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Oh you’re late, that was said earlier. I posted it on the hostage thread. We’re the asses in this, we’re letting their guys go while they have our former FBI guy in custody. Would the Brits have done it for us? No matter... game still on.

Iran to release British sailors
Mark Oliver, Peter Walker and agencies
Wednesday April 4, 2007
Guardian Unlimited (UK)

The 15 British sailors and marines detained in Iran for nearly a fortnight have been formally pardoned and will be released immediately, Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today.

The 14 men and one woman, detained on March 23, would be released and taken to the airport as soon as his speech was over, he said, calling it a “gift” to Britain at Easter.

“After the news conference they can go to the airport and go back home,” he told the ongoing news conference. “They will be going back home today.”

The announcement was a distinct surprise, coming at the end of the president’s hour-long address to reporters in Tehran, much of which consisted of complaints against Britain and other western nations.

During the address, Mr Ahmadinejad even presented a bravery medal to the commander of the Revolutionary Guard naval patrol which seized the 15 Britons as they searched an Indian-registered merchant ship in the Gulf as part of a routine patrol.

“On behalf of the Iranian people, I want to thank ... the commander who managed to arrest the people who entered our waters,” the president said.

Elsewhere in the speech, Mr Ahmadinejad also attacked Britain for sending the crisis over the arrested sailors to the UN Security Council and using “media hype”. He additionally launched into a long complaint about the invasion of Iraq, and accused the UN of being institutionally biased against nations such as Iran.

And in a reference to Leading Seaman Faye Turney, the only female among the captured Britons, Mr Ahmadinejad said: “How can you justify seeing a mother away from her home, her children. Why don’t they respect the values of families in the west?”

The news follows several days of rising hopes in Britain that the stand-off could soon be resolved, especially after Downing Street confirmed last night that the first high-level direct talks had taken place between British and Iranian officials.

Last night Downing Street said Iran’s top diplomat, Ali Larijani, the head of the country’s national security council, had spoken by telephone to British officials.

In a statement, No 10 said Tony Blair believed “that both sides share a desire for an early resolution of this issue through direct talks”.

Earlier today, Iranian state media reported that Mr Larijani had now spoken to Mr Blair’s chief foreign policy adviser, Sir Nigel Sheinwald. Downing Street would not confirm which British officials were involved in the talks, though it is likely Sir Nigel has a role.

In other developments today, Iran’s official news agency said an Iranian representative was due to meet five Iranians detained by US forces in Irbil in northern Iraq in January, Reuters reported.

Tehran says the men are diplomats; the US says they are Revolutionary Guards linked to insurgents in Iraq. There have been claims that Tehran orchestrated the seizure of the British crew with a view to an exchange for Iranian captives. The US president, George Bush, said yesterday that he agreed with Mr Blair that there should be no “quid pro quos when it comes to the hostages”.

More indications emerged today of the role Syria is playing in the diplomacy. The Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, told the newspaper Al-Anba that the situation needed “quiet diplomacy”, which Syria was involved in. Syria has long been the Arab country closest to Iran, a non-Arab state.

(See that last paragraph)

Also, things you should know (a clue is in the column above).

Iran to see Iranians held by U.S. in Iraq: agency-(deal or no deal)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1811720/posts

Iraq presses US to free five Iranians
“This will be a factor that will help in the release of the British sailors and marines” held by Iran since March 25, he said.”

“We are intensively seeking the release of the five Iranians,” the official said, going on to reveal that the Iraqi government had exerted pressure on the people holding an Iranian diplomat. He was released Monday and returned to Teheran Tuesday.”

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=41551&sid=13001792&con_type=1

And:
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2007/04/abducted-iranian-minister-jalal-sharafi.html

Ahmadinejad says he is offering a ‘gift’ to the British on the birthday anniversary of the Prophet of Islam and the Prophet Jesus’ ascension to the Heaven.

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/

Even more confusing is Nancy in a hijab at a mosque that includes the tomb of John the Baptist? (Per Reuters).
Scroll down and read the photo caption.

Pics from Kamangir:

http://kamangir.net/2007/04/04/a-cheesy-end/

Pics from FARS (they need a better director):

http://www.farsnews.com/plarg.php?nn=M234936.jpg

Moving on...

Oops.

France says Iran detains an academic
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=10738

What is You lay down with a dog, you get fleas for $200 Alex?