Start of war? 15 Royal Marines and sailors seized by Iranians
- Thread starter CBC News
- Start date
I've been sacrificed, claims woman sailor in new letter
30th March 2007
• New letter 'from Faye' accuses Bush and Blair
• Marine 'confesses' to straying into Iraqi waters
• Blair 'disgusted' at treatment of detainees
Captured sailor Faye Turney says she has been "sacrificed" to the policies of the British and U.S. governments in a third letter released by her Iranian captors today.
The letter, addressed to the British people, also said that Turney had been treated well, unlike the prisoners held by the at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
"I'm writing to you as a British serviceperson who has been sent to Iraq, sacrificed due to the intervening policies of the Bush and Blair government," the letter said.
It comes just hours after her colleague, Nathan Summers, made a dramatic televised "confession" where he apologised for entering Iranian waters.
He was paraded on Iran's official Al-Alam channel and admitted crossing into Iranian waters and apologised to the "Iranian people".
Leading Seaman Turney made a similar admission in a letter earlier this week. However, the letters were believed to have been written under duress.
It raised hopes that frantic negotiations could be paving the way for the release of 15 Britons seized last week while on patrol on the Shatt al Arab waterway.
A Whitehall source said of Tehran: "They are looking for a way out."
Tony Blair however expressed "disgust" at the treatment of the captured British Royal Navy personnel by the Iranians.
Mr Blair said: "I really don't know why the Iranian regime keep doing this. All it does is enhance people's sense of disgust.
"Captured personnel being paraded and manipulated in this way doesn't fool anyone. What the Iranians have to realise is that if they continue in this way, they will face increasing isolation."
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this morning insisted that Britain must apologise for straying into Iranian waters (which Britain is NEVER going to do). There was speculation that the second confession may be enough to end the seven-day stand-off. It came after Iran appeared to open the way for an end to the crisis.
Captive: Leading seaman Faye Turney is displayed on Iranian TV during the hostage crisis
In its first formal communication, Iran said in a note that it would release the Navy and military personnel if Britain guaranteed not to violate Iranian waters.
The Foreign Office said it was giving the statement "serious consideration". Such a note was the start of the process which led to the release of Britons seized in similar circumstances three years ago.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that, as reported in the Iranian media, the Iranian government has sent a formal note to the British Embassy. Such exchanges are always confidential so we cannot divulge any details but we are giving the message serious consideration and will soon respond formally to the Iranian government." Rosemary Hollis, an expert on Iran at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, today said that it appeared that Russia had played a key role in persuading Tehran to be more flexible in return for blocking a strong UN condemnation.
Ms Hollis added that there was real hope of a breakthrough because the note appeared to have been written by the supreme leader of Iran, Al Khamenei, rather than president Ahmadinejad.
The United Nations statement, agreed late last night, expressed "grave concern" at the plight of the hostages.
The Foreign Office angrily condemned the broadcast of the latest pictures.
"Using our military personnel for purposes of propaganda like this is outrageous," a spokesman said.
The British Government has denied that the marines entered Iranian waters, and has provided proof to its leaders that the soldiers were in Iraqi territory.
READERS' COMMENTS
I keep commenting about the UN and keep asking the question: What is the point of the United Nations? If anyone does know could they respond. Thanks.
- John, Surrey
-----------------------
John, Surrey. The UN is as much use as the EU. A good talking but no action shop. Toothless tiger does not even come close when talking about the UN.
- Peter, Huddersfield
----------------------
I cannot understand why Britain needed to go to the UN. We do not need European help with issues like this. We have been to war for a lot less than this, and for once, although I deplore war and wish we could all live in peace I think the message to Iran should be clear. Give them back or suffer the consequences. These brave soldiers fight for this country, they follow there orders and abide by our rules. Can this country not protect them like they protect this country? By sending a clear message to Iran it would send a clear message to the world. We are not toothless, we have a bite, and we bite hard. For once can someone with power in this country please, for the love of god, take action?!
- Nick, Glossop
------------------------
We should agree that our ships and personnel will not enter Iranian waters, but also let it be known that any Iranian vessel entering Iraqi waters will be fired upon and blown out of the water by the Royal Navy without any warning.
As for the 'United Nations' (which it never has been), it is just as much good as the 'EU' (which equally does not really exist).
Neither organisation has done anything but count the bodies in Rwanda, the Balkans, Burma, Darfur, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Kashmere, North Korea, etc.
It is not the EU that has deterred conflict in Europe, but Nato.
What good are either the UN or EU?
- John Ford, Cambridge England
dailymail.co.uk
30th March 2007
• New letter 'from Faye' accuses Bush and Blair
• Marine 'confesses' to straying into Iraqi waters
• Blair 'disgusted' at treatment of detainees
Captured sailor Faye Turney says she has been "sacrificed" to the policies of the British and U.S. governments in a third letter released by her Iranian captors today.
