Iran ‘to try Britons for espionage’

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1563877.ece ^

[Weight of Glory]

FIFTEEN British sailors and marines arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards off the coast of Iraq may be charged with spying.

A website run by associates of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, reported last night that the Britons would be put before a court and indicted.

Referring to them as “insurgents”, the site concluded: “If it is proven that they deliberately entered Iranian territory, they will be charged with espionage. If that is proven, they can expect a very serious penalty since according to Iranian law, espionage is one of the most serious offences.”

The warning followed claims by Iranian officials that the British navy personnel had been taken to Tehran, the capital, to explain their “aggressive action” in entering Iranian waters. British officials insist the servicemen were in Iraqi waters when they were held.

[Diogenesis]

BINGO

Slap them down early, and you have far fewer problems.

1968 Robert Kennedy assassinated
1972 Munich Olympics Sep-5,1972 (Black September)
1976 Entebbe Hostage Crisis, June 27, 1976
1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, Nov. 4, 1979 444 days
1979 Grand Mosque Seizure, Nov 20,1979
1981 Assassination of Egyptian President, Oct 6,1981
1982 Assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister, Sept 14, 1982
1983 Bombing of US Embassy in Beirut6, April 18,1983
1983 Bombing of Maring Barricks, Beruit, Oct 23,1983
1984 Hizballah Restaurant Bombing, April 12,1984
1985 Egyptian Airliner Hijacking, Nov 23,1985
1985 Rome Airport murders
1985 TWA Flight 847 hijacked, U.S. Navy diver murdered
1985 Achille Lauro hijacking, Homacidal maniac lived in saddams Iraq
1986 Aircraft Bombing in Greece, March 30, 1986
1988 Pan Am 747 Flight 103 Bombing, Lockerbie, 100's murdered
1988 Berlin Discoteque Bombing, Dec 21,1988
1992 Bombing in Israeli Embassy in Argentina, March 17,1992
1993 Attempted Assassination of Pres. Bush Sr., April 14,1993
1993 First World Trade Center bombing, February 26th, 7 Killed, Hundreds injured, Billions
1994 Air France Hijacking, Dec 24,1994
1995 Attack on US Diplomats in Pakistan, Mar 8,1995
1995 Military Installation Attack, Nov 13, 1995
1995 Kashmiri Hostage taking, July 4,1995
1996 Khobar Towers attack
1996 Sudanese Missionarys Kidnapping, Aug 17,1996
1996 Paris Subway Explosion, Dec 3,1996
1997 Israeli Shopping Mall Bombing, Sept 4, 1997
1997 Yemeni Kidnappings, Oct 30,1997
1998 Somali Hostage taking crisis, April 15,1998
1998 U.S. Embassy Bombing in Peru, Jan 15, 1998
1998 U.S. Kenya Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1998 U.S. Tanzania Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1999 Plot to blow up Space Needle (thwarted)
2000 USS Cole attacked, many U.S. Navy sailors murdered
2000-2003 Intifada against Israel - 100's dead and injured
2000 Manila Bombing, Dec 30,2000
2001 4 Commercial airliners hijacked, 250+ murdered
2001 World Trade Center attacked, 2800+ murdered
2001 Flight 93 murders
2001 Pentagon attacked, 180+ murdered
2002 Reporter Daniel Pearl, kidnapped and murdered
2002 Philippines American missionary, Filipino nurse killed
2002 July 4, El Al attack Los Angeles LAX, several murdered
2002 Bali bombing - 200 dead, 300 injured
2002 Yemen, French Oil Tanker attacked
2002 Marines attacked / murdered in Kuwait
2002 Washington D.C. sniper
2002 Russian Theater attacked, 100+ dead
2002 Nigerian riots against Miss World Pageant, 200 dead, dozens injured
2002 Mombasa Hotel Attacked, 12 dead, dozens injured
2002 Israeli Boeing 757 attacked by missiles, fortunately no one injured
2002 August Hotel bombing in Jakarta, Indonesia. 12 dead, dozens injured.
2003 Rusian concert bombing
2003 Phillipines airport and market bombing
2003 Foiled SAM plot in the USA
2003 UN Baghdad HQ Bombing
on and on and on and on their terrorism has gone .........

