Royal Marine Captain: We Gathered Intelligence

How is this any news breakthrough? The ships ARE enforcing the UN Res by patrolling and inspecting local ships. It is standard procedure in any profession or operation to gather any other 'fringe benefits' from the routine sanctioned activity that proceeds.

This news story should not be construed into a sole plan by thius one crew to intentionally spy, gather intel on IRAN as a mission, then get caught on purpose kinda idea.

This is standard mil. procedure, gather what info you can whilst doing your duty.

Yeah the soldiers were not captured for gathering intelligence on Iran, they were captured for entering Iranian waters.

After all, you do not need to enter Iranian territory to gather intelligence on them. No doubt the Americans are constantly gathering intelligence on the Iranians via electronic means mostly without violating Iranian territory.

This is a side issue and the fact that they were gathering intelligence matters nothing to the reasons surrounding their capture.

[edit on 6/4/07 by subz]

The media has shown time and time again that they know absolutely nothing about military operations. Nor are they particularly biased. They constantly want the ratings, the ad revenue, the awards, and they will do whatever it takes to do so, including sensationalism, poor research etc etc