US rescue of Iranians from pirates 'welcome': Iran

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US rescue of Iranians from pirates 'welcome': Iran

January 07, 2012 01:29 PM

TEHRAN: The US navy's rescue of 13 Iranians from pirates who had hijacked their fishing vessel was a "welcome" humanitarian act, foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Saturday.

"We consider the actions of the US forces in saving the lives of the Iranian seamen to be a humanitarian and positive act and we welcome such behaviour," Mehmanparast told Iran's Arabic-language broadcaster Al-Alam.

"We think all nations should display such behaviour," he added.

The US military said one of its warships, the USS Kidd, rescued the Iranian fishermen from around 45 days of captivity at the hands of pirates thought to be Somalis.

The pirates were taken into custody and the Iranian fishermen were released to return home on their dhow, which was refuelled and restocked with provisions supplied by the US navy vessels.

The USS Kidd was one of several vessels in a group accompanying the USS John C. Stennis, an aircraft carrier Iranian military officials days ago warned to stay out of the Gulf.

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Comments

Mike in Maine	January 07, 2012 02:18 PM

One has to wonder just what and how this rescue mission is going to be seen and reported in both the Iranian press and the how it's going to be spread thru the local Iranian fishing fleet's. Not all Iranian's are as crazy as Ammeny' is. And this rescue shows that the US Navy is more than able to put it's money where it's mouth is when it comes to the maritime safety of ALL shipping in the region. By showing the everyday Iranian's that we aren't the big, bad monster that Ameen'y says we are goes a long way toward educating the Iranian's that maybe not everyone in Teheran is telling them the truth. And truth, once out of the bottle, is impossible to put back in. Look at Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. The truth came out and now the Arab Spring is out for everyone to see and participate in. Teheran, if they are smart, should start reading the inevitable writing on the wall. The option, as we are all seing right now, is another Syria. The Iranian people deserve a whole lot better a whole lot sooner. The only question now is when is the Teheran gang smarten up and make the move. Better it be on their own than forced. Saddam and Muammar showed the results of force. Tunisia showed the way of compromise and progress. Now it's up to Teheran to act responsibly and make the inevitable choice before they have no option.

Joe Coggiano	January 07, 2012 05:40 PM

Noone, not even the Iranians, expect less from the US. However, it cannot always expect the same from many other countries, especially Iran and others from the same region.

Ralph Callaway	January 08, 2012 05:16 AM

It is a positive event. As, in this case, the hijackers took an Iranian vessel, will they be turned over to Iran for prosecution(if I remember correctly, in the past it is the offended nation that gets to prosecute.)

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