The letter, addressed to the British people, also said that Turney had been treated well, unlike the prisoners held by the at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
"I'm writing to you as a British serviceperson who has been sent to Iraq, sacrificed due to the intervening policies of the Bush and Blair government," the letter said.
It comes just hours after her colleague, Nathan Summers, made a dramatic televised "confession" where he apologised for entering Iranian waters.
He was paraded on Iran's official Al-Alam channel and admitted crossing into Iranian waters and apologised to the "Iranian people".
Leading Seaman Turney made a similar admission in a letter earlier this week. However, the letters were believed to have been written under duress.
It raised hopes that frantic negotiations could be paving the way for the release of 15 Britons seized last week while on patrol on the Shatt al Arab waterway.
A Whitehall source said of Tehran: "They are looking for a way out."
Tony Blair however expressed "disgust" at the treatment of the captured British Royal Navy personnel by the Iranians.
Mr Blair said: "I really don't know why the Iranian regime keep doing this. All it does is enhance people's sense of disgust.
"Captured personnel being paraded and manipulated in this way doesn't fool anyone. What the Iranians have to realise is that if they continue in this way, they will face increasing isolation."
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this morning insisted that Britain must apologise for straying into Iranian waters (which Britain is NEVER going to do). There was speculation that the second confession may be enough to end the seven-day stand-off. It came after Iran appeared to open the way for an end to the crisis.
Captive: Leading seaman Faye Turney is displayed on Iranian TV during the hostage crisis
In its first formal communication, Iran said in a note that it would release the Navy and military personnel if Britain guaranteed not to violate Iranian waters.
The Foreign Office said it was giving the statement "serious consideration". Such a note was the start of the process which led to the release of Britons seized in similar circumstances three years ago.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that, as reported in the Iranian media, the Iranian government has sent a formal note to the British Embassy. Such exchanges are always confidential so we cannot divulge any details but we are giving the message serious consideration and will soon respond formally to the Iranian government." Rosemary Hollis, an expert on Iran at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, today said that it appeared that Russia had played a key role in persuading Tehran to be more flexible in return for blocking a strong UN condemnation.
Ms Hollis added that there was real hope of a breakthrough because the note appeared to have been written by the supreme leader of Iran, Al Khamenei, rather than president Ahmadinejad.
The United Nations statement, agreed late last night, expressed "grave concern" at the plight of the hostages.
The Foreign Office angrily condemned the broadcast of the latest pictures.
"Using our military personnel for purposes of propaganda like this is outrageous," a spokesman said.
The British Government has denied that the marines entered Iranian waters, and has provided proof to its leaders that the soldiers were in Iraqi territory.
READERS' COMMENTS
I keep commenting about the UN and keep asking the question: What is the point of the United Nations? If anyone does know could they respond. Thanks.
- John, Surrey
-----------------------
John, Surrey. The UN is as much use as the EU. A good talking but no action shop. Toothless tiger does not even come close when talking about the UN.
- Peter, Huddersfield
----------------------
I cannot understand why Britain needed to go to the UN. We do not need European help with issues like this. We have been to war for a lot less than this, and for once, although I deplore war and wish we could all live in peace I think the message to Iran should be clear. Give them back or suffer the consequences. These brave soldiers fight for this country, they follow there orders and abide by our rules. Can this country not protect them like they protect this country? By sending a clear message to Iran it would send a clear message to the world. We are not toothless, we have a bite, and we bite hard. For once can someone with power in this country please, for the love of god, take action?!
- Nick, Glossop
------------------------
We should agree that our ships and personnel will not enter Iranian waters, but also let it be known that any Iranian vessel entering Iraqi waters will be fired upon and blown out of the water by the Royal Navy without any warning.
As for the 'United Nations' (which it never has been), it is just as much good as the 'EU' (which equally does not really exist).
Neither organisation has done anything but count the bodies in Rwanda, the Balkans, Burma, Darfur, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Kashmere, North Korea, etc.
It is not the EU that has deterred conflict in Europe, but Nato.
What good are either the UN or EU?
- John Ford, Cambridge England
dailymail.co.uk
Last edited:
Making these sailors and Marines come out and make statements about being in Iranian waters and opposing the Iraq War is just a charade. When will silly nations like Iran learn that the world knows it is all hogwash and they aren't fooling anyone.
"The people of Iran are so compassionate"
"Please pull out of Iraq"
"We are sorry"
I am sorry these brave kids have to be in the hands of an immature backwards nation.
I still think the HMS Cornwall should not have left them that far out on the high seas w/o support.
"The people of Iran are so compassionate"
"Please pull out of Iraq"
"We are sorry"
I am sorry these brave kids have to be in the hands of an immature backwards nation.
