"Of course, you realise this means war!" or "Has Iran finally gone too far?"

[Dr. A. Cula]

What happened: Iranian military opened fire and boarded a Romanian oil rig in the Persian Gulf and held it's workers hostage for several hours yesterday.


Link 1 (in english)

Link 2 (in romanian)

A few more details, for the lazy: a Romanian company was operating 2 oil rigs in the Persian Gulf, under a contract with an Iranian state owned company. Everything went well for the first 2 years, until about 6 months ago when the Iranian company stopped paying for the services. The Romanian company decided to cancel the contract, dismantled one rig and towed it away. As a consequence, an Iranian warship opened fire on the other rig, then Iranian soldiers boarded it, along with representatives of the Iranian company. After several hours of diplomatic pressure, the Iranian soldiers left the rig, but left behind a couple of policemen. Apparetly, nobody was hurt, but there is some damage to the rig.

Now, the Romanian government is demanding an explanation for what amounts to an act of war, as the rig was operating under the Romanian flag.

Romanian diplomats are reserved in commenting the incident, but there are rumors that this incident could also be a provocation addressed to the USA (for those that didn't know/care, Romania is a NATO member).

I now call upon the Great Prophets of Apolyton (tm). What say ye? Has Iran given Dubya a legitimate excuse? Should he do anything about it? Should Romania just pack up it's toys and go home? Who am I ? What am I doing here? Do my parents know I'm here? Does Dubya even know what/where Romania is (even if he's been here)? When am I going to stop asking stupid questions?

... ermm ... right ...

Well, anyway, how is this going to fit in the grand scheme of everything else that's going on here? I personally hope it will be an isolated incident. Although it's not the first time an islamic company is trying to cheat a Romanian company, it's definitely the most violent incident so far.

[Ecthy]

Since Romanian territory isn't threatened, NATO doesn't come into play. Romania must make an individual decision.

I wonder how bad Romania would be beaten in a toe-to-toe with Iran

[SlowwHand]

This is bull****.

A) Attacking an interest of Romania, flying a national flag, is an act of war.

B) Why "incident could also be a provocation addressed to the USA"

when

C) You peopel don't even have the good grace to refrain from comments like "Does Dubya even know what/where Romania is (even if he's been here)? ".


then there's

D) Too lazy? Who wanted to take the approach of posting a link, rather than copying and pasting here?


Conclusion? Iran has already provided enough legitimate excuse. Why do we need to concern ourselves, again, with a problem that's not ours?

Deal with it.

[lord of the mark]

Romania


ROUMANIA, ROUMANIA -Aaron Lebedeff

Ech! - Roumania, Roumania, Roumania, etc.
Geven amol, a land a zise, a sheyne.
Ech! - Roumania, Roumania, Roumania, etc,
Geven amol, a land a zise, a fayne.

Dort tsu voynen iz a fargenign,
vos dos harts glust dir vost kenstu krign:
a mameligele, a pastramele, a karnatsele, - un a gleyzele vayn, aha!

In Roumania iz dokh gut, fun keyn dayges veyst men nit,
Vayn trinkt men iberal, Me farbayst mit a kashtaval -
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge digge dam
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge dam.

In Roumania iz dokh gut, fun keyn zorgn veyst men nit,
vayn trinkt men iberal, me farbayst a kastrovet -
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge digge dam
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge dam.

Oy vey g'vald ikh ver meshige, Ikh lib nor brinze, mamelige,
Ikh tants un frey zich biz der stelye ven ikh es a pat-lo-zhe-le,
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -

Ay, s'iz a mekhaye, beser ken nit zayn,
Ay, a fargenign iz nor rumeynish vayn.

Yokum purkon min sh'maye - - shteyt un kusht di kechene, Chaye
ongeton in alte shkrabes - - macht a kugel likoved shabes,
Zets! Tai didl di dam,- zets! tai didl di dam, - zets! tai didl di dam,

Ay, s'iz a mekhaye, beser ken nit zayn,
Ay, a fargenign iz nor rumeynish vayn.

TRANSLATION:

Oh! Roumania, Roumania, etc.
Once there was a land, sweet and lovely.
Oh! Roumania, Roumania, etc.
Once there was a land, sweet and fine.

