Ken Ehrett wrote:
>
> On Mon, 2 Apr 2007 20:23:59 +0100, "gn gnu d" wrote:
>
>>Ken Ehrett wrote in message ...
>>>On Mon, 2 Apr 2007 12:46:20 +0100, "gn gnu d" wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Apr 1, 7:10 am, Ken Ehrett
olg.com> wrote:>>>>>a Royal Navy Frigate
>>>>>> being completely intimidated and frozen with fear over six tiny motor
>>>>>> whale boats with puny machine guns
>>>>
>>>>Nope.
>>>
>>>Nope? Where are the 15 crewmen right now Gnu?
>>>>
>>>>>> the Iranians [...] pulled off this blatant
>>>>>> criminal act practically in front of the HMS Cornwall
>>>>
>>>>Nope.
>>>
>>>Nope? Where are the 15 crewmen right now Gnu?
>>>>
>>>>>with its
>>>>>> helicopter flying over the scene reporting back all the details of the
>>>>>> attack against its 15 crewmen
>>>>
>>>>Nope.
>>>
>>>Nope? Not even according to your own Limey press Gnu?
>>>>
>>>>You dope.
>>>
>>>We don't have 15 crewmen sitting in front of video cameras with guns
>>>to their heads denouncing their own country right now Gnu. Something
>>>that would have never occurred had HMS Cornwall acted to protect its
>>>shipmates.
>>>
>>
>>AFAIK, Cornwall was c. 10 miles away and the helo was on its way back to
>>refuel. It was rank complacancy and incompetance (at operational and
>>tactical level), not cowardice, which allowed the 15 to be captured -- they
>>were left on their own.
>
> That frigate should have never been that far away from its inspection
> force on those RIB boats.
That's a fair indication that the rubber boats were outside Iraqi waters
- the Brits wouldn't risk losing a ship, even for GWB.
>>
>>The fuggen Iranian pirates may have had small boats, compared with
>>Cornwall, but the two British inflatables were genuinely miniscule in
>>comparison. And it was at least six or so persian 50 cal-type weapons
>>against 5.56 assault rifles.
>
> I have never argued otherwise. BTW, the term RIB means rubber
> inflatable boat.
No it doesn't Kenscum, it either _means_ a bone from one's rib cage or
nothing at all.
>>
>>To sum up, the British have been silly on this, but no one here can blame
>>the actual hostages (Dubbya is right for once) for choosing not to commit
>>suicide.
>
> Once again, I shall state that I never suggested the inspection team
> should have resisted overwhelming force. However the Cornwall should
> have hauled ass to their assistance the moment that helicopter
> reported the impending arrival of those Iranian motor whale boats.
> Cornwall is a gas turbine powered frigate with a top speed of over 35
> knots and could have easily overtaken those Iranians before they got
> away with the 15 crewmen.
They didn't want to start a war.
