A B777-200 ON AN INTL FLT INTO IAD DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AFTER THEY WERE VECTORED EXTENSIVELY DURING THE ARR.

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THE FLT PLAN CALLED FOR LNDG IN IAD WITH 17.0 FUEL. THE WX WAS FORECAST TO BE CLR AND WINDY FROM THE NW. WE WERE DELAYED AT THE GATE 20 MINS FOR A MISSING PAX WITH A BAG NEEDING TO BE PULLED FROM CARGO. AFTER XING INTO BOS AIRSPACE; A RERTE WAS GIVEN TO US AND 2 OTHER ACFT. THE RERTE TOOK US FAR W OFF COURSE OVER SRQ AND THEN DOWN OVER PSB. WE WERE FL400 AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO DSND TO FL300 AS WELL AS SLOW TO MACH .75. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A VECTOR 90 DEGS OFF COURSE TO THE R AND ABOUT 10 MINS LATER; A VECTOR 90 DEGS OFF COURSE TO THE L. WE ASKED ABOUT THE DELAY/RERTE AND ATC SAID THEY NEEDED 40 MINS IN TRAIL. BTWN SRQ AND PSB; THE FMC SHOWED LNDG WITH 10.5 IN IAD. THE CAPT AND I WERE IN THE SEATS AND THE OTHER FO WAS ON BREAK. WE STARTED LOOKING AT PIT AS AN ALTERNATE FOR FUEL AND CONTACTED DISPATCH. THE CAPT WAS RELUCTANT TO DECLARE 'MINIMUM FUEL' WITH ATC. AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION BTWN HE AND I; HE ADVISED ZBW 'MINIMUM FUEL.' THE FLYING FO WAS CALLED OFF BREAK. WE WERE SWITCHED TO ZNY AND ADVISED NEW YORK 'MINIMUM FUEL' AND THAT WE COULD NOT TAKE ANY MORE DELAYS. WE WERE QUESTIONED SEVERAL TIMES AS TO IF THIS WAS AN EMER; WERE WE DECLARING AN EMER? THE CAPT ANSWERED 'NO; BUT WE CAN'T ACCEPT ANY MORE DELAYS.' ZNY ASKED 'WHAT IS YOUR FUEL ON BOARD IN MINS?' THE CAPT SAID '1 HR 10 MINS.' 'TIL EXHAUSTION?!!!' SAID NEW YORK. THE CAPT STATED TO US (BOTH FO'S) THAT IF WE DON'T GET ANY MORE DELAYS AFTER PSB; WE'RE GOING TO IAD 'WE HAVE PLENTY OF ARPTS AROUND; IE; HARRISBURG.' I ARGUED THE DIFFERENCE BTWN 'MINIMUM FUEL' AND 'EMER FUEL' AND HE STATED THAT HE KNEW THE DIFFERENCE AND IF HE HAD TO DECLARE AN EMER; HE WOULD USE CAPT'S AUTH TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTED. AFTER PSB; THE FUEL SHOWED 9.5 ARR IN IAD AND WE WERE HEADED TO IAD AND DSNDING FOR RWY 1R. THE 'FUEL LOW' EICAS CAME ON AND THE CAPT ACCOMPLISHED THE CHKLIST. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE BLOCKED IN WITH 7.5.