Americans offered 'aggressive patrols' in Iranian airspace

[deminks]

Source: The Guardian

The US offered to take military action on behalf of the 15 British sailors and marines held by Iran, including buzzing Iranian Revolutionary Guard positions with warplanes, the Guardian has learned.

In the first few days after the captives were seized and British diplomats were getting no news from Tehran on their whereabouts, Pentagon officials asked their British counterparts: what do you want us to do? They offered a series of military options, a list which remains top secret given the mounting risk of war between the US and Iran. But one of the options was for US combat aircraft to mount aggressive patrols over Iranian Revolutionary Guard bases in Iran, to underline the seriousness of the situation.

The British declined the offer and said the US could calm the situation by staying out of it. London also asked the US to tone down military exercises that were already under way in the Gulf. Three days before the capture of the 15 Britons , a second carrier group arrived having been ordered there by president George Bush in January. The aim was to add to pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme and alleged operations inside Iraq against coalition forces.

At the request of the British, the two US carrier groups, totalling 40 ships plus aircraft, modified their exercises to make them less confrontational.

The British government also asked the US administration from Mr Bush down to be cautious in its use of rhetoric, which was relatively restrained throughout.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2051971,00.html

---

So, the Brits tire of Cowboy "diplomacy"? Wanted dead or alive? Bring it on? Have they realized that British lives are just another photo op for the Smirk?

[orpupilofnature57]

1. I'm Surprised they haven't boiled Tony in oil , Britain historically

holds their Officials responsible for Appeasing Tyrants.http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-44959/United-Kingdom

[HuffleClaw]

2. i guess the brits didn't want to be used as an excuse for a war?

good for them.

[WePurrsevere]

3. "The British declined the offer and said the US could calm the situation

by staying out of it. London also asked the US to tone down military exercises that were already under way in the Gulf."

Hmm.. gee ya think? Hopefully they'll keep on that track and not let Bush rope them into any more wars based on lies and BS. x(

[RamboLiberal]

4. I'm sick of all the neocon aholes here who called these

Marines and sailors "surrender monkeys" for not being belligerent to the Iranins and getting their butts out alive.

And the jackass TV networks here who trot out the likes of John Bolton to comment on it. Get a clue you jerks, he couldn't even get approved by a Repuke led Congress and had to be another in-your-face recess appointment by Bushie.

[Heidi]

5. Kick.

:kick:

[Sparkly]

6. US Offered to Scare Iran

Source: AFP

US offered to scare Iran

Sat Apr 7, 12:16 PM ET

LONDON (AFP) - The United States reportedly offered to mount aggressive air patrols over Revolutionary Guards bases during Iran's stand-off with Britain but was rebuffed by London.

Citing unnamed diplomatic sources, The Guardian newspaper said that Pentagon officials offered a series of military options, but Britain told them to keep out of the affair and instead tone down armed forces activity in the Gulf.

(snip)

On March 20, three days before the 15 British marines were seized at gunpoint in the Gulf, a second US aircraft carrier group arrived in the region.

At London's request, the two carrier groups, totalling 40 ships plus aircraft, changed their exercises to make them appear less confrontational, the newspaper said.

Britain also asked the United States to ensure it kept the rhetoric low-key, The Guardian said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070407/pl_afp/iranbritainmilitaryus_070407161616;

[ShortnFiery]

7. Why am I not surprised?

:eyes:

[Sparkly]

9. Right -- not that they wanted to start a confrontation with Iran or anything...

Just wanted to "scare" 'em. :crazy:

[FogerRox]

8. More & more people & nations realize the Bush foriegn policy

is a non starter.

[Sparkly]

10. Yup -- they can't seem to fool the Brits anymore. nt

[Miss Chybil]

11. I wonder how the US would react if the Iranians held these types of "exercises" off our shores.

Dumb question, I know.

[Gregorian]

12. So dumb a question, I've been asking it over and over to myself.

Living with aggressive military presence right off our borders.

You must not think bad thoughts.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[truthisfreedom]

14. bushco is like the older brother who always wants to pick a fight.

"You want I should rough him up for ya?"

"No, man, just mellow out, I can handle it. Just go sit down and enjoy your beer, and let me talk to the guy, okay?"

[youngdem]

15. Typical childish bullshit from the idiots. Good to see the grown ups are in charge

:eyes:

[BrklynLiberal]

16. A Confederacy of Dunces... in the White House now!!!!!!

They truly could not care less if we all get blown up or die from pollution, starvation, lack of health care or extreme climate change.
How can this administration STILL be so blind?
Are they are all idiots, or worse yet, just plain evil to the core?

[Sparkly]

17. That's the question I've wondered about for a long time...

Idiots, or evil?

I think it's a mix.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

18. and produce more prisoners?

an Iranian I know (and not fan of the mullahs) says that the biggest problem the US would have in Iran is we would be going up against the latest in Russian air defenses that Iran has been arming itself to the teeth with, not the coldwar era hardware Saddam had that way destroyed in the first gulf war.

[aaronbees]

19. U.S. = Rent-a-Bully

Hope the U.K. is finally wising up to our games.

[goforit]

20. LOL!!! so right on, but Britain is part of the game.

[Sparkly]

21. I don't think they're part of the "scare Iran" game.

As the article points out, the Brits told BushCo to knock it off and calm down.

[melody]

23. The NeoCon Brits are in Bush's corner

They're very much part of the scare Iran game. The one difference is there are more sane people in control
there than here (at least for now).

[CJCRANE]

25. I think you're right.

We're always told that Iran has competing factions - the hardliners and reformers. But the US & UK also have these, their govts don't speak with one voice nor does one faction always win.

Who knows what diplomatic strings Pelosi pulled in Syria, or if the British Foreign Office decided to take a more conciliatory tone behind closed doors to defuse Balir's rhetoric.

[melody]

26. exactly

There are numerous different factions in the US and UK and not all of them are doing what they're doing for the real benefit of their nations.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

22. NOW THEY ARE USING THIER BRAINS, HIND BRAIN THAT IS.

HUBRIS COMES FROM THE HIND (PRIMATIVE) BRAIN.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x293139

[Viva_La_Revolution]

24. K & R

:rofl:


:evilgrin: Georgie got told!

[ohio2007]

27. Maybe the US offered to test the new Iranian air defense systems bought from Russia.

Jamming the new air defense systems could have diffused the situation....but we just don't know.