Blair calls Iran capture of sailors ‘very serious’

Associated Press / MSNBC ^ | Sunday March 25 2007 | Associated Press / MSNBC

[malamute]

Blair calls Iran capture of sailors ‘very serious’ U.K., Iranian ministers speak; 15 held in unknown location

LONDON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Sunday that 15 British sailors and marines captured by Iran as they searched for smugglers off the Iraqi coast had been outside Iranian waters, and warned that Britain viewed their situation as “very serious.”

[Deo volente]

"Seriously though, did you hear the latest about Iran capturing those British sailors? The situation has gone from 'serious' to 'extremely serious', and I understand that Britain is really going to get tough now and actually cross Iran off their Christmas card list next year..."

[Cooking101]

"Blair calls Iran capture of sailors ‘very serious’"

Funny, he didn't think it was serious enough to shoot at the Iranian boats when he had the chance to.

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

If the brits had fired on those ships taking their sailors and sunk a couple, they'd have had the initiative. Now the iranians do and the Brits are behind the 8-ball.

[heavenbound]

Put up or shut up Mr. Blair!

[elhombrelibre]

So many Europeans, really almost as much of the Right as the Left, have all been convinced that the real enemy in the world today is Bush. When Israel was routing the mad mullah's of Iran's proxy army named Hezbollah and about to destroy it, these moral beacons came to the rescue in 2006. Iran won again and learned how easy it was to push the West around. When Iran is caught killing Iraqis, Americans and coalition forces in Iraq, the sophisticated men of Europe claim the neo-Cons and Bush are trying to incite another war. When Iran's savage leadership threatens to annihilate Israel with nuclear weapons, the European pontificaters, in full blown worldly mode, call for negotiations and reason with the terrorists in Tehran. What the Iranians are doing blatantly and brazenly now is no different than what they've been doing for nearly 30 years. The Democrats tie Bush's hands for their own political advantage and give the mullahs a sense that they've got a green light to act out their barbaric ways. The MSM seeks to spread benighted cynicism about the president during a time of war with our lowbrow comics, like Leno, Letterman and others reinforcing the dolts eye view of Bush. Why would Iran think Blair can act or that Bush will be able to either? The West has suffered a huge self-inflicted wound vice a vie Iran for a long time. Russia sells them missiles that kill Israelis civilians and soldiers. Russia sell Iran an air defense system. Iran funds Syria to cause trouble for the West in Lebanon and Iraq.

The answer is obvious but risky. Iran's military infrastructure and military power must be destroyed. All of its air planes, missiles, ammunition depots, ships, training camps, nuclear research facilities, military motor pools, military academies, etc., etc., until Iran poses no danger to any nation and must worry about one thing. How do they hold their own nation together. Anything short of the destruction of Iran's military is only going to delay the inevitable.

The war on terror was to be one that eliminated states that sponsor terror. Terror, however, is the essence of the Iranian state and its relations to the rest of the world.

[WVNight]

I'd give them 24 hours to hand over the soldiers unharmed. On hour 23 I'd have bomb laden aircraft in orbit over the gulf.... Hour 25 I'd drop them a case of super glue and send a message they better get busy gluing their reactor back together.

[HardStarboard]

>>>Do you think this is very serious Mr. Blair ? Seriously ? <<<

Blair's plans to escalate the situation by telling Iran that their actions were "totally uncalled for"!!

[HitmanLV]

If the Iranians keep this up, and push Blair to his breaking point, he may give them a very stern reprimand!

[jimbo123]

Britain sold their soul to the muzzies and Blair knows that from now on, he must submit to the will of the mullahs

[jwparkerjr]

re: Iran's military infrastructure and military power must be destroyed. All of its air planes, missiles, ammunition depots, ships, training camps, nuclear research facilities, military motor pools, military academies, etc., etc.,

Well said! To get into a position to do this, all at once with little warning, takes time though. And that might just be what's happening during this apparent lull in activity.

As a rule I would think it unlikely they could hide preparations for a strike of this kind from the news hounds. On the other hand they might well have know it would come to this sooner or later and the plans have been worked on ahead time, leaving on the need of actually getting the forces ready to go.

Just like it took us several months to get ready to move into Iraq it's going to take at least days to get enough forces lined up and ready to go to strike that many targets. I sure hope that's what's going on.

You'll have to excuse me though if I reserve the right to be skeptical, very skeptical. Nothing we've done in the last 30 years gives me any hope that we're finally going to put an end to the threat this evil country poses to the entire world.

[Armedanddangerous]

If anyone might be wondering about the status of the current Iranian Navy, here is what wikipedia says about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_Iranian_Navy_Vessels

Doesnt seem to be terribly substantial.

