Iran: 'Determined to keep Britons'

YnetNews ^ | 03.25.07 | Dudi Cohen

[kress]

Iranian government source warns captive British soldiers will not be released until Britain issues formal apology to Iran. Iranian students call on government to demand release of former Undersecretary of Defense General Ali Reza Asgari in exchange for captives.

Chairman of Iran's Parliamentary Committee for National Security and Foreign Policy, Alaa Al-Din Boroujerdi, expressed his support on Saturday for the capture of 15 British soldiers by Iranian forces. Boroujerdi called the act "appropriate" and "legal" and said that it was a necessary step "so that foreign forces in Iran's neighboring countries will see that Iran is a powerful country in the region and that it will react firmly to any type of trespassing."

In an interview to the Iranian Student's News Agency, Boroujerdi said, "just as the relevant bodies reported, the British soldiers' entrance to Iranian waters was illegal, and is considered a violation of Iran's naval borders legally and internationally."

[Constitutional Patriot]

Tony B needs to announce to Tehran (and the world) that the his sailors are to be released or Tehran will be reduced to rubble.

I'm pretty sure the Brit AF still has enough punch to do the job.

[toddlintown]

Here! Here! But then again, there's always tomorrow.

[Centurion2000]

Indeed we very well may wind up having to sacrifice quite a lot in order to guarantee victory elsewhere.

Actually what would happen is the genie would come out of the bottle and a lot of foreign people would die in mushroom clouds.

[Justa]

Yes, I agree. Blockade their oil terminals until the hostages are released.

[Tommyjo]

Good job you aren't in charge or in any position to direct military forces.

[mkjessup]

Good job you aren't in charge or in any position to direct military forces.

Well if I were, you can be sure I wouldn't be calling upon YOUR services over in the Surrender Department.

Go hide under the bed until it's all over. There ARE things worse than warfare, for those who understand what Honor is about.

[BuffaloJack]

I used to have a Navy buddy on USS Pueblo, an E6 from my days in Viet Nam.
I don't know what the Koreans put those guys through because he would never speak about it.

[mkjessup]

Friday, January 30, 2004 - SAN DIEGO -- Former Navy Cmdr. Lloyd "Pete" Bucher, who was commander of the USS Pueblo when the spy ship was captured by North Korea in 1968 and helped his crew survive nearly a year of abuse in captivity only to nearly face a court-martial, has died. He was 76.

Bucher, who lived in the San Diego suburb of Poway, died Wednesday evening at a nursing facility near his home. He had been in declining health for months, partly the legacy of months of brutal captivity, said Stu Russell, who served under Bucher and is president of the USS Pueblo Veteran's Association.

The Pueblo, armed only with two .50-caliber machine guns in poor condition and hand-held firearms, was monitoring communist ship movements and intercepting messages in inter-national waters near the North Korean coast when it was attacked by torpedo boats Jan. 23, 1968.

One sailor was killed and 82 were taken prisoner. Bucher, who was wounded when the Pueblo was shelled, was beaten and tortured into signing a confession. During their captivity, crewmembers were beaten with pieces of lumber, burned on radiators and had their teeth kicked out by North Korean soldiers.

"The man was a giant," Russell said from his home in Eureka. "Being the focal point between the Koreans and the crew, he took the brunt of everything. No matter who did what, he was always punished. I simply don't know where he got the strength and courage to go through what he did."

After 11 months, the crew was released two days before Christmas. Many returned home crippled or nearly blind because of malnourishment. Their diet mostly consisted of turnips. The ship remained behind in North Korea, where it became a tourist attraction.

"I had people come to me and say on so many occasions that they never really appreciated how great it was to be an American until they had the misfortune to have been captured and stuck in a country that is completely devoid of humanity and truthfulness," Bucher said shortly after his release.

Excerpted from:

http://www.aiipowmia.com/inter24/in300104bucher.html

[Tommyjo]

And again I still say I'm glad you aren't in command. No military commander is contemplating any form of military action in regards to this incident.

Explain to me your detailed plan on what you are going to strike in Iran in your so called retaliation?

E-mail a copy to the Defense Department and make sure you send a copy to the families of those detained in Iran. Explain to those families how your way of 'honor' got their loved ones killed. You aint thinking about it?

[mkjessup]

Don't worry about it Sweetheart.

You just hold both hands together and sing 'Kumbaya' to yourself.

[racing fan]

New slogan from the British tourism board: "Britain, the New France."

[Clemenza]

Much as the Iranians have good reason to despise the Poms, due to their past activity in the region, holding these sailors will do NOTHING for them, in terms of leverage. Much like the IRA, if they really wanted to "send a message" they'd dispatch Queen Liz or Willy and Andrew.

Hoping that these fine young men are returned home soon.

[casino66]

TJ, LBJ was president when the Pueblo 'incident' occurred. The same president that tried to micromanage the war in Viet Nam. One week after the Pueblo, the Tet offensive began. Not sure, but we were heavily involved in Viet Nam and he probably didn't need a second front(giving him the benefit of the doubt.) The Brits probably haven't learned the lesson of letting the military do its job and the politicians stay the hell out of the way. What, it happened less than 48 hours ago, let's all give them time and stop the bickering. The thread is starting to look DU'ish.

[WLR]

Britain is our Ally and friend they have Islamofacists coming out their ears...their people have been murdered in their subways in this fight. They are resisting the enemy.

The problem both they and we face is a lack of LEADERSHIP..

Your comments about being abandoned by the chain of command are correct. It has happened here before to. (I among others lived it).

Your last comments are beneath you.

The British are a crucial part of the WOT they have lost Servicemen and paid their dues... Show some respect they deserve it.

Indeed it is a damn shame our senior leaders on both sides of the ocean are such cowardly twits but they are..

Please try and be a little more circumspect. With a little luck perhaps you can get to a place to fix things.


W

[HereInTheHeartland]

"Time to shut down Iran's offshore oil terminal."

No, we take it, permanently. And the oil fields that feed it if possible.
We and the British lay claim to these economic assets and starve the terrorist regime of funding.
And maybe a regime change will happen.

[Sundog]

The only aweful trouble, is that we would be blamed for the oil shortage, making us even more evil Americans.

[HereInTheHeartland]

"The only aweful trouble, is that we would be blamed for the oil shortage, making us even more evil Americans."

No oil shortage, we keep pumping from our new "Persian Fields" oil complex.
In fact, we open the floodgates and pump all the oil we can and make inexpensive.
The oil money goes to the new, pro western elements in Iran.
Screw the UN and the British and American left, as they would wring their hands and wet their pants.

[Sundog]

The stinkers would sabotage the fields as we moved in, and can you imagine how hysterical Pelosi would be?