Navy Ship Collides With Tanker in Gulf

[Tab]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A U.S. Navy destroyer collided with an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf off
Iraq, slightly injuring four people, the Navy said Sunday.


The USS McCampbell collided with the tanker late Saturday about 30 miles southeast of the Iraqi coastline. Two sailors and two crew members of the tanker were treated for minor injuries at the scene, Navy spokeswoman Lt. Leslie Hullryde said.

No oil was spilled in the collision. Both ships suffered minor damage but were deemed seaworthy.

The oil tanker was flying the flag of the Pacific island nation of Kiribati.

McCampbell, home-ported in San Diego, is one of several coalition forces vessels conducting maritime security operations for southern Iraqi ports. Oil passing through the terminals is the main source of revenue for Iraqi reconstruction.

Saturday's collision was at least the third for a Navy vessel in the Gulf since 2004.

In August 2004, a small traditional Arab sailboat crashed into the USS John F. Kennedy. None of the sailboat's passengers were found.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060326/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_navy_collision

[IndianaGreen]

1. Just wait until the US attacks Iran and Iran retaliates

Ships will become trapped in the bottle neck of the Strait of Hormuz.

[TomInTib]

3. That will be the nightmare that stands the world on its ear.

$100+ oil overnight.

[Strelnikov_]

8. $100/bbl? Quite An Optimist n/t

Ah, you did say overnight, though.

Any action against Iran will be the opening act of Petrocollaspe.

[TomInTib]

10. Actually, we are already paying more than that.

Just not at the pump.

[ret5hd]

2. doesn't a ship collision pretty much end a naval officer's career?

unless it was done on purpose, of course.

[TomInTib]

6. That depends on liability. In this case, however,...

I imagine the OOD is screwed.
Pretty danged hard to not miss a tanker.

[acmejack]

15. Yes.

We had standing orders to wake the old man if another ship came within 10,000 yards of us! That was standard on all three destroyers I was on too. The old man on there is toast as is the OOD.

[Warpy]

4. Well, that oughta be good for another nickel rise

at the gas pump.

You'd think the Navy would have learned where the shipping lanes are by now.

[Botany]

5. Now a war with Kiribati?

The oil tanker was flying the flag of the Pacific island nation of Kiribati.

Even Dick Nixon before his death warned about becoming involved in a
military conflict in the Mid East .... he said it was a no win game.

But this was just an accident ..... so don't think if we hadn't been there it
wouldn't have happened ........ What about the "good news" from this ship
wreck?

Fox News: "U.S. helps to build underwater reefs for marine life in the Persian Gulf."

[izzie]

7. Hope it did not have Bush friends on it taking a ride. Pity the Captain

and I must go now and see where Kiribate is?

[izzie]

9. The Gilbert Island my God I am 35 years late.

--

[AndyA]

11. Don't you wonder how two big ships can crash?

A destroyer and an oil tanker are not small. It's not like they're zipping along like an Indy 500 race car, either. I would assume both have radar on board. How can something like this happen? I mean, they would both have to not be paying attention at all... :shrug:

[Make7]

12. I found the last paragraph of the story to be of interest.

In August 2004, a small traditional Arab sailboat crashed into the USS John F. Kennedy. None of the sailboat's passengers were found.

What kind of security do they have around an aircraft carrier? How exactly does a "small traditional Arab sailboat" get anywhere close enough to crash into an aircraft carrier? Especially after the USS Cole bombing.

- Make7

[williesgirl]

13. How can they let anything close to one of our ships? Sounds fishy

to me. They're in a "war zone" and not watching? WTF? Some security operations - can't even protect their own ship. Sounds like Bush was driving!

[Earth_First]

14. Oil revenue is the main source of revenue for Iraqi reconstruction!?

"oil passing through the terminals is the main source of revenue for Iraqi reconstruction."

Since when?

:shrug:

[harpo]

16. then why is rumsfeld always asking for more money?

something fishy about that