Freed British captain: We were gathering intelligence on Iran (SkyeNews)
April 5, 2007 11:59 AM   Subscribe

Freed British captain: We were gathering intelligence on Iran (SkyeNews) The captain in charge of the 15 marines detained in Iran has said they were gathering intelligence on the Iranians. Sky News went on patrol with Captain Chris Air and his team in Iraqi waters close to the area where they were arrested - just five days before the crisis began. We withheld the interview until now so it would not jeopardise their safety.
posted by hoder (28 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: can we wait until this is confirmed maybe? -- jessamyn



 
It's still only the Sky News that has reported this. But this is going to be a bomb, if confirmed.
posted by hoder at 12:05 PM on April 5, 2007


Whoa, way to twist words and grab attention, Sky News.

Asking the captains of fishing boats if they knew anything about Iranian activity is hardly "gathering intelligence" in the sense that the article's look-at-me headline implies.

This is complete non-news, blown out of proportion by Sky.
posted by Aloysius Bear at 12:06 PM on April 5, 2007


Why a bomb? Isn't this a big fat "duh"? (I haven't followed the story closely at all.)
posted by mrgrimm at 12:06 PM on April 5, 2007


How is that not gathering intelligence?
posted by DU at 12:07 PM on April 5, 2007


I don't get it. What were they supposedly doing there? Working on their tan lines?
posted by phaedon at 12:08 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


Perhaps swimming with dolphins?
posted by phaedon at 12:08 PM on April 5, 2007


Waiting for a bus.
posted by DU at 12:09 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


They were intercepting dhows to check for smuggling. Why would they ever not ask the captains if they knew anything? Of course this is 'gathering intelligence', but Sky News is trying to put an 'OMG they were spying' slant on things.
posted by Aloysius Bear at 12:11 PM on April 5, 2007


I guess 'gathering intelligence' can be defined fairly broadly. I was expecting something more James Bond like, but then I suppose asking random people what the deal is with Iran is intelligence gathering also.
posted by chunking express at 12:13 PM on April 5, 2007


"Whether it's about piracy or any sort of Iranian activity in the area. Obviously we're right by the buffer zone with Iran."

Not exactly intelligence agents spying with listening equipment. It would be foolish not ask about activities on the border.

Another fine product from the Murdoch news empire.
posted by damn dirty ape at 12:13 PM on April 5, 2007


How is this relevant if they were not in Iranian waters? The real bombshell would be if they were knowingly across the line, right?
posted by gubo at 12:13 PM on April 5, 2007


I'm not going to judge anybody here, but from the exposure i have to this story online, it looks like everyone's trying to make these soldiers look like wankers. from "admissions of spying" to "cover up your face, woman, and tell them you are against the war". sick. anybody else feel that?
posted by phaedon at 12:20 PM on April 5, 2007


I ran, I ran so far away.

But hey, they got away.
posted by Haruspex at 12:20 PM on April 5, 2007


I am gathering intelligence on Iran right now. Sure I am. I'm eating dolmeh felel!

Also part of my Iran Dossier is the fact they spell fish eggs "Khaviar."

It's TRUE. Crazy Iranians.
posted by tkchrist at 12:20 PM on April 5, 2007


DU: "How is that not gathering intelligence?"

I read the Wikipedia article on Tehran this morning. Please don't tell the Iranians that I'm gathering intelligence.
posted by Plutor at 12:24 PM on April 5, 2007


Say it's 1967 or so, with the Cold War going strong. Two Russian military vessels are near (possibly over) the line marking the US border in the Atlantic. They are intercepting US fishing vessels to check for smuggling (or so they say). What would you expect the US's reaction to be? A cheery wave from a Coast Guard cutter?
posted by DU at 12:24 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


Yep, kinda like I glanced out the window this morning before leaving the apartment to, y'know, gather weather intelligence about how to dress for the day and whether I'd have to budget a couple of minutes to clean snow off the car. Ooooo! Intelligence gathering! Oh noes1!!111

When you do interdiction/boarding/searches (looks like this), it's customary to talk to the craft's skipper, at the very least, so it's not much of a stretch (though sorta laughable) to ask "have you seen any suspicious activity?" ("Yes, Mr. British Navy officer: Your crew have come from far away and are pointing many guns in my direction.")

