Iran: Britain Must Admit Navy Trespassed:
IYADH, Saudi Arabia -Iran’s foreign minister said Wednesday that Britain must admit that its 15 sailors and marines entered Iranian waters in order to resolve a standoff over their capture by the Mideast nation.Manouchehr Mottaki’s statement in an interview with The Associated Press came on a day of escalating tensions, highlighted by an Iranian video of the detained Britons that showed the only woman captive saying her group had “trespassed” in Iranian waters. Britain angrily denounced the video as unacceptable and froze most dealings with the Mideast nation.
Right. And for some things that make you go “hmmmmm,” here’s a couple of visual aids released by the MoD earlier today.
Accuracy <9 feet.
First map detailing initial location of boat crews, borders, and HMS Cornwall.
Second map, post Iranian snatch n’grab.
The Brits are calling shenanigans, but I think that’s pretty much all they’re going to do.
Hotel Tango: Lowry.
I don’t understand the final image – what is “First Iranian reported position” – the position OF the Iranians, or the position the Iranians reported someone else being at? And who “corrected” the position and why?
I am ASSUMING that what it’s meant to demonstrate is that the Iranians SAID that the British sailors were at position 1 “in Iranian territorial waters”, then when it was pointed out that it was in fact in Iraqi waters, they changed their minds to the “corrected” position. But it’s not clear. Is my interpretation correct?
If so, they are clearly wrong, and guilty of kidnapping. Is this an Act of War? I suspect that technically it is.
I’m dumbfounded at Britain rolling over in this situation. At the very least, they should have been blockading Iranian ships since day one of this crisis.
The policy of de-escalation will never work against such a dedicated enemy. It’s pussification.
Who was the Iranian spokesman on this? Jon Lovitz?
IRan: “We picked them up here.”
Brits: “But those coordinates are Iraqi territory.”
Iran: “Oh, did I say here? I meant *here*! Yeah….yeah, that’s the ticket! I got these coordinates from my wife, ah, ah, Morgan Fairchild!”
I think the Brits are shoring up international support before they do anything. Remember, this very well could be a power play by the Iranians to shore up their OWN position, within Iran itself. If you’re Blair, you don’t want to play into their hands. I figure Blair’s got about a week of talking to his allies and building concensus in Britain before he makes his move.
If the Iranians don’t give the sailors back within the week, we’ll see where Blair stands. He’s got a chance to be Thatcher, but he’s also got a chance to be Carter. Time will tell.
In the midst of it all, I have to say the female sailor in the video is showing poise and calm.
Unfortunately, the girl is being singled out for special treatment. She’s being used for enemy propaganda and she knows it, as the one hostage that’ll really get the Brits’ goat. It’s a bounty for the mullahs, to show a blond white Western woman be-scarfed and seemingly contrite. Kind of a metaphor for what they’ll do to the rest of the world soon.
Beyond blockading their ports, the Brits don’t seem able to do much of anything.
Considering, among a myriad of other things, this is a replay of a similar incident in 2004 can someone here please explain to me why the rules of engagement wouldn’t be to fire on any Iranian vessel that even acts like it is approaching coalition forces in these waters? I understand that the rubber boat is vulnerable, but it is also fast, isn’t it? And 100 yards away is the mother ship, right? It has cannon, heavy machine gun, and so on. The helicopter overhead must have known a few minutes in advance of the capture what was about to likely happen. I just don’t get it.
Britain has the same size Navy as Turkey They actually without US help cannot do anything.
Their country is occupied with enemy forces and they will NOT DO ANYTHING to save their troops other than talk.
Maybe after the Iranians hang a few Marines but not until then.
They are screwed.