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Operator of tanker says sailors saw 'flying objects' just before attack

46 Comments

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Donny sure is trying to provoke conflict with Iran. He's obviously looking for the patriotic bump presidents get in times of crisis.

11 ( +20 / -9 )

Drones. Now they'll be banned.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

John Bolton orgasming as we speak.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

I thought , we are into clear area scans ???.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

This fakery May have been the straw that broke Sarah Sanders back. She could go along with a lot, but not faking the USA into a new war.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Except there is clear evidence of an unexploded limpet mine on the hull at the same height as the blast hole further aft.

https://www.rt.com/rtmobile/news/latest/461830/html/

-11 ( +4 / -15 )

Herve, am I right in guessing that your link is to “Russia Today”? How reliable is that source?

4 ( +9 / -5 )

The CIA have been busy up to their old tricks i see..

3 ( +9 / -6 )

I suspect there may something lost in translation. I am betting that they will be talking about 弾 dan in Japanese, which can be bullets, sure, but also includes artillery shells. (不発弾 Fuhatsu-dan is an unexploded shell or bomb for example.) There are many examples of naval engagements where sailors can see artillery shells flying towards their ship, but would these guys have spotted bullets(?)... and there is no way that bullets would have ripped a hole right into the engine room.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Look, there are at least three entities in the Middle East who would like to provoke a war between us and Iran. Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Israel, all want to see it happen. All of them have the motivation and the wherewithal to launch these attacks and then, blame Iran for them. There are also several entities in the Middle East that are only loosely connected to Iran that have the motivation and the wherewithal to launch these attacks including several Iraqi militia groups and Yemen's Houthis. So, to blame Iran without evidence is the thinnest of reeds, reminiscent of us accusing Iraq of attempting to purchase yellowcake uranium or contending that a shipment of aluminum tubes to Iraq was intended to be the raw stuff for manufacturing uranium refining centrifuges. Both of those claims were palpably false but used to gin up support for war.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Is it possible that this is a double red-flag? Where a shadowy hand blasts two opposing ships and the media reports on them respectively with imbedded media friendlies focusing on only their respective ships in order to promote chaos and war while obfuscating the truth in muddied Oman waters?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Could be Saudi Arabia or Israel with the US's blessing. I'm a proud American but we do get up to some sneaky $h!t sometimes.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Except there is clear evidence of an unexploded limpet mine on the hull at the same height as the blast hole further aft.

You’re right, cuz there is absolutely NO way any other country or 12 Monkey organization could get a white boat and slap an Iranian sticker on it.

I think I’ll look to 24, NCIS or Homeland TV shows for my answers.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

I suspect there may something lost in translation.

NHK quotes Katada as saying, '乗組員が飛来物でやられた、なにかが飛んできたようだと話している' - *Crew members say they were attacked by flying objects, something seemed to come flying at them'.*

飛来物 directly translates as 'flying object', but my online dictionary gives as its first entry - missile.

He also says 'タンカーが着弾の被害を受けた場所は、水面よりかなり上にあり、機雷や魚雷、装着物による被害ではないと思う' - *The place where the projectile impacted the tanker is quite a way above the water line, and I don't think the damage was caused by an underwater mine, torpedo or anything attached to the ship.*

There is no mention of bullets that I can see.

When I heard this news on the BBC the morning, and Pompeio (I think it was) pointing out how everything indicated that it was the work of Iran, the first thought that crossed my mind was - Gulf of Tonkin.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

NHK is using the word 'projectile' by the way. (Not bullets.) So we'll have to make up our own minds on what word the Philippine crew used.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190614_31/

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Could be Saudi Arabia or Israel with the US's blessing. I'm a proud American but we do get up to some sneaky $h!t sometimes.

This.

Trump ran on a non-interventionist, America First platform.

But he made his deal with the Devil to get into the White House.

Now we're seeing the fruits of that: the Neocons are the ones in charge.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Sounds like an American drone attack on a Japanese Oil Tanker! Act of war by the americans!

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Cleo, you could well be right. I am now seeing in my mind's eye those fast patrol boats fitted with a missile launcher, used mainly by you-know-who, and people beginning with H in the Red Sea. Of course it could be an entity that has managed to get hold of Iranian boats, limpet mines and small ship-to-ship missiles to make it look like the Iranians...

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Japanese tanker struck while Japanese PM in Tehran as guest of Iranian government fostering trade and political ties. Not fishy at all.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Abe must be pissed.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

the Neocons are the ones in charge.

Yep

and have been since Reagan. The breakup of the Soviet Union gave them unlimited fast track power.

No president can take them head on. To assume that “Trump this” “Trump that” shows a lack of knowledge.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

No president can take them head on. To assume that “Trump this” “Trump that” shows a lack of knowledge.

Good to see you finally admit Trump is weak.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Good to see you finally admit Trump is weak.

Every President since the neocon joy joy days of glasnost (oh my god I hafta say this again) has been under the their thumb. Where have you been? Thailand?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Every President since the neocon joy joy days of glasnost (oh my god I hafta say this again) has been under the their thumb. Where have you been? Thailand?

As I said, I'm glad to see you admit Trump is weak.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

To assume that “Trump this” “Trump that” shows a lack of knowledge.

