Sending probes into the neutral zone

[Reeborg]

I find it odd that the Romulans can send a (cloaked) probe into the neutral zone and it is dealt by Romulans AND the Federation as if it was no big deal. I find that strange. Wouldn't/shouldn't that be considered a violation of the peace treaty? There should at least an official complaint by the Federation. I feel that sending in ships to verify what is going on (with that probe) would be a justified response. Why would the Federation be regarded as the aggressor?

 

[jimbotron]

Are you referring to the probe in The Defector? The Federation sent a probe too, so I'd say it's even.

 

[T'Girl]

the federation obviously scans into romulan space from their side of the neutral zone, an unarmed probe might be seen as basically the same thing and unofficially acceptable.

 

[Timo]

Probes are probably peanuts, considering the Feds regularly overlook the presence of Romulan warships within the RNZ. There have been Romulan ships violating the Zone in at least "Balance of Terror", possibly "Deadly Years", certainly in "The Enemy" and "The Defector", again in "Face of the Enemy", and implicitly whenever we saw Romulans in DS9. Fed violations are legion, too. It's just not worth it, going to war over every casus belli out there. But I gather both sides write down these incidents in their little black books, to be quoted in the next round of peace negotiations.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[TemporalFlux]

Look at today - Drone flies over country; drone gets shot down; people grumble; the issue goes away.

 

[PhoenixClass]

Well, unless those drones start shooting.

 

[Timo]

...In which case people grumble a bit more, and then the issue goes away.

I guess Star Trek cultures ought to be worried about foreign probes sailing through their space, because any such device could also be a weapon of mass destruction. Apparently, individual photon torpedoes or comparably sized devices can't do that much harm, but you never know whether the probe has a Genesis device aboard, or is a far bigger Dreadnought masquerading as a small probe somehow...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[varek]

I think it is the principle, rather than the size and capabilities of a probe, that concerns the Federation or the Romulan Empire, when the Neutral Zone is violated.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Sometimes, an intrusion by one side suits the other side's purpose. In "The Enterprise Incident", for example, the Romulan commander wanted Spock to send a probe into her Neutral Zone.

 

[varek]

Sometimes, an intrusion by one side suits the other side's purpose. In "The Enterprise Incident", for example, the Romulan commander wanted Spock to send a probe into her Neutral Zone.

That is true, but one has to be careful. One time, Captain Picard was deceived into returning a Romulan spy back to her people, with all of the information she had acquired.

 

[The Old Mixer]

SWOOSH!