GULF MARITIME FIREFIGHT

Does this video show the British Navy firing on an Iranian speedboat?

The recent faceoff that has American commanders worried about an accidental war with Iran:





A British warship fires warning shots at a fast-approaching speedboat - believed Iranian - in an unpublicized incident in April that adds to concerns about continuing tensions in the Persian Gulf, and the chance of an unintended outbreak of hostilities there.

The video shows the speedboat powering parallel to the British warship HMS Iron Duke, which was patrolling off of Bahrain, and then turning directly towards it. Foghorns blaring, gunners on the Iron Duke then fired 100 yards to the side of the speedboat, causing its two crew members to duck and stop – they then wave at the British sailors as they speed away.

While talk in region remains focused on whether the United States or Israel will attack Iran, another large fear is the possibility of an unscripted, accidental war, spurred by a small clash that spins out of control. In January 7, 2008, five Iranian speedboats darted around three U.S. warships in the Straits of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf; no shots were fired. Then-President Bush said it was a provocative act, the Iranians said there was no confrontation.


Posted Jul 5, 2011 by Michael Adler on The Daily Beast

NORKORCOM UPDATE

North Korea naval forces seized four South Korean fishermen and their boat Thursday after the fishermen apparently drifted into North Korean waters.

North Korea's military said in a written message to the South that "the issue of crew members and the vessel will be dealt with according to the outcome of the investigation," according to the Unification Ministry in Seoul. The message provided no word on the fishermen's condition or any other details, the ministry said.

A North Korean navy patrol boat is seen amongst North Korean fishing boats near disputed waters with South Korea

North Korea has a long history of taking South Korean citizens, Japanese, and citizens of other Asian nations and holding them against their will for long periods of time.

A South Korean employee of the two Koreas' joint industrial park in the border town of Kaesong was detained in March for allegedly denouncing Pyongyang's political system. Seoul repeatedly has demanded his release but the North has not allowed access to him.

It is significant to note that as of this time, there is no news update on the fate of US journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, held by the North Koreans since March of this year and recently sentenced to 12 years hard labor. Their fate was commented on 19 July.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee: You Are Not Forgotten.