The USS Cole Syndrome

US vessel 'shoots at Suez boat'
A US container ship approaching the Suez Canal has opened fire on a small Egyptian motorboat, killing one man and wounding two others, reports say.

The Global Patriot, carrying used US military equipment, was in the Gulf of Suez when it was approached by a motorboat selling local merchandise. Its crew fired after the boat failed to stop when asked, Egyptian sources say.

It appears that these were innocent vendors. But after 17 sailors were murdered and 39 others wounded on board the USS Cole in 2000 (read the following post), you'd think that everyone would be a little careful when approaching a US vessel in arab waters. Especially if you are wearing a keffiyeh.

It was after sunset on Monday when a motorboat carrying three local Egyptian traders approached the Global Patriot in the Gulf of Suez as it prepared to sail towards the Mediterranean, according to Egyptian officials.

The Global Patriot's crew are reported to have ordered the motorboat to stop and when it did not, they opened fire, killing Mohammed Fouad and wounding two others, the officials added.

And of course the BBC does not fail to amuse us with their idiotic closing comments.

It is not clear why those on board the Global Patriot opened fire, although al-Qaeda militants have in the past used small motorboats to attack US military and other foreign vessels in waters off the coast of Yemen, our correspondent adds.

Ya think?