US Navy intercepts another Iranian arms shipment to Yemen
Fox News reports that last week the US Navy intercepted another shipment of small arms probably to Yemen and orchestrated by the Iranians in their proxy war against the Sunni Saudis;
The Navy said the shipment included 1,500 AK-47s, 200 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and 21 .50-caliber machine guns.
After the U.S. seized the weapons stash from the dhow, a traditional sailing vessel, the Navy let the crew go. A U.S. official told Fox News current rules do not allow western naval forces to seize the crew in addition to illicit cargo. “You have to find a country willing to prosecute,” the official said.
A defense official reached by Fox News would not reveal the nationality of the dhow’s crew.
The Navy says that this is the third time an arms shipment to Yemen from Iran has been intercepted in the waters off of the Arabian peninsula in the last few weeks. It’s nice to see that they’re not squandering their billions of dollars in their recent windfall facilitated by John Kerry and the Obama Administration.
ADDED: The Virginian-Pilot says that it was the Norfolk-based USS Gravely which responded to a call by the coastal patrol ship USS Sirocco.
This is the third time in recent weeks that international forces have seized weapons the U.S. believes originated in Iran. On Feb. 27, the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Darwin intercepted a dhow with nearly 2,000 AK-47s, 100 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and 49 machine guns, among other weapons.
On March 20, the French Navy destroyer FS Provence seized nearly 2,000 AK-47s, 64 Dragunov sniper rifles and nine anti-tank missiles.
Category: Terror War
I would have put all the crew at one end of the boat, and flooded the cargo and hold with sea water. Let sit for 2 days. Let them pump out the water, and let them be on their way, with the salt corroded and rusted cargo.
Got any complaints? We’ll stand off a reasonable distance and use your boat for gunnery range target practice. Then come back and pick up survivors. . . if any.
Got any further complaints? No? Didn’t think so. Have a nice day.
AKs consider salt water as “lubrication”.
Two days will not irreparably harm one. Dropping them overboard will.
I was just going to say that about the AKs.
The same with the muslims, dropping overboard gives them their yearly bath early..! They should bring all the weapons here for us to use against the coming invasion…or if the pussies can’t handle that, sink the whole thing, crew and all!
If the weapons were to be used by one flavor of Muslim against another flavor of Muslim then why the hell are we seizing the stuff? Besides, the DOJ is in the gun-running business itself so this smacks of hypocrisy, doesn’t it?
“Heave to! Heave to! Are you men Shia?”
“Yes Allah be praised.”
“Are these weapons going to be used to kill Sunni?”
“Yes Allah be praised”.”
“Then be on your way swiftly and do you need more .50 cal ammo?”
The government hates competition. ..
That is funny as hell.
I’m guessing there was ammunition among the cargo as well.
Too bad it didn’t spontaneously explode in situ after the weapons had been given the “offload to Davy Jones Locker” treatment.
This was my other thought Hondo. Heave ho the weapons into the briny. Then a line of 40MM below the water line and if they make it back to port, Allah be praised, if not, they’ll need more sailors.
Nah … put the crew in a life boat then sink the ship & cargo with a well-placed round below the waterline.
Wasn’t that done just before WW1 and WW2 when contraband was found aboard ships?
Sparks, rgr1480: neither of those options offers something called “plausible deniability”. Sometimes that’s desirable – if for no other reason than to keep the adversary guessing. (smile)
So you’re saying. . . .leave out the lifeboat?
no..fill the lifeboat with pig parts and blood!
Nothing to see here folks, move along now…just move along…
Man, when Obama talks about Trump being an amateur in foreign policy it’s too bad he didn’t take a peek in the mirror first and realize how much of an amateur the guy looking back is and how poorly he’s done with managing any foreign policy action.
But hey he’s a constitutional law professor and way smarter than GW….
Drop a couple of live grenades through the cargo hatch.
BOOM!
End of story.
I suppose grenades can fall “spontaneously”, dislodging their pin on the way down . . . . (smile)
[quote] “You have to find a country willing to prosecute,” the official said. [/quote]
Hilarious. Why doesn’t our Muslim in Chief prosecute? I thought he was anti gun?
Those were hunting rifles for the Peaceful People of Yemen.
They got some big camels over there, RPG’s are a must. Dontchyknow.
What?? Weapons smuggling, businesses won’t move into Iran, etc, etc. The jack-wagons, I mean the current administration in DC said the Iranian Nuclear Deal was great. What the hell has happened and how. I guess I’m confused. Where’s Lars? Someone needs to explain all of this away.
/sarc. (As if this is needed)