Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Prior Skirmishes in the Gulf - the USS Stark
Update: And I shouldn't neglect to mention the 1988 tragic shootdown of Iranian Airlines Flight 655 by the USS Vincennes on patrol in the Persian Gulf. This is a horrible incident that certainly is an important memory for the Iranians and for the US.
3 Comments:
By 
TigerHawk, at
Wed Apr 12, 05:40:00 PM:
Mycroft, that is a very widely held view among Iranian elites. Kenneth Pollack, in his book The Persian Puzzle, writes at length about that tragedy. The Iranian government was convinced that the United States had done that intentionally, and concluded that contrary to its original assumptions would be ruthless if Iran did not back off from pressing its advantage against Iraq. Assuming this is true (and Pollack is persuasive on the point), it reveals two things. First, the Iranians have a deeply ingrained suspicion of the United States. Second, that they can be influenced by a demonstration of our will. How these two lessons affect the present crisis is not clear.
By 
, at
Wed May 17, 09:55:00 AM:
Today (17 May 2006) marks the 19th anniversary of the only successful (if accidental) missile attack on a U.S. warship. Lest we forget: Photos of the damaged USS Stark.
By Unknown, at
Wed Apr 11, 11:55:00 AM:
I have written a book about the U.S. military in the Persian Gulf during the years 1987-1988. It includes all the events from Stark through Vincennes, including Operation Praying Mantis which was America's largest sea battle since WW2.
http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Danger-Zone-Military-1987-1988/dp/1591149703