I still think the HMS Cornwall should not have left them that far out on the high seas w/o support.
Now lets cover all the lies that Britian told that got them there in the first place and how "an immature backwards nation" does not apply to Britian itself.
Lets start with this one.
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Democratic_Committee_requests_deposition_from_Secretary_0330.html
"Claims that Iraq were seeking uranium from Niger were based on documents that were later proved to be forgeries, and caused ire among Democrats and others who felt the Administration had provided false information to Congress about Iraq in the lead-up to war."
You could also address th 1084 articles from this site.
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/project.jsp?project=iraq_project
You are saying Iran is lieing and add a few insults along with it. How can the UK publish a map that show maritime borders? You would need to reference to a map more than 20 years old.
Why was no action taken to mark a border after that same kind if incident in 2004?
In terms of much I care for the US/UK , the truth makes me like them more, lies make me like them less, it works the same way for personal relationships, tell the truth and we can keep in touch, lie and I just won't see you.
How should I feel about somebody who lied (and knew they were lieing when they spoke) and those actions have caused the events for another country that include this (amoungst many other things)?
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=HOR20070327&articleId=5200
"Iraq: Counting the cost
UK Ministry of Defence acknowledges civilian mortality at 655,000"
Course then I also believe developement should be instead of war, not something that comes after war.
Well in the first incident the British Marines were in the Shatal Arab Waterway and were indeed in Iranian Waters. Even the UK admitted it.
In this case the UK is saying they were not in Iranian Waters and the Iranians seized them on the high seas. Have you seen the video... not a spit of land visible, at least from the videos I have viewed.
The Iranians gave an original seizure location and when that was pointed out to be in Iraqi waters they changed the coordinate to 2 miles west of the original coordinates coupled with the threat...
"Britain Must Publically Admit that their Sailors and Marines were in our waters before we release them."
That means to me "Darn they got us... the only way to save face is to make them admit to our lie and use the prisoners as bargaining chips. Play on their emotions."
As a metaphor... an extreme metaphor at that...It is just like a gunman holding a gun to the head of a child and saying to the mother "Tell me you love me and I will let the child go."
From the photo I saw of the freighter beneath the hand-held GPS thingy it was not above the same freighter video clips have them boarding. They say the ship drifted abit while at anchor. The difference between the location shown on the thingy was .44mi from where they said Brits were 'taken'. Does every boat drift that much? Who is to say it only drifted that far?
How closely does the water boundry change in what the UK published and what Iran published?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U15a4IL4CE&mode=related&search=
This is exactly why women should not be allowed into combat.
Did they?
Have you seen the movie "Why we Fight"? It's a great movie.
So if there are no boundries, then what law is Iran claiming the British Marines broke?
How does that bullet in your foot feel?
This is exactly why women should not be allowed into combat.
Have you seen the movie "Why we Fight"? It's a great movie.Originally Posted by gopher
to sound like a real left winger, a containment policy would be a great excuse to further build the military industrial complex.
Conservative Republican Eisenhower was the biggest critic of the military industrial complex.
Did they?
So if there are no boundries, then what law is Iran claiming the British Marines broke?
How does that bullet in your foot feel?
That is where I got it from. I saw it on the program the passionate eye. It seem to be quite left biased and a little bit tin foil hattish. I was surprised to see such a program on CBC. However it is interesting that the orgins of the idea were put forth by a former president of the United Statees, “Dwight D. Eisenhower”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military-industrial_complex
The allegation is that there is too close a relationship between the government, think tanks and the politicians. If the United States had of taken out North Korea’s and Iran’s nuclear facilities, and won the war in Iraq, the military industrial complex would be harder to justify. A new cold war between Iran and the United States is the perfect justification to continue the military industrial complex. At the same time it empowers the radicals in Iran and increases their level of control.
So if there are no boundries, then what law is Iran claiming the British Marines broke?
How does that bullet in your foot feel?
Then on what basis do the British claim that they were in Iraqi "waters"?
Right back at ya ...
How does that bullet in your foot feel?
Then on what basis do the British claim that they were in Iraqi "waters"?
Right back at ya ...
```Why because he supports your argument?```
See his resume on his site for proof.
Right back at ya ...
See his resume on his site for proof.
Right back at ya ...
Safavi ... hates West
Picture: REX
Ga-ga Yahya out for revenge
By TOM NEWTON DUNN
Defence Editor
THE SUN
March 31, 2007
THIS is the crazed Iranian godfather of terror who ordered the kidnap of 15 British sailors and Marines.
Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi is the all-powerful chief of the Revolutionary Guards, the military fanatics holding our Royal Navy heroes.
Intelligence sources believe the kidnapping of 14 men and one woman last week could be Safavi’s revenge for a series of blows recently inflicted on him by the West.
His identity is revealed by The Sun amid outrage over further parading of the Brits on TV.
