British Forces Held By Iran

McGentrix wrote:

Ahmanutjob said he was releasing the 15 hostages as a gift to Britain today.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070404/ts_nm/iran_britain_dc_40

Maybe all that saber rattling paid off?

Speaking later in Downing Street, British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed the sailors' release and said Britain bore the Iranian people no ill will.

Throughout we have taken a measured approach, firm but calm, not negotiating but not confronting either," he told reporters.

The only ones doing any saber rattling has been conservative Americans which for the most seems to be ignored these days. The British seemed to take a more calm approach which seens to have paid off.

British diplomacy wins the day, well done you Brits, that's the way to go!

No imprisonment, no orange Jump Suits, no torture, allowed to contact their families and not locked in cages as per Guantanamo Bay.
Congratulations; President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad you demonstrated compassion and a civilized approach.

anton wrote:

British diplomacy wins the day, well done you Brits, that's the way to go!

No imprisonment, no orange Jump Suits, no torture, allowed to contact their families and not locked in cages as per Guantanamo Bay.
Congratulations; President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad you demonstrated compassion and a civilized approach.

Woot! Anton bought the propaganda hook, line and sinker!

That Ahmadidn'tgetajob must be a real great guy, huh? A real winner.

I'm glad that quiet diplomacy won the day in the end. It should always be be given a proper opportunity to succeed before mud slinging and force is used.
The objective was to get those sailors back safe, as quickly as possible.

Loss of face means a hell of a lot to people from the middle east (and to some Americans, it would seem) but human lives must override that small thing every time, if at all possible.
Some Brit newspapers are calling it humiliation for the British government. Personally, I see it as mission accomplished for Blair and the diplomats concerned. Anyway, todays newspapers are tomorrow's fish and chip wrappers, so who cares about loss of face in the long run.

This situation could have easily escalated into a full blown war, so everyone on both sides should be celebrating today.

Well done to the grey men in suits who work behind the scenes and know their way round a minefield or two.

Foxfyre, Blair of the Saddam can bomb us 45 minutes and Downing Street Memos, David Kelley and sexed up fossiers? Yeah let's trust his word.
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/101403_kelly_1.html

The bottom line is all the sailors are home with their families, the rest is history!

Britain's Humiliation -- and Europe's
By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, April 6, 2007; Page A21

Iran has pulled off a tidy little success with its seizure and release of those 15 British sailors and marines: a pointed humiliation of Britain, with a bonus demonstration of Iran's intention to push back against coalition challenges to its assets in Iraq. All with total impunity. Further, it exposed the impotence of all those transnational institutions -- most prominently the European Union and the United Nations -- that pretend to maintain international order.

(CBS/AP) Britain called for direct talks with Iran over 15 captive Britons after speaking for the first time with the chief Iranian negotiator. Tuesday's announcement followed the sudden release of an Iranian diplomat in Iraq that raised new hope in resolving the standoff.

Great Britain and Iran have exchanged diplomatic documents outlining the terms of the deal, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. In return for the release of the sailors and marines, the British government would say it regrets the incident and will make sure it doesn't happen again, but would not admit its personnel violated Iranian waters.

pointed humiliation of Britain,

Last Updated: Friday, 6 April 2007, 14:28 GMT 15:28 UK

UK captives tell of ill treatment

Royal Navy personnel seized by Iran were blindfolded, bound and held in isolation during their 13 days in captivity, the crew have said.
They were also subject to random interrogation and rough handling, and faced constant psychological pressure.

In a joint statement the crew also stressed that they were inside Iraqi waters at the time of the capture.

Royal Marine Captain Chris Air said it became apparent that opposing their captors was "not an option."

"If we had, some of us would not be here today, of that I am completely sure," he said.

The crew said they spent nights in stone cells, sleeping on piles of blankets and were kept in isolation.

Earlier, the Royal Navy's head defended the actions of the personnel, after criticism that they gave up too easily.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band said the crew "reacted extremely well in very difficult circumstances".

He said British boarding operations being carried out in the Gulf had been "absolutely proper", but there would be a "complete review".

The captured personnel appeared on Iranian television admitting they had strayed into Iran's territorial waters, a claim the UK denies.


Lt Gen Sir Michael Gray, former commander of the 1st Battalion of the Paras, was quoted in the Daily Mail as describing the situation as a "shambles".

And Amyas Godfrey, an associate fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), previously said the personnel could have stood up to their captors more.

Admiral Band told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This incident was a most extraordinary act conducted in those waters...

"I think they acted with considerable dignity and a lot of courage.

"They appear to have played it by the rules, they don't appear to have put themselves into danger, others into danger, they don't appear to have given anything away".


The navy has begun a review of the circumstances leading to the capture.

'No deal'

Admiral Band said the review would also examine the rules of engagement for UK forces operating in the area.

However, he said the decision to board and search the merchant ship that led to the seizure of the navy personnel had been "absolutely proper".

He said UK boarding operations had stopped for now, but coalition operations were continuing under British command.

Earlier, an MoD spokesman said the UK would continue to ask Iran to return its two captured boats used by the 15 crew, but he held out little hope of success.

The freed personnel were flown to the Royal Marine base, at Chivenor, in north Devon, on Thursday.

Lt Col Andy Price, who met the group at the airport, said there had been "times when they were left alone", but refused to elaborate.

Prime Minister Tony Blair contrasted the return unharmed of the Britons with four soldiers killed in Basra in Iraq on the same day.