New Frontiers In Military Tactics - Expletives delete attack

[Leigh Meyers <the.buffalo.in.the.midst@xxxxxxxxx>]

The Canberra Times
Saturday, 23 June 2007
Expletives delete Iran attack
David McLennan

The Australian navy has praised the actions of its sailors in
repelling a confrontation with Iranian gunboats using, in part,
"highly colourful language", but declined to compare it to the capture
of 15 British sailors earlier this year.

The BBC said the contrasting results of the two incidents was
embarrassing for the British navy.

Commodore Steve Gilmore, revealing details of the tense four-hour
stand-off yesterday, confirmed the Australians had been doing routine
board-and-search activities when the confrontation had taken place on
December 6, 2004.

Initially confronted by one Iranian Revolutionary Guard gun boat, the
situation had quickly escalated when four more, armed with
rocket-propelled grenades, had turned up 45 minutes later.

The incident happened close to the Iraq-Iran border, reportedly at the
mouth of the Shatt al-Arab river, when 12 Australians and two
interpreters from the frigate HMAS Adelaide, boarded the MV Shams
merchant cargo ship, which had run aground three days earlier.

Commodore Gilmore said the boarding went very well.

"In the process of extracting that boarding party, one vessel, a small
vessel from the Iranian revolutionary guard, moved very close by and
began very overt gestures.

"They were all armed with automatic weapons, and at that time the
Australian officer in command [Petty Officer Andrew Keitley] seized
the initiative and demonstrated very, very sound judgment and
excellent leadership.

"He got his boarding party back on the ship, established a very
credible and appropriate defensive position and began what I think is
very unique in the Australian way, and that is the capacity to
negotiate."

Commodore Gilmore said he could not elaborate on what was said.

"I think as Australians we might imagine what was there, I haven't
delved into that to give you any specific details, but I think the
important thing to note is it worked."

The BBC reported the use of "pretty colourful language".

"What I'm hearing is that it was a pretty robust attitude by the
Australians," the reporter said.

"... They reacted, I'm told, incredibly quickly, whereas the Brits
were caught at their most vulnerable moment, climbing down off the
ship [and] getting into their boats."

The 15 British soldiers were captured and held by the Iranians for
almost two weeks.

They were accused of breaching Iran's territorial waters.

Their capture prompted a tense diplomatic incident between Britain and Iran.

Commodore Gilmore would not compare the incidents yesterday.

"Whilst there was some similarities, there were many differences as
well, and it would be very difficult to predict whether the outcome
should have been the same as the Australian outcome, because it just
wasn't the same circumstance."

The BBC reporter said lessons should have been learnt from the
Australian experience.

A Defence spokeswoman said the Maritime Coalition Force Headquarters
in Bahrain which includes Britain had been closely involved in the
matter and would have known what had happened.

Petty Officer Keitley and Lieutenant Commander Tony Johnston, who
piloted the Sea Hawk helicopter that was providing surveillance and
later winched the men to safety, were awarded the Distinguished
Service Medal in last year's 2006 Australia Day Honours for their
actions.

Commodore Gilmore said there had been regular contact with the
Iranians along the border since, usually through radio to clarify each
other's positions.

"That is a very good way of maintaining a de-escalated situation. When
people understand what each other are doing, then you can keep
control," he said.

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