[Chena]

I've come to expect sarcastic comments from our fellow FReepers at times like these and after reading this thread, it is apparent that times haven't changed any. I respect Tony Blair, our ally, and realize that he has to speak cautiously and carefully. This is a dangerous situation and one that needs to be handled far better than my fellow armchair FReepers would handle it.

[Salem]

"When you've spent half your political life dealing with humdrum issues like the environment, it's exciting to have a real crisis on your hands." (On the Falklands conflict.) - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher
I think if the "Iron Lady" was Prime Minister right now, British Tornados would already be flying sorties on the Iranian border and the British Navy would be underway from all points across the globe.

Just my opinion.

[OKSooner]

Give him some time. The limeys aren't prone to bluff or bluster.

Maybe he's calling in a favor from Washington, if you know what I mean...

[Porterville]

If I were british, I'd throw boiled cabbage at the whole of Persia. And then let a million angry persians in my borders to take over..... and then build the largest mosque in the world in the heart of london. and then eat baklava and then wrap my women in burkas and take away all liquor and booze and demand no pork products and demand no freedom of speech and demand anyone who breaks the tenants of ilsam be tortured.

[keats5]

Remember when the sun never set on the British empire? How times have changed.

[knarf]

Your insight is valuable.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Hi Chena...;0)...FYI :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ordered:
Laid down: 14 December 1983
Launched: 14 October 1985
Commissioned: 23 April 1988
Decommissioned:
Fate: Active in service as of 2007.
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement: 5,300 t
Length: 148.1 m (485.9 ft)
Beam: 14.8 m (48.5 ft)
Draught:
Propulsion: 2 x Rolls Royce Spey gas turbines (high speed)
2 x Rolls Royce Tyne gas turbines (cruising)

Speed: 18 knots using Tynes (36.8 km/h)
30 knots using Speys (56 km/h) 32 knots COGAG (Both sets of engines)(59.2 km/h)

Range:
Complement: 250 (max 301)
Armament: 114 mm (4.5 inch) MK 8 gun

Goalkeeper close-in weapons system (CIWS)
Sea Wolf anti-missile system
Two Quad Harpoon missile launchers
Two 20 mm Close range guns
Two Triple anti-submarine torpedo tubes
NATO Seagnat Decoy Launchers
Two Magazine launched anti submarine torpedo tubes

Aircraft: Lynx MK 8 helicopters

armed with:
Sea Skua anti-ships missiles
Stingray anti-submarine torpedoes
Mk 11 depth charges
Machine guns


Motto: unus et omnes
Latin: "one and all"
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu8IkpgZGShsBMNlXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE2YnB0cGxiBGNvbG8DZQRsA1dTMQRwb3MDMQRzZWMDc3IEdnRpZANGOTExXzg4/SIG=11tk7ihdm/EXP=1174927268/**http%3a//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Cornwall
~~~~~~~~~~~Look at the size of this ship~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How far away from the ship were these rubber-boats ?
How far does the Mk. 8 gun shoot ??22km (11.9nm)

~~~~~~~~~~~
The Shatt al-Arab (Arabic: ÔØ ÇáÚÑÈ, "Coast of the Arabs") or the Arvandrud (called ÇÑæäÏÑæÏ: arvandrud in Persian) , is a river in Southwest Asia of some 200 km in length, formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and the Tigris in the town of al-Qurnah in the Basra Governorate of southern Iraq. The southern end of the river constitutes the border between Iraq and Iran down to the mouth of the river as it discharges into the Persian Gulf. It varies in width from about 760 feet (232 m) at Basra to 0.5 mile (0.8 km) at its mouth. The Karun river, a tributary which joins Shatt al-Arab from the Iranian side, deposits copious amounts of silt into the river; this necessitates continuous dredging to keep it navigable.
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu5aSqQZGIYUAdaRXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE2YnB0cGxiBGNvbG8DZQRsA1dTMQRwb3MDMQRzZWMDc3IEdnRpZANGOTExXzg4/SIG=125bf8liq/EXP=1174928146/**http%3a//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvand/Shatt_al-Arab
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~How Deep is it ??~~~~~~~~~~~~Don't Know.~~
IMHO the HMS Cornwall was too far away to fire in support.
Too large to enter these waters without risking running aground ,coming under fire and losing the ship.

Hint) Rubber-boats were used for a reason.

[knarf]

You forgot Peter Rabbit aka Poo Poo the dog.

[owhl]

Tony Blair said this "very serious" just before he said
"is it time for tea yet Cheri"