Where are you getting this knowledge about the nature of this relationship between the neocons and presidents? You do often seem to take on an air of superiority in these matters.

Can you point us in the right direction? Links would be nice.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Weakness is subjective. Maybe you’re just mirroring.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Weakness is subjective. Maybe you’re just mirroring.

Not really. Trump is (supposedly) a billionaire, and the leader of the most powerful nation in the world.

And you're saying that he's too weak to run his country, and that others are running it through him.

Got it. Trump is weak.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

No matter what new information is learned, it will be formatted by most of you so that it can be plugged into the "IT'S TRUMP'S FAULT" narrative.

It may very well be Trump's fault. Or Iran's fault. Or Saudi Arabia's fault. Or Godzilla's fault.

But one thing's for sure, the JT comments section here is NOT the place for an honest, unbiased conversation about it.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

It is most certainly an American promoted action, since only America can gain from a crisis where Japan has problem accessing its historical partner and oil sources in Iran, a country that US is at all cost and without reasons trying to put under his feet.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Everyone's not asking the obvious. Who gains the most from souring the relationship between japan and iran? Start there!!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This is AIPAC's White House mole Jared Kushner's PEACE PLAN for the Mideast. And, when these monsters finally drag our young people into a filthy war with Iran, 'somehow' Gaza will become 'involved' and will be destroyed by the zionists in the same manner as was used in Warsaw in 1943 and 1944. What is it with Conservatists who shout "Don't trust the Gub'mint!" but believe every word which these tools tell them? Iran, despite all of the negative adjectives and questionable 'translations' of Persian the Western media use to distort their image to us, is arguably the 'sanest' group in the area. These 'attacks', and on a Japanese ship as the Japanese PM drinks tea in Tehran, seem absolutely NOT the work of even the distorted version of Iran we are fed and immediately raise the question, "Over the last two decades, say, who has had greater credibility and been caught way less in outright flagrant lies, the U.S. government vis-a-vis the Pentagon, or the Iranian government?" The U.S. is the year to year shutout winner of the World Cup of Political Lies and prides itself on NEVER telling the complete truth even if the details are completely inane. And our tolerance, nay, enthusiastic embrace, of a serial, pathological liar as our chief executive is just us keeping in character. Ain't it GREAT? MAGA!!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

There will be no war, Trump is pure rhetoric, knowing his character, if he wanted the war, would have started long ago without any justification only but his own whim, so stop saying nonsense.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Maybe Pompeo was just being sarcastic.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

We have been here before.... Bjornson has it...Zionist plot.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

For those of us who are not up on the pro/anti Jewish thing, is a Zionist what they call someone who is pro-Jewish or someone who hates the Jews?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Strangerland, a Zionist is one who believes that Jewish history is justification for setting up a seperare state (Israel) in an area historically occupied by many others of semitic ethnicity including especially Arabs.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

So when someone accuses another of being a Zionist, it means the speaker is anti-Jewish?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

All readers back on topic please.

Those flying objects could have been the Saudi's trying to start a war with their arch enemy the Iranians.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

So I know this forum loves a bit of conspiracy, and is unfazed about fiction, so here it is.

My guy Nuno, FO on the tanker has a recording on his go-pro, this is a transcript.

Hameed: The fornicating cheapskate gave us cheap expired Russian mines, no wonder it didn't go off, just shoot it Mustafa.

Bang, bang, nothing, silence

Mustafa: here you have a go Hameed

Bang, bang, nothing

Hameed: Fornicating cheap Russian useless crap, Mustafa, you swim over and get it and bring it back, it won't blow up, it's cheap fornicating Russian crap.

Mustafa: no way Jose, if I go, you go, we all go!

Hameed: Waleed! drive the boat over so we can get the fornicating cheap Russian crap that won't go bada boom like it's supposed to.

Mustafa: what if the Americano take video of our boat next to the tanker?

Hameed: Don't worry, Ayatolla very good fibber, he makes up story for us, more important not to leave Russian mine left on tanker.

Sound of motorboat approaching, clank, clank, sound of motorboat leaving and lits of swearing about cheap Russian mines.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Trump has clearly sided with the Israelites and the Saudis within the region. Though, the real focus of Trump is upon China - Iran is a side-show which can be dealt with locally. The US merely providing the evidence to justify actions by it's partnered Nations.

China however... that is, the main focus of the US under Trump. New restrictions upon capital flows of wealthy Chinese individuals are coming into place, and an review of where existing Chinese nationals based in the US obtained their finances is already underway. Xi's family is without exemption in these investigations ... this is the one to watch. The Communist party in China may soon find it's own Corruption drive facing inward and lead it its own sudden demise - something summed up by a TV interview with a HK resident - who simply said they "felt patriotic towards China, but not towards the Communist party"... I think that says it all.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

W know the reality is, according to the captain, there was an Iranian navy vessel and flying objects hitting his ship.

I do not see this as contradicting Americans, I think Japan should send it's own Navy to defend it's interests.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It seems far more likely to me that these attacks were not carried out by Iran, but one of the militant groups they support. In the case of the Kokuka Courageous, I suspect the mine didnt go off and so they shot at the ship with some kind of projectile weapon. The Iranians then probably tried to cover up their connection by collecting the Iranian made mine. This is, of course, just a guess.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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