WASHINGTON
U.S. “restraint” in a close encounter with five Iranian fast boats last Sunday “should never be confused with a lack of capability,” America’s top military commander said today.
“We will defend ourselves and our ships and we will do so with deadly force if necessary,” Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon.
Mullen said commanders of the three U.S. ships involved have been “second-guessed” by some analysts for failing to fire on the Iranians.
He said he believes the U.S. skippers “got it exactly right.”
“Shots would have been fired had the situation demanded it,” he said.
A former destroyer skipper himself, Mullen said “I can imagine myself in that position being alarmed” as the Iranians approached at high speed to within 200 meters of the three U.S. ships and dumped objects in the water.
Mines are considered a particular threat to ships in relatively shallow and restricted waters like those in the Persian Gulf.
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Our hands, & guns, are tied.............
Our hands are tied by the stupid restraints of politicians who are so worried about political correctness, who have not served in any war, who live in a fantasy world. Shame on us if we over-react by blowing those creeps away who are playing stupid, deadly games with our ships & our Navy personnel, our sons & daughters, husbands & wives. Heaven help the ship personnel who might have blown them away, or ordered them to be. They would be demoted, under so much scrutiny, critcism, etc. We should have shot those #%**&@ds out of the water. I bet they don't play those games with the Israelis.
C'mon, Admiral.
They choked and they froze. And you know it!