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Fri 23 Mar, 2007 02:25 pm
The men were seized at 1030 local time when they boarded a boat in the Gulf, off the coast of Iraq, which they suspected was smuggling cars.
The Royal Navy said the group was on a routine patrol in Iraqi waters and were understood to be unharmed.
But Iranian state television quoted the Iran foreign ministry as saying they had illegally entered Iranian waters.
The Associated Press news agency is quoting US Navy official, Commander Kevin Aandahl, as saying that Iran's Revolutionary Guard were responsible.
Mr Aandahl is also reported as saying the naval force had told them in a radio message that the British were not harmed.
We understand that they were in two boats that were operating in Iraqi waters
Margaret Beckett, Foreign Secretary
Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has demanded the immediate and safe return of the HMS Cornwall servicemen.
She added that she had called for a "full explanation" from Iran and had left them in no doubt that she wanted the group and their equipment back immediately.
The task force's commander, Commodore Nick Lambert, said he was hoping there had been a "simple mistake" over territorial waters.
"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they [British personnel] were in Iraqi territorial waters. Equally, the Iranians may claim they were in Iranian territorial waters.
HMS Cornwall's area of operations
"We may well find that this is a simple misunderstanding at the tactical level."
Helicopters had reported seeing two British boats being moved along the Shatt al-Arab waterway to Iranian bases and there had been no evidence of fighting, he added.
He said that despite scant communication, the 15 people were understood to be safe and had reacted in an "extremely professional way, in line with the rules of engagement".
aussies used "
highly colourful language" to scare off iranians !
perhaps some aussie a2k member can give us an example
?
those british navy personnel had probably been given instructions on how to behave properly !
and the ausssies refused to attend classes ! (always those colonials that don't know how to behave !) .
hbg
check here :
AUSSIE SLANG
example :
Bastard : term of endearment (no wonder the iranians got scared when hearing those "terms of endearment")
Quote:Iran 'unable to take Australians'
By Frank Gardner
BBC News security correspondent
Iranian naval forces in the Gulf tried to capture an Australian Navy boarding team but were vigorously repelled, the BBC has learned.
The incident took place before Iran successfully seized 15 British sailors and Marines in March.
The lessons from the earlier attempt do not appear to have been applied in time by British maritime patrols.
The 15 Britons were searching a cargo boat in the Gulf when they were captured over a boundary dispute.
'Having none of it'
When Iranian Revolutionary Guards captured the British sailors and Royal Marines in March, it was not exactly their first attempt.
It turns out that Iranian forces made an earlier concerted attempt to seize a boarding party from the Royal Australian Navy.
The Australians, though, to quote one military source, "were having none of it".
The BBC has been told the Australians re-boarded the vessel they had just searched, aimed their machine guns at the approaching Iranians and warned them to back off, using what was said to be "highly colourful language".
The Iranians withdrew, and the Australians were reportedly lifted off the ship by one of their own helicopters.
The circumstances for the Britons in March were slightly different in that they were caught so much by surprise that, had they attempted to repel the Iranians with their limited firepower, they would doubtless have taken very heavy casualties.
But military sources say that what is of concern is that the Royal Navy did not appear to have taken sufficient account of the lessons of the Australian encounter.
In an oblique reference to the threat from Iran, Britain's First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, has recently admitted there was a need for greater strategic awareness in the northern Gulf.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6228342.stm
Published: 2007/06/21 18:06:46 GMT
source :
AUSSIES USE "HIGHLY COLOURFUL LANGUAGE"
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