[SoldierMedic]

I cannot imagine how these sailors or marines allowed themselves to be captured. I'd have gone down fighting.

[betsyross1776]

I wonder if the British will back down to the crazy in the middle east and call it peace in our time. I saw on tv this morning they are taking the hostages to Iran to talk to them. Does that mean a nasty beaten confession on tv? How long will the free world stand for these nutcases insulting our countries?Another case of in your face from radical Islam again.

[Waco]

With the full sopport of the DNC and Pelosi, I'm sure!

[nuconvert]

"The regime “need” an external clash to crush the domestic challenge."

That's exactly how they operate. They've done this time and time again.

[nuconvert]

Walid Phares, pong

[gotribe]

If the Brits and U.S. do strike iran over this, it won't be proportional. They'll be going after nutjob and all his people around the world at one time.

[aculeus]

Chess, American style: Draw gun and kill your opponent.

Game over.

[stm]

Iran is playing a very dangerous game. Their pathetic chest thumping is going to get their sorry asses monkey stomped into a pile of goo. Mark my words.

[mkjessup]

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Tehran. Third time's the charm:

There is no doubt that the cowardly Islamics will respond to the nuking of Tehran with the fastest surrender in history. They have no idea what they're eff'ing with, and Iran needs to be literally glassed over as they are utterly beyond saving. America and the West have a choice: they can be the bulldozer, or they can be Rachel Corrie.

I say fire up the damn bulldozer.

[SE Mom]

ping

[PGalt]

“we will be at war with you on all levels: secret, diplomatic, military and other.”

Islam is playing an international chessgame without a king and queen.

They set up command and control centers on British and U.S. soil and fill them with pawns.

[MizSterious]

"...based on their Western consultants..."

I'm sure they have quite a few, mostly 'Rats sitting in congress and actively doing their best to help.

[NonValueAdded]

Indeed ... when their chief nutcase realized he could not address the UN, it was time to punctuate that event with an act, hence the provocation. I am still amazed that the Brit navy was so undersupported in their region. It must have been calculated so as to avoid a military clash during a rescue. The small boat teams must have been told off that they were expendable but that diplomatic help was right around the corner so surrender meekly. We've gone wobbly.

[Cooking101]

Iran has been promising to kidnap Western military men, so why is this a surprise to anyone? This is why I was ripped at Bush's State Dept. for allowing Ahmadinejad a visa to the U.S. The man is a self-declared enemy of America, leader of the Axis of Evil, sworn to "wipe Israel off the map", responsible for helping to kill American forces in Iraq, funder of Hezbollah, and is building an illegal nuclear arsenal. NOW he has kidnapped 15 British marines, and this man is still welcome in the United States. Bush has every political and moral reason to refuse this scumbag an American visa, UN be damned. NO bloody dictator has a "right" to set foot on American soil and use the UN as a pulpit to condemn America and rally international islamofacist support to fight against us.

[SteamShovel]

The Iranian regime’s master plan is to wait out the remainder of Tony Blair’s mandate (few more months) and the remaining “real time” of President Bush (till about the end of 2007).

I have always believed (maybe in error) that Bush will take on Iran toward the end of his term. This just may push it forward in time a bit with Blair's end coming sooner. I think some fireworks are going to happen soon.

[The Electrician]

Isn't this tactic pretty much SOP for Islamic "civilizations", both now and in the past? No different from Hezbollah, Hamas, Philippine 'rebels', Iranian occupation of US embassy, ad nauseam. Time to ratchet up the psychological warfare. Start dropping hints that any Iranian mullah or "diplomat" traveling abroad, even to "friendly" countries such as Venezuela or China, will be fair game. Use third parties to do the dirty work, so that Britain and the US can say they had nothing to do with it.

Clearly the Iranian regime's fears of exactly such a thing happening led to Ahmadinejad staying home instead of coming to the UN. Did we have a psy-ops campaign whispering sweet threats into their ears?

Even though they have a lot of nutjobs in high positions, they are not immune from fear. They enjoy the comforts afforded by power and position. In the same way that, to make a trivial comparison, the clearly Clintons believe that their enemies are doing or planning the same corrupt and vile acts that they themselves are doing or are contemplating doing, so do the mullahs believe that the West (despite outward displays of weakness) is also capable of, and indeed is planning, to employ the same devious measures that the Iranians routinely use. So, let's not disappoint them...

[Tarpon]

The flaw in the reasoning of the moollahs is Israel.

[jws3sticks]

Here's the view after the bomb:

[oldenuff2no]

The British should invoke Article V at the United Nations. Within minutes the Unites States should pledge it's total support to Great Briton. Via the UN pulpit both the US and the UK should demand the immediate release of the 15 Brits that Iran kidnapped. If they are not in allied hands within 24 hours we should target Iran's NAVY. Every last ship should be put on the bottom simultaneously. I am certain that our intelligence agencies know the exact position of each and every one of their ships even the miniature subs they are so proud of. Put them on the bottom with the biggest display of fireworks that can be managed. Then ask the Iranians again to return the 15 Brits. If they refuse, take out all of their land based missile sights and radar installations. Then politely ask them again for the release of the 15 Brits. If they refuse take out each and every one of their commercial airports and ask them one more time. If they again fail to respond in a positive manner select their largest military installations and all identified nuclear development sights and drop large neutron bombs on each of them. Simultaneously, using Neutron Bombs, destroy all of the top echelon religious and government buildings with no warning and no attention paid to collateral damage. Inform Russia and China that we will split Iran's oil with them in equal portions when we are done. Quit asking. Shoot down anything they put in the air and destroy any ship of truck that attempts to leave their country. Continue to destroy their military installations at the rate of several per day. Make sure this destruction is widely dispersed throughout their country. We want their population to know what is going on. Broadcast highlights of the demands and destruction to every TV in Iran. They will run right to the UN as if they were it's most peaceful member. The Unites States and Great Briton will block anything and everything that gets to the security counsel. Do not put a single person on the ground inside their country. We will not be there to recover, restructure, or rebuild Iran. Our purpose is to destroy the country until they relent or surrender. It should take about a week if we use the right weapons. The True Arab world won't do anything but scream. The truth is that they hate and fear the Persians and want them politically, religiously, and militarily castrated.

[El Gato]

Teheran’s master planners intend to drag the “Coalition” into steps in engagement, at the timing of and in the field of control of Iran’s apparatus.

Playing western liberals like a drum.

However what this means is that we should do is short circuit their escalation and respond to either this or the next provocation with overwhelming force. This time on Monday the Iranian Navy and Air Force should no longer exist. Their nuclear, chemical and biological weapons facilities should be inaccessible, with the above ground entrances collapsed into rubble, caused by 2,000 lb bunker busters guided into those entrances.