Posted on 04/26/2008 4:09:10 PM PDT by traumer
Five British hostages who were kidnapped in Iraq almost a year ago are being held inside Iran by Revolutionary Guards, according to two separate sources in the Middle East and London.
The hostages were handed over to the Revolutionary Guards by their Iraqi kidnappers last November, the sources believe. One of the sources said they were being held in the western Iranian city of Hamadan.
If confirmed, the involvement of Revolutionary Guards would be seen as evidence that senior figures in the Iranian government had backed the decision to hold them in the country.
However, British officials said that while there had been rumours that the five were in Iran, they had seen no evidence to support the idea.
The hostages are said to be in good physical shape but spending much of their time in solitary confinement.
According to one of the sources, they are under the control of Mohammad Safaei, 41, a senior Revolutionary Guard colonel who was previously in charge of special operations in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
The hostages were kidnapped in Baghdad last May in an attempt to force the Americans to release Qais al-Khazaali, an Iraqi militia leader said to be close to the Revolutionary Guards.
Khazaali was apparently being groomed by Iran to take control of a breakaway faction of the Mahdi Army, a Shi’ite militia, that would be compliant with Tehran. A former chief spokesman for the Mahdi Army, Khazaali was arrested by US troops after masterminding a raid inside a base in which five US soldiers were killed. The Americans have refused to release al-Khazaali in exchange for the British hostages.
One of the sources, who has close links to the Revolutionary Guard, said the captors were looking for a face-saving way of freeing them. They have suggested the hostages write to church leaders in the UK asking for assistance in gaining their release, the source said.
The five were abducted from the Iraqi finance ministry, where one of them, Peter Moore, a computer specialist, was teaching data-processing. The other four were his bodyguards.
The suggestion that the hostages are in Hamadan follows contradictory claims earlier this month that they were in Tehran. This is the first time it has been claimed they are in the hands of Revolutionary Guards. One of the sources has previously proved to be a reliable source of information about them.
Iran just asking for a good thump .
That thump will have to come from US (as in “U.S.”) or perhaps Israel because Tony-the-former-Tiger Blair proved that the U.K.’s leadership lacks the stones to face down the mullahs and Ahmadinerunt in Tehran when those British sailors were taken hostage last year.
The Iranians were emboldened by the cowardice displayed by Blair in that instance, and they were further encouraged by how easy it was to dress up their hostages in Mahmoud-approved leisure suits.
Lest the British Lion becomes resurgent and rampart once more the captives will rot in the new “Black Hole of Calcutta.”
i here theres a glass shortage in tehran. maybe we can help them find a solution.
here = hear
the way the Iranians operate - those thugs - we owe them nothing in the way of compassion or tolerance. In every encounter involving the military - there should only be one policy for dealing with the Revolutionary Guards - terminate with prejudice.
“The hostages were kidnapped in Baghdad last May in an attempt to force the Americans to release Qais al-Khazaali, an Iraqi militia leader said to be close to the Revolutionary Guards”.
Let them rot. They are getting what they asked for.
I hope after the last hostage episode the Brits had the Iranians they show a little more “stiff upper lip” that us Yanks admire so much.
“Iran just asking for a good thump.”
I’ll believe it when I see it. They’ve been BEGGING for almost 30 years. Nothing happens.
This deserves a lot more press than it is getting!
**********************EXCERPT**************************
According to one of the sources, they are under the control of Mohammad Safaei, 41, a senior Revolutionary Guard colonel who was previously in charge of special operations in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
The hostages were kidnapped in Baghdad last May in an attempt to force the Americans to release Qais al-Khazaali, an Iraqi militia leader said to be close to the Revolutionary Guards.
Khazaali was apparently being groomed by Iran to take control of a breakaway faction of the Mahdi Army, a Shi’ite militia, that would be compliant with Tehran.
A former chief spokesman for the Mahdi Army, Khazaali was arrested by US troops after masterminding a raid inside a base in which five US soldiers were killed. The Americans have refused to release al-Khazaali in exchange for the British hostages.
One of the sources, who has close links to the Revolutionary Guard, said the captors were looking for a face-saving way of freeing them. They have suggested the hostages write to church leaders in the UK asking for assistance in gaining their release, the source said.
Iran holding Brits....ping.
G.W. Needs to personnaly hold the scum up by the scruff of his before the UN and a Joint Session of Congress and tell both boddies to back him 100% with men, material, and money or STFU!
Has it crossed their minds they simply could arrange for safe passage of the hostages to say Iraqi authorities. Nah.
“What will Iran do next?” indeed. :’) Thanks Ernest.
End Game On With Sadr Should Bring Sadr’s End
(What will Iran do next?)
Strata Sphere | Friday, April 18th, 2008 at 9:57 am. | AJStrata
Posted on 04/18/2008 2:19:54 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003686/posts
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