Voice from Iran incident may be regional pest

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Voice from Iran incident may be regional pest

By Andrew Scutro and David Brown, Navy Times

The threatening radio transmission heard at the end of a video showing harassing maneuvers by Iranian patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz may have come from a locally famous heckler well known to Navy crews.

Since the Jan. 6 incident was announced to the public a day later, the U.S. Navy has said it's unclear where the voice came from. In the videotape released by the Pentagon on Jan. 8, the screen goes black at the very end and the voice can be heard, distancing it from the scenes on the water.

"We don't know for sure where they came from," said Cmdr. Lydia Robertson, spokeswoman for 5th Fleet in Bahrain. "It could have been a shore station."

While the threat — "I am coming to you. You will explode in a few minutes" — was picked up during the incident, further raising the tension, there's no proof yet of its origin. And several Navy officials have said it's difficult to figure out who's talking.

"Based on my experience operating in that part of the world, where there is a lot of maritime activity, trying to discern [who is speaking on the radio channel] is very hard to do," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead told Navy Times during a brief telephone interview on Friday.

The voice in the Navy audio sounds different from the one heard in a video released by Iranian authorities, showing an Iranian officer in a small, open boat as he uses a radio to speak to the cruiser Port Royal. He is shown in a radio exchange at one point asking the U.S. warship to change from the common bridge-to-bridge channel 16 to another channel, perhaps to speak to the Navy without being interrupted.

Further, there's none of the background noise in the audio released by the United States that would have been picked up by a radio handset in an open boat.

So with Navy officials unsure and the Iranians accusing the United States of fabrications, whose voice was it?

In recent years, American ships operating in the Middle East have had to contend with a mysterious but profane voice widely known as the "Filipino Monkey," likely more than one person, who listens in on ship-to-ship radio traffic and then jumps on the net shouting insults and epithets.

Civilian mariners say the term stems from the fact that Greek merchant sailors perceive Filipinos to be a large portion of merchant mariners at sea.

Navy women — a helicopter pilot hailing a tanker, for example — who are overheard on the radio are said to suffer particularly degrading treatment.

Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a Navy spokesman at the Pentagon, could not say if the voice belonged to the heckler. "It's an international circuit and we've said all along there were other ships and shore stations in the area," he said.

When asked if U.S. officials considered whether the threats came from someone besides the Iranians when releasing the video and audio, Roughead said: "The reason there is audio superimposed over the video is it gives you a better idea of what is happening."

Similarly, Davis said the audio was part of the "totality" of the situation and helped show the "aggressive behavior."

But Navy warship crews and veterans interviewed by Navy Times are raising the possibility that the heckler, or an imitator, was indeed featured in that video.

Rick Hoffman, a retired captain who commanded the cruiser Hue City and spent many of his 17 years at sea in the Gulf was subject to the renegade radio talker repeatedly, often without pause during the so-called "Tanker Wars" of the late 1980s.

"For 25 years there's been this mythical guy out there who, hour after hour, shouts obscenities and threats," he said. "He could be tied up pierside somewhere or he could be on the bridge of a merchant ship."

Or farther — radio signals have a way of traveling long distances in that area, Hoffman said. "Under certain weather conditions I could hear Bahrain from the Strait of Hormuz," he said.

And the heckler has stamina.

"He used to go all night long. The guy is crazy," he said. "But who knows how many Filipino Monkeys there are? Could it have been a spurious transmission? Absolutely."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-01-11-iranboat_N.htm

Wow....... to think the maritime equivalent of an internet troll could have started the next Middle East war.......

Interesting.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Bloody sea merchants.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

All I know is that Iran couldn't possibly be at fault.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

From last night's Republican debate....

Ron Paul:

Asked about the recent naval incident in the Gulf of Hormuz, where Iranian speedboats menacingly circled American warships, Paul said:

"I would certainly urge a lot more caution than I'm hearing here tonight. It reminds me of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin. We went to war there, then, later on, found out there was a lot of false information.... We have five small speedboats attacking the U.S. Navy with a destroyer? They could take care of those speedboats in about five seconds. And here we're ready to start World War III over this?"