The US Navy, the RN, and lots of other "coalition" navies have been doing this in the Gulf for years now. While you've been hearing about the sandbox, I hope you'll also remember a lot of guys and gals in blue who are also in harm's way, for whatever reasons and benefits. I had a few beers with an ex-Army type a while back who was surprised to hear there even are any Navy out there these (post-"Mission Accomplished") days.
posted by pax digita at 12:27 PM on April 5, 2007


OK, so... is tkchrist lying?
posted by thirteenkiller at 12:31 PM on April 5, 2007 [2 favorites]


For all things foreign, The CS Monitor always has great articles. By people who actually (gasp) understand the politics of the region. I believe many in the CIA use it, jokes aside, should give you an idea of how highly regarded their foreign journalism is. Sky News? Come on.

Though did anyone see them opening their gift bags? The whole thing is surreal.
posted by geoff. at 12:31 PM on April 5, 2007


Agree with Aloysius Bear that it's obvious they'd ask questions of those they stopped given where they were.
I'm about as anti-military as they come and have hated all this bollocks about what they were supposed to have said or not said.
We're not at war with Iran (yet) and to the best of my knowledge none of them gave away information related to operational security or that endangered colleagues. If they'd appeared on Iranian Idol singing the Revolutionary Guards corps anthem I wouldn't give a toss if it got them home unscathed and avoided ratcheting things up.
Best comment I read on a squaddie forum re. some US commentator's (doubtless not an actual soldier) suggestion that the USMC would have resisted arrest with rifles against 30mm cannon: "I presume he's a graduate of the George C. Custer Academy of weighing the odds."
posted by Abiezer at 12:32 PM on April 5, 2007


except it's George A. Custer. Muffed another one.
posted by Abiezer at 12:37 PM on April 5, 2007


Abiezer, yeah, I remember reading how RADM Dan Gallery (of U-505 capture fame) grousing that the skipper of the USS Pueblo should've broken open the small-arms locker and tried to fight his (noncombatant, auxiliary) ship when the DPRK Navy patrol boats told him to heave-to. Uh, that's fine, sir, and maybe that's the textbook answer too, but even a couple of Ma Dueces against torpedo- and cannon-armed patrol gunboats are a no-win.
posted by pax digita at 12:42 PM on April 5, 2007


As a completely weird aside, I thought it was kind of touching that apparently the Iranian side think Easter is still a major spiritual event in the UK. They take our religion more seriously than we do.
posted by Abiezer at 12:46 PM on April 5, 2007




But this is going to be a bomb, if confirmed.

Not in the US. If funding Taliban and Al Qaeda simpathizers isn't a bomb, nothing is.
posted by homunculus at 12:55 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


well, we all know that the iranians would NEVER gather intelligence on us
posted by pyramid termite at 1:02 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]



well, we all know that the iranians would NEVER gather intelligence on us

Would they NEED to? The Bush administration is pretty fucking easy to figure out. And no matter what they attempt to do they fuck it up.
posted by tkchrist at 1:13 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite]


What is sky news anyway? Also, this seems pretty self-evident. Of course they were gathering intelligence on the Iranians. Interdictions and that sort of action are handled by larger, more formidable vessels than rubber dingies or Zodiacs or what have you here. You are allowed to gather intelligence on other countries, people! It doesn't always mean cloak-and-dagger stuff; most of intelligence work is relatively overt stuff like tracking movements of naval vessels, troops, and materiel (sorry, don't know how to do the accent). The tricky part is looking at it through the geopolitical lens and discerning meaning—interpretation, in a word.

And yes, of course Iran collects intelligence on the United States and many other countries.
posted by Mister_A at 1:25 PM on April 5, 2007


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