U.S. ship rescues iranian fishermen, again.

[powderman]

  U.S. ship rescues Iranian fishermen–again    By Laura Rozen
Senior Foreign Affairs Reporter  By Laura Rozen | The Envoy – 2 hrs 25 mins ago       
  An Iranian mariner greets a US Coast Guardsmen Jan 10, 2012. (Centcom/Defense Department)
American sailors have come to the rescue of distressed Iranian fishermen for the second time in less than a week, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The United States Coast Guard cutter Monomoy "picked up six Iranian mariners after their vessel broke down" in the Persian Gulf Tuesday, the BBC reported.
At about 3 a.m. local time, the Coast Guard vessel "was hailed by flares and flashlights from the Iranian cargo dhow, Ya-Hussayn," the U.S. Navy Central Command/Fifth Fleet public affairs report said. The Iranian fishing ship asked for assistance from the Monomoy because their engine room was flooding.
"Monomoy immediately launched their small boat and approached the Ya-Hussayn," the Pentagon report said. "Two persons were rescued from the vessel, and four from a life raft tied off to the dhow's stern."
The six Iranian mariners were taken aboard the Coast Guard ship and given water, blankets and halal meals, the Pentagon said. One Iranian sailor received medical treatment for minor burns. The Coast Guard then turned the six mariners over to an Iranian Coast Guard vessel at approximately 4:30PM local time, the Pentagon said.
The Captain of the Iranian Coast Guard vessel, the Naji 7, speaking through a translator, thanked the Monomoy captain and crew "for assisting and taking care of the Iranian sailors," the Pentagon said.
The latest American rescue comes just five days after a U.S. Navy ship belonging to U.S.S. John C. Stennis aircraft carrier strike group freed 13 Iranian fishermen from Somali pirates in the Arabian sea. The American sailors gave clothes, food and water to the freed Iranian fishermen, who had been held hostage by their Somali captors for six weeks.
"It is like you were sent by God," one of the freed Iranian fisherman, Fazel ur Rehman, told the American sailors, the New York Times' C.J. Chivers reported.
Iran's foreign ministry on Saturday praised that Navy rescue effort, calling it "a humanitarian gesture."
Other popular Yahoo! News stories:
 

• US condemns Iran death sentence for ex-Marine Amir Hekmati
• Amid tensions, US Navy rescues Iranian fishermen held by Somali pirates
  
• DEA helped launder cash for suspected Colombian narco, new report reveals

[BUGEYE]

They will probably be executed for hailing an American naval vessel.

[Bugflipper]

I was not aware that our Coast Guard went to other countries. I thought their purpose was to protect us from foreign threats? I guess they have them policing other countries as well now. I would not want to be in a coast guard ship in the middle east. The ones I have seen have belt fed machine guns. I would want to be on something with big cannons and missiles if I had to be. Come to think of it, their helicopters I have seen only had a belt fed machine gun on the inside. I hope those boys have plenty of close support in case a sinking ship's distress turns out to be a trap. Anyone familiar with the Coast Guard? Surely they mounted their vessels and aircraft with heavier armament than they would generally have for drug interdiction, right?

[powderman]

I hope those boys have plenty of close support in case a sinking ship's distress turns out to be a trap.

 
 
BUGFLIPPER. My thoughts exactly. I fear the next time it might be a ruse to kill Americans and sink the ship. Lying to infidels to gain their confidence is part of the muslim belief. I'm glad they got the help they needed. POWDERMAN.