To live there is a pleasure,
What your heart desires you can get
A mamalige (polenta), a pastrami, a karnatzl (meats),
And a glass of wine, aha!

In Roumania life is so good, No one knows any cares.
Everwhere they are drinking wine, And having a bite of kashtaval (also meat).

Hay digge digge dam - digge digge digge dam
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge dam.

In Roumania life is so good, No one needs to worry.
They drink wine, though it is late, And have a bite of kastrovet (more meat).

Hay digge digge dam - digge digge digge dam
Hay digge digge dam - digge digge dam.

Oy, vey, help, I'm going crazy!
I care only for brinze and mamalige
I dance and jump to the stars
When I eat Patlozhele,

Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -

Roumanians drink wine and eat mamalige,
And whoever kisses his own wife Is the one who's crazy!
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -

"May salvation come from heaven..."
Stop and kiss the cook, Chaye,
Dressed in rags and tatters,
She makes a pudding for the Sabbath,

Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -
Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam - Tzingma! - Tay didl di dam -

What a pleasure, what could be better!
Oh, the only delight is Roumanian wine!!

[Tattila the Hun]

Can't they just send Vlad Tepes to deal with the buggers?

[Dr. A. Cula]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
This is bull****.

A) Attacking an interest of Romania, flying a national flag, is an act of war.

B) Why "incident could also be a provocation addressed to the USA"

when

C) You peopel don't even have the good grace to refrain from comments like "Does Dubya even know what/where Romania is (even if he's been here)? ".


then there's

D) Too lazy? Who wanted to take the approach of posting a link, rather than copying and pasting here?


Conclusion? Iran has already provided enough legitimate excuse. Why do we need to concern ourselves, again, with a problem that's not ours?

Deal with it.

A) The rig was and still is operating under the Romanian flag and is considered Romanian teritory just like any commercial ship flying the Romanian flag.

B) This is just a rumour flying around here, since Romania is part of NATO. If this incident escalates, it won't involve just Romania. My point was: how much merit does it have, if any?

C) First of all, most of "us people" actually like your president. I happen not to be one of "those people". Second, for a man who commands the largest and most powerful war machine on this planet, he has been known to make some silly mistakes about your country's smaller allies, Romania included. Example: during his visit here, he has publicly demonstrated difficulty in making the difference between Bucharest and Budapest, a rather sensible matter in this part of Europe. Anyway, my point actually was that Romania is so small that your president could be excused for not knowing where it is when he's conducting American foreign policy.

D) The first phrase of my post contains the entire message I was trying to transmit. I posted the links for both authenticity and further details. I also know there are people out there who are too lazy to click links, so I provided a shorter version.

The entire tone of my post was meant as humorous. I am sorry if I failed or if you don't appear to share my sense of humour, but I am not going to change any of it.

Another point I was trying to make here was that, compared to the ridiculous reason given for the start of WW2, at least this incident appears more legitimate. I admit that the similarities stop at "one side attacking an insignificant installation belonging to the other side".

[Sava]

from the news story:

GSP said a number of Iranian warships fired in the direction of the rig

they didn't fire on the rig, but in the direction of it...

also

Comanescu provided few details on the causes of the incident but said that an Iranian court had ordered the rig to remain in Iranian waters pending resolution of a legal dispute. He said it also involves a Dubai-based company and two Iranian companies. The Iranian companies' representatives also boarded the rig on Tuesday, he added.

And from what you said, the Romanians tried moving the rig away in violation of the Iranian court's ruling. It seems this is a legal matter that has gotten out of control, but to say this is something that is going to escalate to war? Please.

Despite the involvement of the Iranian forces, they seem to be enforcing the legal rulings, not doing anything nefarious. Especially since there are other international interests involved (the Dubai company).

[Dr. A. Cula]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
Romania


ROUMANIA, ROUMANIA -Aaron Lebedeff

.....

Nice song and probably the only correct answer to this masquerade. What language is it? Yiddish(sp?)?

A few things:

mamaliga == polenta, indeed (I understand the Italian version is harder)

carnatzl, probably carnat/carnatel (read: carnatzel) == saussage/small saussage

kashtaval, probably cascaval (read: cashcaval) == yellow cheese

brinza == white cheese

kastrovet, probably castravete == cucumber

Patlozhele, probably patlagele, aka rosii == tomatoes

[/nitpicking]

Nice song. Very accurate, too.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Dr. A. Cula


Nice song and probably the only correct answer to this masquerade. What language is it? Yiddish(sp?)?

