TEHRAN (Reuters) - The British naval personnel detained by Iran for entering Iranian waters have left the Gulf area for the Iranian capital Tehran, the Iranian Arabic-language television station al-Alam said Thursday.Posted on 06/24/2004 12:56:31 AM PDT by MadIvan
TEHRAN (Reuters) - The British naval personnel detained by Iran for entering Iranian waters have left the Gulf area for the Iranian capital Tehran, the Iranian Arabic-language television station al-Alam said Thursday.
"The British detainees have left the Gulf area for Tehran," the television channel reported in a news flash.
It said earlier that Iran was refusing to let the eight sailors and marines, who were intercepted Monday, cross back into neighboring Iraq because it does not recognize the U.S.-led occupation.
Hmmm. The situation should be watched more, though.
British Sailors Apprehended To Swap For 40 Iranian Volunteers for Suicide Missions Captured in Iraq
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1159186/posts
The Ayatollah's Bargaining Chips-Swap British Sailors for Iranian Suicide Volunteers
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1159183/posts
Still a real "Mr. Personality", I see. Do you do stand up at funerals?
That's what I gathered before venturing a guess that they are being taken to Tehran to be used to humiliate Britain and held up as some sort of Islamic victory against western culture. ...partly for retribution against the recent British statement about Iranian efforts toward nuclear proliferation, perhaps.
Given the way those soldiers have probably been treated, my guess with sadness is also that the Iranians will be very reluctant to release them.
The mullahs have used this trick before to use outsiders as a rallying point to consolidate / maintain power. It's just the UKs turn.
Ivan, I'm afraid it seems to me as if the British aren't taking a strong stand here, which is what to my mind is really playing with fire. Of course, we don't know what's going on behidn the scenes, but the public face is Britain apologizing and as a supplicant to Iran. A traditional European colonial power would consider the captured soliders expendable, i.e. would not apologize or change its course of action, but would make it clear the revenge for any harm would be 50 to 1 at a time and place of Her Majesty's choosing.
Ivan:
What's the "mood on the street" from the good folks across the big puddle? Outside "Londonistan," of course. :)
OLA
It would have been higher priority had their detention lasted one day longer - the media was ratcheting up the coverage.
Regards, Ivan
bump
Glad to hear they're safe now. What about the three boats? Did they get those back too? Just curious.
These men are likely "human shields" for assignment to the Iranian Nuclear Reactor/Research Site. A highly probable Ground Zero location. Traditional Iranian negotiation tactic.
What burns me is the blindfolds. This is the Mad Mullahs' way of humiliating the sailors and the British in general.
The photos of the blindfolded are also for public consumption on the home front. They make the Irani government appear so in control and so macho.
Leni
This is shameful. Declare war and end their madness. Islamic terrorists are the same as Nazis. We need to fight, not negotiate !!!
They are not safe. We are not safe. We need to fight and win.
Those bastards. They are enjoying their head games I see.
They are not fit to put their hands on these fine men.
G-d deliver them.
Regards, Ivan
Signed,
Your favorite reactionary :)
Are their heads going to be cut of? That is the question.
Yeah, you could Iran as next on the list, along with Syria, and North Korea in my mind.
I responded with an email to the military in SKorea requesting the same thing. Thanks to whoever posted that link.
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