Has Iran humilated Britain...??

[Bright Spark]

Depends who you believe, but an armed snatch in foreign waters is wrong. Parading POWs on TV is against a number of conventions as is broadcasting them making statements. There is more.

Well at least the iranians did not sexually abuse them (Abu Graib) as far as we can tell, or kill any of them because the guards were bored.

Storm in a teacup this will be history in a few weeks time..... more
concerned with the build of US Forces in the area, and the capture
of UK soldiers is more related to this.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6376639.stm

[sasguru]

Yes. In spite of everything, Iran comes out of this looking silly. More interestingly, it also reveals the divisions within the regime - the pragmatists seem to have more clout than the hard-liners which is a good sign.
From what I've heard the youth in Iran are tired of revolution and just want cars, sex and the latest Western goods. Best thing America can do is flood the place with dollars - the regime would soon collapse from within.

[Cowboy Bob]

Depends who you believe, but an armed snatch in foreign waters is wrong. Parading POWs on TV is against a number of conventions as is broadcasting them making statements. There is more.

Whether they were foreign waters is a matter for debate.

As for parading POWs on TV, I've certainly seen footage of Iraqi POWs on TV, then there is the trial of Saddam himself, every moment was broadcast. People in glass houses and all that...

[wonderwaif]

Whether they were foreign waters is a matter for debate.

As for parading POWs on TV, I've certainly seen footage of Iraqi POWs on TV, then there is the trial of Saddam himself, every moment was broadcast. People in glass houses and all that...

Yes but you seem to have gone from 'Iran has done nothing wrong' to 'two wrongs make a right'

[Churchill]

We lost a lot of face.

Firstly, we're not at war with Iran so the captured navy personnel were if in Iraqi waters kidnapped, if in Iranian waters legally apprehended.

We were played for fools and acted predictably.

Needless to say there's probably a lot more that went on behind the scenes than we'll ever be made aware of.

Do I trust this (British) government? Nope, not on your nelly.

[sasguru]

We lost a lot of face.

.

Disagree totally. The Iranians look silly now. Looks to the world like they didn't have the strength of their convictions and bottled bringing them to trial.

[Churchill]

Disagree totally. The Iranians look silly now. Looks to the world like they didn't have the strength of their convictions and bottled bringing them to trial.

You are perfectly entitled to disagree. We've obviously interpreted events differently.

[xoggoth]

I don't blame people for saying what is required under duress but supposedly there was no duress so why did they fall over themselves with admissions and apologies? I suspect it was a case of "say this or you won't see your families for 20 years" Uncivilised behaviour. If there really was no duress most will be thinking, if these wimps are our armed forces, heaven help us.

Unauthorised actions by individual soldiers are not relevant, we are talking about actions by legitimate governments. Certainly, Gauntanamo was appalling, the US seem to have no idea that a major part of the effectiveness of any war (on "terror") is the propoganda and the Iranians seem to have a lot more grasp of that at least.

One hopes that the government will now be reviewing procedures and provision to ensure that any future Iranian attempt will be met by a suitably fatal response.

PS I am off to get myself captured by Iranians I could do with a new suit.

[Churchill]

I can't help but think that if a woman hadn't been present in the captured personnel that things may have turned out a little different...

[oloks]

Presumably, having apologised over and again for invading Iranian waters, these 15 service personnel will now be court martialled for causing an international incident?