Posted on 03/30/2007 5:48:01 PM PDT by mdittmar
Tony Blair voiced his “disgust” with Iran last night after Tehran broadcast a second televised “confession” by a captured Royal Navy sailor, apologising for “trespassing” into Iranian waters.
A clearly angry British prime minister said the Iranians’ “manipulation” of the British prisoners would “fool no one”.
He insisted the crisis could only be resolved by the release of all 15 sailors and Royal Marines seized by the Iranians last Friday.
At the same time, Mr Blair appeared to be digging in for a prolonged stand-off — warning that Britain would have to show “patience” as well as “firmness and determination” in its handling of the crisis.
Certainly Tehran appeared to be in no mood to compromise. It followed the release of the footage of Royal Navy sailor Nathan Thomas Summers with a third letter purportedly written by Leading Seaman Faye Turney complaining that she had been “sacrificed” to British and US policies.
The letter also said the British detainees had received better treatment than Iraqi prisoners held by Britain and the US at Abu Ghraib.
In the latest footage, shown on Iran’s Arabic language station Al Alam, Mr Summers is shown saying: “I would like to apologise for entering your waters without any permission.” However there is a clear edit after the word “apologise”, suggesting the extract was spliced together from two separate clips.
In other clips, he said “We trespassed without permission”, before saying their treatment by the Iranians had been “very friendly” and he was “grateful” no harm had come to them.
He is also shown sitting alongside LS Turney — the one woman in the party — and another British serviceman identified as Royal Marine Adam Sperry.
Mr Blair, on a visit to Manchester, angrily denounced the broadcast of the latest footage.
“I really don’t know why the Iranian regime keep doing this. All it does is enhance people’s sense of disgust,” he said.
“Captured personnel being paraded and manipulated in this way doesn’t fool anyone. What the Iranians have to realise is that if they continue in this way, they will face increasing isolation.”
Iranian television has already shown a similar interview with LS Turney, as well as two letters she was said to have written to her family and to a “representative of the House of
Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, meeting EU ministers in Germany, said she was “quite horrified” by the latest footage which she denounced as “blatant propaganda”.
Well then maybe he should DO SOMETHING about it!
Churchill is surely rolling over in his grave.
Tomorrow we hear Blair stamped his foot.
I'd view a 24-hour ultimatum as more patience than the ****ers rate.
So quit yer bitchin' and deploy your Navy, Tony.
Blockade their ports, bomb their oil depot, send fly-overs in the middle of the night. If they do not release your citizens, take to the media and explain that all Englishmen must now rise up and stand fast. Call to arms all patriots, enlist Mrs. Thatcher to clarify the situation and respectfully ask the Queen to address the nation. If you citizens are harmed, promise that no leader of Iran will live to do it again. Mean it, grow a set.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Winston Winston where for art thou Winston, Maggie's got a severe headache right now! COME ON BLAIR this could be the legacy you've been waiting for, step up to the plate and hit a homer, babe!
..start blowing their ships out of the water.
Easy, Tony. They know they can get away with it.
It looks like this is going to go on as long as the Iranians are left to their own devices. It's a game to them and they're having a good time using this for propaganda purposes. I especially dislike seeing any footage of the hostages on tv knowing it's pure propaganda.
The whole thing reeks of spinelessness.
Blair is the best ally we have had in the war on terror, I hope our country is prepared to stand by him in this, their crisis.
Exactly. They are emboldened by our democrat led Congress.
Unfortunately, they are using 21st century toys.
Tony, it's time to DO something.
IMHO, Neal Boortz had a great idea today...
"To Iran:
"You have 24 hours to release, unharmed, our soldiers. If you do not, my country will respond with an unspecified military response.
"You will then have an additional 24 hours to release, unharmed, our soldiers. If you do not, my country will respond with an escalated, unspecified response.
"We will continue this cycle until either:
"A - your country ceases to exist or
"B - you release, unharmed, our soldiers.
"I feel I have given you sufficient warning.
"What happens next is up to you."
Within 72 hours, Faye Turney and the others alive...or Ahmadinejad dead!
Most certainly Blair has been one of our few friends and we all want their troops who have fought bravely to be brought home soon and safe. That being said and after reading British newspapers for the last three years, is it wrong to say I am quite amused. Even now while their troops are being held hostage the British press continues to blame their government and the U.S. What in the world could possibly give Iran the idea that it could possibly get away with such an act? Why the would be the British public opinion of course.
Tony you had a chance right at the beginning but someone told the HMS Cornwall to stand down.
Dittos.
Gee, pretty strong language there, Tony. Don't go and scare them or anything. Sheesh. /tu
I believe he's at the end of his patience. He's contending with the liberals there as we do here, but (IMO) I believe we'll awaken some morning very soon to hear of a few Iranian ships are sunk and a few buildings smouldering.
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