US Navy Fools

[Dominic]

Theodore, an experienced ocean rower, was about 7 days out of New York, attempting to row to France, when he was spotted by the finest brains of the US Navy.

Since they hadn´t been watching the news they assumed he was a terrorist fleeing from the US.


<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.oceanrowing.com/Theodore_Rezvoy_2003/Media/Explorersweb_14_July_engl.htm>http://www.oceanrowing.com/Theodore_Rezvoy_2003/Media/Explorersweb_14_July_engl.htm</A>

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Dominic on 17/07/2003 08:49 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Tiger Rag]

It seems any cock-up nowadays is all too easily forgiven by simply dropping "suspected terrorism" into the equation. Reminded me of the nice little, apparently true, radio exchande during WWII.

"Ark Royal, this is USS (can't remember the name), how is the world's second biggest navy today?"

"USS ........., this is Ark Royal, we are fine thank you and how is the world's second best?"

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[Mirelle]

A beam in our own eye

Two summers ago the RN and the Royal Marines seized a cargo ship in the English Channel and detained her and her crew for a couple of weeks because they suspected terrorist involvement.

The ship had loaded a cargo of raw sugar in bulk in Mauritius for Tate and Lyle at Silvertown, and was owned by the UK branch of an Indian public company.

The reason she was suspected was that she had been lost track of for a couple of months by whoever in the MOD is responsible for tracking all merchant ships. The method of tracking is not very scientific - reported charters and reports from Lloyds Agents are the preferred method. This ship had been in the Red Sea - very suspicious - for two months apparently doing nothing. Having a huge bomb fitted to blow up half London, obviously.

In fact she was on charter to the United Nations Food Programme, delivering grain to Ethiopia!

I don't know whether I feel more sorry for the Royal Marines who had to dig through a cargo of bulk sugar or for the ships wholly innocent crew.



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[Jacket]

Re: A beam in our own eye

At least they still had their boat at the end of the two weeks, unlike the rower.

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[steve_cronin]

Personally........

....if it means a few marines doing a bit of physical for a day or two or a load of sugar being late at it's arrival against a POSSIBLE danger of catastrophy, (How do you know it wasn't? It isn't worth taking the chance and ANYBODY can scoff after the event.) then I know which choice I would take.

There is a whole section of the world that absolutely hates your western way of life my friend and will stop at nothing to target it.

I take the same view when I get pulled out by HM Customs for a search.

Keep it up RN & USMC you're doing a great job. It's just sad that those who you protect can't appreciate that fact.

Sad little pacifists with a muddled agenda most of them but they'll scream for their rights to be protected when the bombs start going off in their high streets.

Steve Cronin

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[Jacket]

Re: Personally........

Yes, I agree we must do everything to protect ourselves. But tell me, why should they suspect someone heading across the Atlantic in a purpose built rowing boat of being a terrorist. I'm sure potential terrorists have better ways of getting around.

And once deciding to take him in for questioning, why did they abandon his boat, having first removed the tracking beacon, so that there was no chance of him ever salvaging it?

Yes, you're happy to be stopped by customs. So am I. But how would you feel, if on stopping you they sank your boat as a matter of course?

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[Mirelle]

How do I know?

Easy, Steve.

I'm in the business. I know the owners of the ship concerned; in fact I sold them a ship once. They are an Indian public company,. quoted on the Bombay stock exchange. Amazingly enough, they are Hindus, not Moslems. Their managing director is married to a lady whose maiden name was Guinness, as in beer.

I know the UN Food Programme. I know the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate, who are a pillar of the utmost City respectability, and I know that dangerous menace to our Western democracy, Tate and Lyle! Come to that, I could tell you the name of the head of maritime security at MI6, although I won't, and I could bore you rigid with details of British and American marine security policies.

My point is that ample information is available on each and every one of those organisations - but did our vaunted Security Services see fit to make a couple of phone calls or to open a standard book of reference?

It was a first class cockup, complete with panicking politicos. There has been a bit of a shake up since.

