Iran seizes U.S. ship, 34 sailors

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Iran has fired at a U.S. cargo ship and has directed it to Bandar Abbas port on the southern coast of Iran, Al Arabiya News Channel has reported on Tuesday.

Up to 34 American sailors are believed to be onboard the ship, Al Arabiya reported.

Al Aribya

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Oh, they’ve done it now. They are in some kind of trouble now. Or, in a year and a half when an adult that cares about national security and American citizens takes over.

The Pentagon spokesman said the vessel involved was flagged to the Marshall Islands and that no Americans were on board.
The Marshall Islands has a free association with the United States, with the US providing defense, subsidies, and access to social services.
So, the US is denying protection to yet another ”ally.”
To America’s enemies, Obama is a weak-knee’d laughingstock.
To America’s allies, Obama is not to be trusted at all.

Maybe our new partners in peace just wanted to say howdy.

It isn’t actually a Marshall Islands cargo ship, either.

Why the US probably won’t go out of its way to free the cargo ship Iran seized

@Greg: Yeah.
The Marshall Islands for shipping what Delaware is for corporations: tax free.
Still the USA should keep its word.
But, under Obama that’s unlikely.

When asked if his country would request that the U.S. rescue the cargo ship from Iran, Junior Aini, the charge d’affairs for the Marshall Islands Embassy in Washington, told us he was still awaiting guidance from his foreign ministry. But he also suggested that his country had no other recourse than to hope the U.S. responds.

The United States has the full security responsibility over the islands and for the defense of the islands, this is what our treaty says,” he told us. Aini was referring to a 1986 accord between the U.S. and the island nation that set the terms for independence. The Marshall Islands has no standing army.

The incident seems a direct response to President Barack Obama’s decision last week to send warships to the Arabian Sea. Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said at the time that the warships were meant on “a very clear mission to ensure that shipping lanes remain open, to ensure there’s freedom of navigation through those critical waterways, and to help ensure maritime security.” On Tuesday, Warren told reporters it was “inappropriate” for Iran to fire shots at the cargo ship. He said the U.S. is looking into any obligation it may have for Marshall Islands-flagged ship.
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-04-28/marshall-islands-needs-u-s-help-in-iran-standoff