by the
Filipino Monkey.

Just goes to show
how right-wing media
and their lackeys in
mainstream media
continue to deceive
the American people.

Of course I don't but there are many that do. Why are you so concerned with what I believe?

Its a rather bizzare episode for sure there you have Bush visiting in the middle east, one would think the last thing Iran wants is a war with america after all the horrors we commited in Iraq, then we the american public are treated to a pure propoganda piece to stir us up, just goes to show how easy some people can be manipulated

Yeah, it seems madisonman is quick to dismiss one part of his own article that would dismiss the Filipino Monkey theory. And, anyone so quick to blame the Filipino Monkey on the incident where Iranian boats encircled the US Navy ships likely has their own agenda.

Here is the segment you seemed to hope no one would catch on, from your own article:

"In another incident that month, the USS Carr sounded a warning by whistle Dec. 22 after it encountered three small Iranian craft, two of which were armed, the official said."

Oh, so they did it before, on Dec. 22 when three small Iranian craft got too close, two of them armed got far too close to the US military ships.

You are the propagandists Madisonman, one who skips over a segment of their own sourced article that provides evidence of the same thing occurring before, and recently, obviously has a certain agenda.

Madisonman has taken the new role as Tokyo Rose.

So...what I'm hearing is...You think that these boats could have been carrying a few harpoon like Iranian made C-802 missiles... It all sounds sorta reasonable on the surface. Yet if you had actually studied the weapons history, use and strategic advantage, you probably would have picked a different weapons system to base your claim on.

1. The C-802 is a supersonic anti ship weapon who's maximum operating range is 250 km (155+ miles). Even the earlier generations were used for targets at a minimum range of 15 km (about 9 miles).
At launch current technology is powered by a rocket booster that drops off in a few seconds. Then it maintains cruising speed by a turbojet. During this time, it's guidance system is seeking its target...
2. This system is dependent on kinetic energy to pierce armor. It could not build up enough energy in the fraction of a second it took to fly even 1000 yards to be effective. In other words, this weapon sounds like it might simply bang against the side of a target harmlessly if shot from a platform within visual distance of it's intended target. Let alone engage its targeting system at all.. just splashing itself....
3. The standard water craft platform for this weapons system is a Fast Attack Craft. A much larger vessel then the observed speedboats in the video. At a physical weight of 1650 pounds without the launch rail or tube.. It would most likely be very apparent if mounted on a small water craft...simply because that craft would not be in trim and a capsize waiting to happen, even before it left the dock.
4. Strategically.. If our Navy is under threat (and I'm sure they are)of this missile system.. They would probably be looking at land, air and sea born platforms not within viewable range.
5. You reference a report that the two attacks that hit the Hanit and an Egyptian merchant ship.. as opposed to a Cambodian craft... were achieved with the C-802 weapon system. However.. the damage done leads analysts to believe that a much smaller warhead was used. They also speculate that the missile defense systems such as the phalanx was not enabled due to bad intelligence and friendly aircraft in the area.
6. The C-802 does not carry a warhead 'as powerful' as a Harpoon. It is estimated to be 1.5 times smaller.
7. According to my research.. Iran may have 60 land based and 20 Chinese Military Patrol boats equipped with the C-802 systems.


So.. Nice try. I'm not sure where you got your information... but give it a bit more thought next time.

I do commend your creative writing skills though.

This event.. While I'm sure was stressful in its reality for those on the destroyers, probably does not need your exaggeration, sheer hyperbole to make it more of an event to further whatever propaganda you are trying so desperately to push in these forums.

I dont think name calling is necessary at this point. I love america thats why I hate to see its named dragged through the mud our constitution waterd down and our country bankrupted by endless war.In my book your a blood thristy war monger who probly never served in the military,,unlike myself.

That's way out of line. Rick Santorum tried using the technique and you see where it got him with the voters.

You're probably a bit too young to know about Godwin's Law, but I suggest you Google it apply yourself to logic and reason instead of the polemics of treason innuendo. If you're not sure how, ask a moderator or try reading the rules.


-Kerry O.

I would hate to see a war with iran more innocents killed and for what? so halliburton can get more no bid contracts and the gas prices shoot through the roof.....we cant take another victory like iraq::

Don't worry about us getting into a war with Iran. That's what Isreal is for. Besides, as you know... our government is too busy plotting more conspiracies against us to attack Iran.

your realy getting moronic now and not helping your war mongering cause. realy why do you lust for war and waht branch of the service do you pretend to be in?

Any war, whether it's between us
and Iran, or Iran and Israel is
something to be avoided at all costs.

We all know that Iran interferes in
the region and supports Hezbollah,
but another war would lead to yet
more instability in the region,
which could escalate into a
World War.

Besides, we can't afford it.
We're already in debt to China
up to our eyeballs as they are
helping us fund the Iraq War.

All it would take is a mistake
on either side to escalate, and
we can't afford to be making
stupid mistakes.

Which means we should be careful
to find out who is really making
the radio threats, the Iranians
or someone like the Filipino
Monkey.

Would it have been published
in the Navy Times if it wasn't
at least a possibility?

That's probably why Bush
is appealing to the Arabs
to rein in Iran instead
of declaring war.

I think the whole Iran mess needs to be put in historical perspective. alot of people have chosen to forget how we supported the shaw and how he brutalized his people in Iran. MUch like saddam. the Cia rigged elections etc etc......though we in america arent reminded often of our utter failures this is one of them that should be as its one of the reasons we have the mess in Iran now

Yes, just like helping
the Afghan Freedom Fighters
(mujahadeen) in their fight
against the Russians helped
create the Taliban.

But that's all old news.

We're stuck with what
we got now.

The question is:

How best to proceed?