I don't know where you grew up, Steve, but I grew up in the Middle East, mainly in Somalia and Libya, where my father worked for a branch of the British government. I've spent a good deal of my adult life in the less stable bits of the Far East, including a good long spell in "communist" China. In fact I have been more out of the UK than in it. As you might imagine, I have a pretty clear idea of the value of our western way of life.

Don't presume to offer public lectures until you know your facts.

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[steve_cronin]

Poppycock

My personal & business credentials are totally impeccable but that wouldn't stop someone trying to smuggle themselves into Britain in the boot of my car. NOR would your ex-client's credentials prevent the unwitting use of their vessel as a means of attacking a country. That fat arab gentleman in the seat next to you on the London plane might have a history of over indulgence in couscous BUT he might also be a bomber. We can NEVER be too careful. The west is at war with extremists and don't ever let your guard down.

Steve Cronin

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[Mirelle]

Poppycock? This way lies xenophobia...

Come off it, Steve.

"Fat Arab" over-indulging in couscous, forsooth! Nasty case of the stereotypes you've got there! Have'nt been talking to the BNP, have we?

None of the parties listed are, or were, clients of mine or of any company that I am or was concerned with. I sold the ship I mention not as broker but as principal.

If you think for a moment about merchant ship design construction and operation, you will see that at no point was the ship in a situation where a large bomb, capable of damaging London from a position alongside the Silvertown wharf, could have been planted aboard her save with the consent of her crew.

The ship, as I have already stated, was detained, not because some weapon might have been smuggled aboard her, but because she had been lost track of when carring out two consecutive lightering voyages in the Red Sea, a suspicious area, for the WFP. This is common ground and has been publicly stated by HMG. There is no point in you to setting out to elaborate a fantasy of your own, to justify the heroic actions of the Royal Marines, when HMG itself is not doing so. Or maybe you are looking to suceed Alastair Campbell?

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Mirelle on 17/07/2003 16:57 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[steve_cronin]

Kettles & Pots

what was yours except for an anti American rant?

Steve Cronin

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[Mirelle]

Re: Kettles & Pots

Not me, Guv!

What anti-American rant? I stuck up for the Yanks, by pointing out that even the RN can get it almost as wrong (as Jacket says, the RN did give the owners their boat back!)

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[Peppermint]

Re: US Navy Amazing

I think its also amazing that S**sail didn't loose any boats when the Roosevelt was in the Solent. Exclusion Zone what exclusion zone.

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[chrishewett]

On a lighter note, this thread reminds me of a time in the seventys when I found myself taking part in a NATO exercise to test the defenses of Denmark. I was waiting for a Wessex helicopter on the tarmac at the airforce base at Alborg with arguably some of the finest and most proffesional troops in the world. We were joined by two american SEAL scouts who were both smoking large cigars (forbidden on the mac). They joined us on the helicopter and proceeded to regail us with stories of their recent exploits in Vietnam, where apparently they had been serving even though the war had been over some years. They then broke open a case of Bud and handed them around.
Horrendously unproffesional, and yet they still seem to get the job done!

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[Gordonmc]

Like the Seals who were testing security at Macrahanish with a night-time amphibious assault from ribs.

Unfortunately they invaded Arran and had to knock on a farmhouse door in the early hours to get directions. Maybe a Bud to many?

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[chrishewett]

True to type!

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[ccscott49]

Just like the british marines who missed gibraltar in RIB's and invaded Spain instead, we can all make mistakes!

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[BrendanS]

Re: British Marines and Navigation

Time for a confession from Happy? /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Err, let me know if Depsol enters the forum, I'll go and hide

 

[ccscott49]

Re: British Marines and Navigation

Is he, was he a rock ape?

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[BrendanS]

Re: British Marines and Navigation

Don't think so, one of those vicious buggers nearly took my finger off when I was required to do a 'cross country' run in about 37 degrees. Quite a jolly, running up the hill in that heat!

<hr width=100% size=1>Err, let me know if Depsol enters the forum, I'll go and hide

 

[ccscott49]

Re: British Marines and Navigation

I know exactly what you mean, us paras' never trusted those marines, dodgy buggers at the best of times!!

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