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

From last night's Republican debate....

Ron Paul:

Asked about the recent naval incident in the Gulf of Hormuz, where Iranian speedboats menacingly circled American warships, Paul said:

"I would certainly urge a lot more caution than I'm hearing here tonight. It reminds me of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin. We went to war there, then, later on, found out there was a lot of false information.... We have five small speedboats attacking the U.S. Navy with a destroyer? They could take care of those speedboats in about five seconds. And here we're ready to start World War III over this?"

I agree. But we still have to keep an eye on Iran.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I agree. But we still have to keep an eye on Iran.

All I gotta say is, thank God for Ron Paul. He's keeping the Republican platform from being monopolized by the neo-cons.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Apparently, the plot for this one came from "Cheech & Chong's Next Movie"....

Cheech: "hey man, like prepare to explode or whatever"...cackles...

Capt. Stedanko on the bridge of USS whatever: "unknown craft..identify yourself...this is an unauthorized use of a monitored frequency!"

a reluctant Chong: "uh, surrender or go away or sumthin'"..more cackles...

Capt Stedanko: "unidentified craft..please identify yourselves!"

Cheech: "bye-bye"

Stedanko turns to the ensign on the bridge "you stupid, stupid man...all those years of academy training wasted!"...the ensign sheepishly hands over the com...keeping his distance so he doesn't get hit...

[GaryC 7]

From last night's Republican debate....

Ron Paul:

Asked about the recent naval incident in the Gulf of Hormuz, where Iranian speedboats menacingly circled American warships, Paul said:

"I would certainly urge a lot more caution than I'm hearing here tonight. It reminds me of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin. We went to war there, then, later on, found out there was a lot of false information.... We have five small speedboats attacking the U.S. Navy with a destroyer? They could take care of those speedboats in about five seconds. And here we're ready to start World War III over this?"

He's right, what possible danger to our ships could a small speed boat pose?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

From last night's Republican debate....

Ron Paul:

Asked about the recent naval incident in the Gulf of Hormuz, where Iranian speedboats menacingly circled American warships, Paul said:

"I would certainly urge a lot more caution than I'm hearing here tonight. It reminds me of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin. We went to war there, then, later on, found out there was a lot of false information.... We have five small speedboats attacking the U.S. Navy with a destroyer? They could take care of those speedboats in about five seconds. And here we're ready to start World War III over this?"

He's right, what possible danger to our ships could a small speed boat pose?

I dunno - I don't think its unrealistic to credit our armed forces with at least some semblance of good judgment to act appropriately and according to the circumstances.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I agree. But we still have to keep an eye on Iran.

All I gotta say is, thank God for Ron Paul. He's keeping the Republican platform from being monopolized by the neo-cons.

Just because some people fear monger with the threat of terrorism doesn't mean terrorism isn't a threat. Keep an open mind.

[GaryC 7]

From last night's Republican debate....

Ron Paul:

Asked about the recent naval incident in the Gulf of Hormuz, where Iranian speedboats menacingly circled American warships, Paul said:

"I would certainly urge a lot more caution than I'm hearing here tonight. It reminds me of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin. We went to war there, then, later on, found out there was a lot of false information.... We have five small speedboats attacking the U.S. Navy with a destroyer? They could take care of those speedboats in about five seconds. And here we're ready to start World War III over this?"

He's right, what possible danger to our ships could a small speed boat pose?

I dunno - I don't think its unrealistic to credit our armed forces with at least some semblance of good judgment to act appropriately and according to the circumstances.

They didn't blow them out of the water did they? But regardless of whether the guy on the radio was on the boat or not doesn't mean messing with the US navy in international waters isn't asking for trouble. The Iranians were dicks and they were lucky we didn't blast them. I guess some want to make excuses for the Iranians and try to make us look bad with stories like this.