---

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The War for Infinite Justice SHOULD HAVE BEEN ESCALATED IN 2001

[JimSEA]

However, does it bother anyone else that when Iran acts in a threatening manner, we can point back in history and say, "oh they have done this before..."

Well said. It bothers the hell out of me. This entire episode infuriates me, including the oh so mild approach of the MSM.

[Weight of Glory]

Sorry it took so long to reply. Yes they did say they would try them, but released them shortly after, with no trial. Things are different today, however. Iran is getting a little more desperate each and every day.

[UKrepublican]

That's good to know.

Sadly most of my fellow citizens are insanely out of touch with reality.

I am extremely proud of our closeness with America, and I have faith that no matter what, the government of the day will do what is right.

[JSteff]

"Looks like they grabbed the Brits instead."

I think they were hoping it was an American vessel. Instead they got the Brits so now they are scrambling. The have lots of experience with holding and torturing hostages.

My question is since that vessel was under the command and control of the Americans, how did we let them get that close? Why did we let them get that close?

[Diogenesis]

Where is NATO?

[hosepipe]

Will be a Show Trial, a Kangaroo court....
You know, like the Scooter Libby trial..
and Sandy Berger Affair..

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

They are over in Afghanistan...

[wodinoneeye]

"Iran ‘to try Britons for espionage’"


Meanwhile the Brits move military assets into place....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[gpapa]

I think the Mullahs thought it would be easier to capture Brits rather than Americans to avoid a confrontation with the U. S. On the other hand they may think that they can use the captured Brits as bargaining chips to obtain the release of Iranian agents recently captured in Iraq by U. S. troops. However, it is interesting that no response was forthcoming from the U. S. led coalition of ships at sea in the Persian Gulf to this incident, most probably due to the limited rules of engagement now in place in that waterway.

[SandRat]

They were taken while in proper military uniform, with discernible military insignia, with a clear and proper command structure, on a military mission, abiding by the rules of the Geneva Hague Convention. So, should Iran Try them as spys, they are violating the GH, but when did rules ever stop them.

What it does though should IRAN carry out its threat to try the Royal Marines and Royal Navy persons as spys is self convict IRAN of a WAR CRIME.

That of and by itself is an act of war by a sovereign state against another sovereign state.

[HardStarboard]

>>>My guess is no... NO BALLS!<<<

Don't need balls....need Lady Thacher!

[b4its2late]

True, but she's not around now. "Balls", said the Queen, "if I had them, I'd be King!"

[Gene Eric]

I wonder how many Britons feel their servicemen deserve whatever consequence the Iranians impose. I certainly hope the U.S. will stand up for these guys.

[HardStarboard]

>>>Even the liberal democrat spokesman was pretty pissed at this. <<<

Oh, just wonderful. Whining, yellow bellied, surrender monkeys suddenly get a bit of spine when it is their treasonous actions that gave Iran the belief they could tweek the West's nose any time they want.

Bring Lady Thacher back. She'd have Ahmadinejad's head on a pike by mid-next-week.

[BenLurkin]

Agreed.

Slap them down -- hard.

So hard that they grovel for another 500 years.

[healy61]

You are way off base here. I believe this is a reenactment of the dance scene from "Scent of a Woman."

Now, that there is a pointed comment.

[JSteff]

Bombing Christian Serbs.

[burster]

Also remember that prior to the hostage crisis, students had briefly seized the embassy in February of that year. That made the embassy staff complacent that the students would soon leave. They didn't. So I wouldn't place much hope in the early release of the 15 Brits. This little contretemps could get to be very, very big.