Beowabbit
I’m here because of Ashley
About the recent incident in the Gulf of Tonkin, er, Strait of Hormuz 
15th-Jan-2008 07:35 am
Boston: Davis Square sign, Travel: 1933 Ford, Lang: Old English (Widsith), Geek: Mac 64, Geek: Galaga, Me: close-shaved and smiling in April 20, Travel: car on US 99 in California in Fe, Misc: smiley pumpkin, Pol: UN flag at ICJ at the Hague, Me: shadowed in Vegas May 2007, Sex: Important Wabbit Business, Astro: Hubble Space Telescope in orbit, Misc: gravestone of Emperor Norton I, Me: buzzcut profile in Harvard Square, Pol: UN seal, Animals: Schnapps, Astro: Martian sunset, Hawaii: H1 to Honolulu sign with mountai, Me: resting in sionnagh's back yard in K, Travel: driving towards the mountains, Animals: Hamlet resting, Astro: NGC 3184, Misc: rigging of the schooner Fame, People: kissing plumtreeblossom, Hawaii: H3 exit sign to Honolulu, Pol: Mass. State House and pride flag, Sign: Jay Street, Me: facing camera in tree at BiCamp 2004, Me: Looking down on Vermont train, Boston: Malden house oblique view, Pol: Gettysburg address, Me: taking pictures in Hawaii, Food: Christmas dinner at my sister's, Me: O'ahu mountains, Misc: BiCamp campfire, Food: Ethiopian meal, Me: shadow against sand under ripples, Pol: Obama 1, Misc: spines of old books, Astro: moon, Me: swimming at the Ledges, Misc: antique stopwatch, Me: Simpsons avatar, Misc: six-fingered hand, Travel: airplane silhouette, Me: playing as a toddler in London’s Hyd, People: me with plumtreeblossom May 2007, Lang: Rosetta stone, Scenery: wildflower blossom, Food: Spam musubi, Me: Wacko grin chez queue, Astro: Voyager copper record, Misc: brain side view on black, Me: Diamondhead profile, Local: Quincy house pre-purchase, Food: a cup of coffee, Food: olives in Israel, Hawaii: palm tree in Honolulu, Local: I-93 South to Quincy, Sex: condom, Pol: chimp dressed as Napoleon, Geek: LiveJournal, Animals: parrot at 2005 Boston Pride, Pol: Nixon and Elvis, Me: freshly shaved at butterfly exhibit, Pol: Kilroy Planet, Scenery: BiCamp river, Misc: Electricity Presenting Light ..., Me: purple toe socks, Scenery: O'ahu sunset, Sex: fishnets, Astro: astronaut on untethered spacewalk, Games: Catan board closeup, Me: on Ko 'Olina Beach in May 2006, Me: profile in tree at BiCamp 2004, Me: brain MRI, Boston: Citgo sign in Kenmore Square
I don’t remember how I stumbled across [info]rojonoir’s journal, but he posts some interesting stuff.

The reporting on the recent encounter between Iranian speedboats and American warships in the Gulf of Tonkin Strait of Hormuz that I’ve heard has struck me as really odd. Even after a day or two, when NPR was mentioning “questions about the accent” of the alleged Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers in the recording released by the military, and that the alleged threat was received on an open channel and not definitely coming from the speedboats, I felt like there must be stuff missing from the story.

Well, [info]rojonoir has collected (and summarized) a couple of articles giving much more background about the incident, and yes, there’s been stuff missing from the coverage I’ve heard about this in the US media. Specifically,
  • No part of the Strait of Hormuz is in “international waters”, because it’s so narrow. The inbound traffic lane, where the US ships were, is entirely within Iranian territorial waters. There is, however, an international treaty granting all ships right of passage through the strait, provided they follow certain restrictions (like not collecting intelligence, and surfacing if they’re submarines). The US does not follow those restrictions, and has not ratified the treaty. (The linked article suggests that the US has not ratified the treaty because it doesn’t want to be bound by the restrictions it doesn’t like.)
  • The threatening statements received over the radio were probably from a known (albeit pseudonymously) prankster, who evidently broadcasts that sort of stuff all the time.
([info]rojonoir also reminds us of the tragic shooting down of Iran Air 655 by a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz, which doesn’t directly clarify the recent incident, but sure casts an interesting light on it.)
Comments 
15th-Jan-2008 03:15 pm (UTC)
[info]agaran
This speaks to my point that while NPR is well-meaning and entertaining, it's usually sheep-like when it comes to progressive journalism. I have given up on it for news, but still love it a lot for entertainment and variety.

My main source for news now is Pacifica's Democracy Now with Amy Goodman. The production quality sometimes leaves a bit to be desired, but it makes me think; it tries to investigate what it can; and above all, it speaks truth to power.

My favorite for print media is where I used to be on the technical staff: The Independent. In spite of it now being owned by the Mirror Group, they have maintained very high standards of integrity and, well, independence.

One of their star reporters is Robert Fisk, who, though a real luddite, is an astonishingly experienced and insightful reporter specializing on the Middle East (great example here). I bet dollars to donuts that he will be having his next column on the incident you're (appropriately!) skeptical about.
15th-Jan-2008 08:12 pm (UTC)
[info]bensong1
Heh. I was just about to suggest Democracy Now, myself.
Here is a link to their story about it last friday:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/11/us_backs_off_claim_of_naval

And this one if from their headlines the same day:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/1/11/headlines#4
15th-Jan-2008 05:21 pm (UTC)
[info]derien
When that came on CNN when I was at work the other day I commented, "Isn't that just what they did in the Gulf of Tonkin? I can't believe they'd try to play the same scenario again," and the person next to me said, "The what?" Me: "...oh... never mind."
15th-Jan-2008 10:05 pm (UTC)
[info]porcelaingirl
Hey, I saw your comment on [info]dan4th's LJ and notice you also have [info]beetiger friended, and you seem pretty cool, so I decided to add ya :) I'm Catie, also known as Riikka...we met briefly (I think) at that Ethiopian restaurant in Central Square in August when Kaja ([info]kajarainbow) was in town ^^ [info]lediva (Julia) was also there. Anyways, we have many similar interests (though I don't have all of them down on my LJ list), and I currently live in Malden :-P Plus, you like Värttinä! So you automatically rock! Anyways, you can add me if you wanna - I look forward to getting to know you!

Hope to talk soon!
Riikka
Leave a Comment to the Entry
Profile
User: [info]beowabbit
Name: Beowabbit
Links
Latest Month
May 2008
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Entry Tags
This page was loaded May 14th 2008, 6:36 am GMT.