Yes, it Yiddish, and yes, thats how the name of the language is spelled in English. It was written for the New York Yiddish theater in the 1920's - so there's more focus on an immigrants nostalgia, than on, say politics. And of course food and drink. I dont know the play it was part of, so dont know how it figured in the play.

You should hear it - its pretty wild sounding. Its a standard on the Klezmer circuit, so its been recorded by many artists, including notably Joel Grey.

[Dr. A. Cula]

GSP said a number of Iranian warships fired in the direction of the rig, and troops from the vessels boarded and seized it. Comanescu said one of the cranes was destroyed in the attack .

They actually hit something on the rig.

The other link I provided mentions one rig being towed away "for repairs" (official statement). The way I see it, the court then ordered the other rig to remain. What I don't understand is why they had to send in the army, open fire and do physical damage, instead of just posting those police officers from the very beginning.
Of course, both sides are hiding facts and so far we have only seen one side of the story.

@Sava: You're right, this doesn't seem like such a big deal, but the way the Iranian authorities chose to react made me think there is more here than what the media got.

@lord of the mark: Very interesting, I'll have to look for it. Also, my reasoning with that phrase was that i'm probably taking this whole thing too seriously. Thanks for showing me the right path.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Dr. A. Cula
@lord of the mark: Very interesting, I'll have to look for it. Also, my reasoning with that phrase was that i'm probably taking this whole thing too seriously. Thanks for showing me the right path.

By politics, i wasnt talking about Iran, but about issues with Romania that Yiddish speaking Jews might have had in the '20s. I dont mean to bring up any of THOSE issues in this thread - just indicating that this song is a piece of fluffy immigrant nostalgia, seeing the "old country" with what we in English call "rose colored glasses" Very common with immigrants, and particulary ironic when done by eastern european Jews.

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by Ecthy
Since Romanian territory isn't threatened, NATO doesn't come into play. Romania must make an individual decision.

I wonder how bad Romania would be beaten in a toe-to-toe with Iran

Seeing as neither country can really project power that well... I'd have to guess war between the two would be more of a shouting match.

[Japher]

Dr. A. Cula! How do you type? What with being a dismembered vampiric head and all?

[Dr. A. Cula]

Originally posted by Victor Galis


Seeing as neither country can really project power that well... I'd have to guess war between the two would be more of a shouting match.

If what I see around me every day is any indication, we are very good at shouting .

That would be fun to watch: the Romanian army going to war by itself.

Anyway, this is taking a few unexpected turns (for me, at least):

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aQd7OWATCAOI

``The move sends a message that Iran can project its power and could interfere in oil production,'' Heinrich Matthee, Iran analyst for Control Risk Group, said in a phone interview today from London.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=a6urPDqQgYYg

European stocks fell after Iran's military seized control of a Romanian oil and gas rig in the Persian Gulf. Axa SA and Roche Holding AG shares led declines.

``The Iran issue is weighing on markets,'' said Francisco Salvador, the head of equities at Venture Finanzas SA in Madrid. ``The geopolitical front had relaxed a bit in recent session and this is a return to the tension.''

Am I to understand that the stock market actually reacted to all this?

[Sava]

Originally posted by Dr. A. Cula


They actually hit something on the rig.

But with what?

The story doesn't specify what destroyed the crane. It's doubtful that naval gunfire was responsible for destroying anything on the rig because such weapons are clumsy and quite destructive. I suspect that crane was destroyed when Iranian forces were boarding.

But then again, this is all just speculation. It would be inappropriate to jump to any conclusions without confirmation.

My complaint about your thread/posts is that you seem to be painting an inaccurate picture of what may be actually occuring.

You need to keep in mind that you are reading a second-hand account of the situation. You haven't seen the actual event. You've not spoken to anyone who has witnessed the event(s), nor have you seen pictures of the rig so that you could at least give a decent "inspection" of the damage.

All I'm saying is that it is a bit premature to jump to conclusions until more information is released. There has to be a reason for Iran to take this kind of action. I certainly don't think we know the full story, as far as the deal between the Romanian company and the other companies involved.