Posted on 04/01/2007 9:54:07 AM PDT by fanfan
Canada interjected itself squarely into the hostage standoff between Iran and Britain yesterday after dressing down the Iranian envoy in Ottawa, joining the growing international effort to pressure Tehran to release the 15 captured sailors.
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said he summoned Iran's top diplomat in Canada for a meeting on Thursday to urge Tehran to immediately release 15 British sailors and marines, now entering their second week of captivity after their boat was intercepted in the northern Persian Gulf region in what Britain says was a lawful United Nations patrol in international water.
"We view this as a provocative and extremely unhelpful act on behalf of Iran. There appears to be plenty of empirical evidence and independent evidence that suggests that the boat, the sailors were in Iraqi not Iranian water. Now the Iranians are disputing that fervently," Mr. MacKay said in an interview yesterday.
"We continue to press for Iran to release these sailors. We view this, given the current climate, as destabilizing for the whole region and we'll continue to press that issue where and when we can."
But Iran countered after the MacKay meeting, with Charge d'Affaires Abbas Assemi maintaining Britain had violated Iranian territorial water and Canada and the world should side with Tehran and condemn the British "violation" of its waterways.
"The British officials who are aware of the mistake of their marine troops have launched political hues and cries as well as propaganda through media to cover up their wrongdoings and attribute them to others," Mr. Assemi said in a statement released by Iran's official news agency, IRNI. "By resorting to fake evidence, the British government is seeking to distort the realities."
The griping between Canada and Tehran was a side battle to the main diplomatic deadlock, which deepened yesterday between Iran and Britain when three Royal Navy sailors were displayed on Iranian television and a third letter from the lone female sailor was released.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday the "parading" of the navy personnel in public would only heighten disgust of the Iranian regime.
The European Union also expressed its "unconditional support" for Britain yesterday, something Mr. MacKay said he noted.
Mr. MacKay said Canada has a vested interest in the current standoff because it has engaged in its own naval patrols in Persian Gulf region.
"It isn't simply between Iran and Great Britain. This has implications for all. Canadian sailors have been in these waters, as well, in the past. And so again there is a direct impact on Canada. There is a direct implication on the international community."
MacKay would not comment on the effect the incident would have on future patrols by Canadian warships in the region.
The MacKay-Assemi meeting was a rare occurrence because Canada and Iran have scaled back diplomatic relations.
Iran does not have an ambassador to Canada, and diplomatic contact between the two countries has been downgraded to between lower level officials.
Please send me a FReepmail to get on or off this Canada ping list.
Canada found someone with a spine to run the country. Maybe France can do the same.
Paging Wingnut Pelosi, paging Wingnut Pelosi.
Shut up, pay attention and take a darned lesson, fool.
Canada has warships?
What a shame Ms. Pelosi wouldn't come forth for Great Briton. Might have gotten in her unconstitutional Syrian visit................
Yes Rob.
In the gulf, beside yours.
World pressure mounting against Iran. This could yet boil over into a military strike, which is long overdue.
I was only kidding, please don't be offended.
You're about a year late with that comment.
He thought he was being original with that one.
Let's hope Canada's rules of engagement are more aggressive than those of the Brits. .....although I suspect they are.
The Iranians are going to milk this for as long as they can. Newt had the right idea. Warn them their only refinery will be destroyed if they are not released. The 15 are in grave danger. And intellegence can't find where they are at? Briton is getting some moral support, but the crap Pelosi and the dems are pulling now is making the situation much worse. I'm very concerned about where this situation and the US are headed.
Now they went and done it! They angered the Canadians! Dear God, dont let a hockey game break out!
The bass boats have holders for treble hooks.
We were listening to CBC news, yesterday and they never even mentioned the situation with Iraq. My husband remarked that they didn't even seem to recognize that a crisis situation existed.
The Canadian Navy has three destroyers, 12 frigates, 3 long-range patrol submarines, 3 oilers, 14 coastal defense vessels, and various training vessels.
The Canadian Navy is the only foreign navy to successfully operate as part of U.S. Carrier Battle Groups.
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