[GaryC 7]

From last night's Republican debate....

Ron Paul:

Asked about the recent naval incident in the Gulf of Hormuz, where Iranian speedboats menacingly circled American warships, Paul said:

"I would certainly urge a lot more caution than I'm hearing here tonight. It reminds me of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin. We went to war there, then, later on, found out there was a lot of false information.... We have five small speedboats attacking the U.S. Navy with a destroyer? They could take care of those speedboats in about five seconds. And here we're ready to start World War III over this?"

He's right, what possible danger to our ships could a small speed boat pose?

I dunno - I don't think its unrealistic to credit our armed forces with at least some semblance of good judgment to act appropriately and according to the circumstances.

They didn't blow them out of the water did they? But regardless of whether the guy on the radio was on the boat or not doesn't mean messing with the US navy in international waters isn't asking for trouble. The Iranians were dicks and they were lucky we didn't blast them. I guess some want to make excuses for the Iranians and try to make us look bad with stories like this. And another thing, isn't it the least bit strange that the voice on the radio came at the same time the Iranians were harassing us?

Edited January 12, 2008 by GaryC

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I agree. But we still have to keep an eye on Iran.

All I gotta say is, thank God for Ron Paul. He's keeping the Republican platform from being monopolized by the neo-cons.

Just because some people fear monger with the threat of terrorism doesn't mean terrorism isn't a threat. Keep an open mind.

Amen to that.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

From last night's Republican debate....

Ron Paul:

Asked about the recent naval incident in the Gulf of Hormuz, where Iranian speedboats menacingly circled American warships, Paul said:

"I would certainly urge a lot more caution than I'm hearing here tonight. It reminds me of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin. We went to war there, then, later on, found out there was a lot of false information.... We have five small speedboats attacking the U.S. Navy with a destroyer? They could take care of those speedboats in about five seconds. And here we're ready to start World War III over this?"

He's right, what possible danger to our ships could a small speed boat pose?

I dunno - I don't think its unrealistic to credit our armed forces with at least some semblance of good judgment to act appropriately and according to the circumstances.

They didn't blow them out of the water did they? But regardless of whether the guy on the radio was on the boat or not doesn't mean messing with the US navy in international waters isn't asking for trouble. The Iranians were dicks and they were lucky we didn't blast them. I guess some want to make excuses for the Iranians and try to make us look bad with stories like this. And another thing, isn't it the least bit strange that the voice on the radio came at the same time the Iranians were harassing us?

Not really a case of making excuses as much as not rushing to inappropriate judgements. There was that rather more serious (IMO) incident a few months ago with the UK sailors being illegally arrested - I was actually rather disgusted to read comments floating around in the media at the time that they should have resisted capture.

[HAL 9000 96]

From last night's Republican debate....

Ron Paul:

Asked about the recent naval incident in the Gulf of Hormuz, where Iranian speedboats menacingly circled American warships, Paul said:

"I would certainly urge a lot more caution than I'm hearing here tonight. It reminds me of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin. We went to war there, then, later on, found out there was a lot of false information.... We have five small speedboats attacking the U.S. Navy with a destroyer? They could take care of those speedboats in about five seconds. And here we're ready to start World War III over this?"

He's right, what possible danger to our ships could a small speed boat pose?

I dunno - I don't think its unrealistic to credit our armed forces with at least some semblance of good judgment to act appropriately and according to the circumstances.

Sailors do have eyes and do know how to man their weapons to fire on pesky little speedboats. Ya know...

I agree. But we still have to keep an eye on Iran.

All I gotta say is, thank God for Ron Paul. He's keeping the Republican platform from being monopolized by the neo-cons.

Just because some people fear monger with the threat of terrorism doesn't mean terrorism isn't a threat. Keep an open mind.

Amen to that.

Fear mongering creates complacency. Complacency allows tragedy to occur. Intelligence creates preparedness. Preparedness prevents tragedy.