FOR UPDATES:Consult this thread.

UPDATE: Iran releases 4 hostages. January 16th. One wonders if the release was not supposed to happen on the eve of the State of the Union Message, but got scuttled due to the Riverine boat incident? Set-up2?

Set-Up: Obama Coordinated Iran Hostage Release for SOTU; Riverine Capture Scuttles?

This is in regard to Iran capturing 10 Navy personnel and two Navy boats this week. I hope this is just a coincidence, but I think it is worth pointing out. I also feel badly for the one woman who was captured who had to endure being forced to wear a hijab on camera.

In 2013, the Defense Secretary Leon Panetta put forth an initiative to allow women in combat positions, including riverine boats, Special Forces, Submarines, Rangers etc.

This article from 2013 indicates that the military had until JANUARY 2016 to either allow it or to show why not was not feasible.

“The military services are struggling to figure out how to move women into battlefront jobs, including infantry, armor and elite commando positions. They are devising updated physical and mental standards — equal for men and women — for thousands of combat jobs, and they have until Jan. 1, 2016, to open as many jobs as possible to women, and to explain any decision to keep some closed.”

This article from December 3rd, 2015 indicates that current Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter has opened everything up:

” “There will be no exceptions,” Carter said. “This means that, as long as they qualify and meet the standards, women will now be able to contribute to our mission in ways they could not before.” “

This photograph of one of the female riverine sailors captured by the Iranians in January 2016 indicates the issue of women serving. If this was a set-up, then heads do need to roll, regardless of the correct opinion on women serving.

Another Critical Issue happening right now:

Trump, Clinton, Lawrence Krauss, Jeffrey Epstein and Copernicus in 2016

I also notice that a lot of news sources are editing the Iranian video and purposely avoiding showing the woman sailor. I understand the idea of respect towards this female sailor, and issues of using captured military for propaganda purposes, but this video is out in the open on Youtube.