Friday, April 25, 2008 12:14:55 PM
OIL re: US Ship Fires On Iranian Vessel
Oil is up, trading at 119.10, 2.62%
The price is jerking at all kinds of news, traders manipulation.
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U.S.-contracted ship fires on Iranian boat
Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:11pm BST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A cargo ship contracted by the U.S. Military Sealift Command fired "a few bursts" of warning shots in the Gulf at small boats believed to be Iranian, U.S. defence officials said on Friday.
"They were able to avoid a serious incident by following the procedures that we use," said Commander Lydia Robertson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet.
The Westward Venture, a cargo ship chartered by the U.S. Department of defence, was travelling north in international waters in the central Gulf at around 8 a.m. local time on Thursday when the incident took place, Robertson said.
The ship was approached by two unidentified small boats and its crew issued "standard queries" to the vessels by radio but did not receive a response, she said. The ship then fired a flare, which also produced no response, she said.
The boats continued to approach the cargo ship and its onboard security team fired "a few bursts" of machine gun and rifle warning shots, Robertson said.
"The small boats left the area a short time later," Robertson by telephone.
A U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the boats were believed to be Iranian.
Shortly after the incident, the ship received a radio query from a ship identifying itself as an Iranian coast guard vessel, Robertson said.
"It is not clear if this was one of the small boats or a separate boat," she said. She said the query from the vessel was conducted correctly.
The United States said in January Iranian boats threatened its warships on January 6 along a vital route for crude oil shipments.
Oil is up, trading at 119.10, 2.62%
The price is jerking at all kinds of news, traders manipulation.
~~~
U.S.-contracted ship fires on Iranian boat
Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:11pm BST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A cargo ship contracted by the U.S. Military Sealift Command fired "a few bursts" of warning shots in the Gulf at small boats believed to be Iranian, U.S. defence officials said on Friday.
"They were able to avoid a serious incident by following the procedures that we use," said Commander Lydia Robertson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet.
The Westward Venture, a cargo ship chartered by the U.S. Department of defence, was travelling north in international waters in the central Gulf at around 8 a.m. local time on Thursday when the incident took place, Robertson said.
The ship was approached by two unidentified small boats and its crew issued "standard queries" to the vessels by radio but did not receive a response, she said. The ship then fired a flare, which also produced no response, she said.
The boats continued to approach the cargo ship and its onboard security team fired "a few bursts" of machine gun and rifle warning shots, Robertson said.
"The small boats left the area a short time later," Robertson by telephone.
A U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the boats were believed to be Iranian.
Shortly after the incident, the ship received a radio query from a ship identifying itself as an Iranian coast guard vessel, Robertson said.
"It is not clear if this was one of the small boats or a separate boat," she said. She said the query from the vessel was conducted correctly.
The United States said in January Iranian boats threatened its warships on January 6 along a vital route for crude oil shipments.
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