General Safavi, in his 50s, is answerable only to himself and is a religious zealot who hates Britain and America.
His Guards train and fund Shiite Muslim insurgents to kill British and US soldiers in Iraq.
But Safavi’s evil campaign received a setback in December, when a UN resolution froze all his foreign assets over his role in Iran’s quest for a nuclear arsenal.
Then in January US special forces arrested five of his top lieutenants in Iraq. And last month one of his key intelligence colonels defected.
Furious Safavi — an ally of hardline President Mahmood Ahmadinejad — is keeping the hostages at a Guards barracks in Tehran, while coordinating the propaganda broadcasts, and refusing to give anyone else access.
A Whitehall source said yesterday: “The Iranian Foreign Ministry is unable to answer any of our ambassador’s questions about the captives because they simply don’t know themselves. It shows who’s running the show.”
Another source added: “Safavi and the Guards have their own agenda for taking the Navy crew.
“They’ve taken some big hits, so it could well be revenge.”
Paraded ... Summers, left, Turney and Sperry on Iran TV last night
Picture: REUTERS
Significantly, a week before the Britons were grabbed, the Guards’ newspaper bragged they could “capture a bunch of blue-eyed, blond-haired officers and feed them to our fighting cocks”.
Tony Blair showed his revulsion yesterday as Iran again twisted the knife into the worried families of our sailors and Royal Marines.
TV footage was aired of another forced “confession”, this time from frightened young sailor Nathan Summers, 21. The video showed signs of editing, suggesting his words had been manipulated.
The PM said: “I really don’t know why the Iranian regime keep doing this. All it does is enhance people’s sense of disgust.
“Captured personnel being paraded and manipulated in this way doesn’t fool anyone.”
Crazed ... Safavi, left, with Iran's President
Iran claims the Brits, seized on two small boats on March 23 during a patrol from frigate HMS Cornwall, were in its territorial waters. Britain has proved they were in Iraqi waters.
Gordon Brown, on a visit to troops in Afghanistan, called the treatment of our sailors and Marines “inhuman and callous”.
The UN Security Council agreed a statement voicing “grave concern” at Iran’s actions.
And the EU warned of “appropriate measures”.
A third hostage paraded on TV was Royal Marine Adam Sperry, 22, from Leicester.
After seeing him in the footage his relieved uncle Ray Cooper, 49, said: “We’ve been really worried, but there was no mistaking that cocky grin. We feel better.”
Another hostage was named as Royal Marine Corporal Dean Harris, 24, of Carmarthen, Wales.
Three others have been named as Royal Marines Paul Barton, 21, of Southport, Merseyside, Danny Masterton, 26, from Muirkirk, Ayrshire, Scotland and Joe Tindell, 21, from South London
thesun.co.uk
lmao, I love it when you get backed into a corner.
The Brit's can claim they were in Chinese waters for all I care and apperently you feel the same, since you posted a matter of fact that there is no terratorial line drawn in this disputed area.
If as you say there is no terratorial boundries in the gulf, between Iraq and Iran, then Iran has illegally taken hostages and is in fact breaking international law.
Now seeing as you love to throw international law in the faces of those that support the US, I ask...
Why is it you are not calling for Iran to return these illegally taken hostages?
They were obviously not in Iranian waters, even by your own accounting.
You really should get that foot looked at.
This and your "kill them all and let Allah sort them out" comments, are the smartest things I've read in this thread.
This is simple math ladies and gentlemen. It is high time we showed the world that this silly **** is not tolerated and we need to act swiftly. Our resolve ie being tested and we need to prove that we are the right stuff. Britain needs to move on Iran now.
Attack while talks are still in motion. They won't see it coming. Move a large contingent against a predetermined point of entry, while a small elite group cross the border. Either by land or halo jump. Move on the target with extreme prejudice.
Why can't the west adopt the ideals of the IDF and when they say "No one gets left behind" mean it. It's more then just good for the movies.
I like the fact that most national press here in England has asked the question:
"What would Britain do 150 years ago?"
Ffact of the matter is...This wouldnt happen 150 years ago for the very same reason it's not US Navy service men and women taken....of course they all bang on about "Gunboat diplomacy"...how's that gonna work today?...Britain has a navy smaller than Belgiums!!.
"What would Britain do 150 years ago?"
Ffact of the matter is...This wouldnt happen 150 years ago for the very same reason it's not US Navy service men and women taken....of course they all bang on about "Gunboat diplomacy"...how's that gonna work today?...Britain has a navy smaller than Belgiums!!.
Aaaah that don't mean **** son. The limies got some spirit I tell you what. I ain't met one yet that was a wanker in battle. Hell you could half what they have in the way of a navy right now and I'ld still follow them into battle.
It's all in the spirit dude. Look at you canucks. Half assed army navy airforce and you all still kick ass when the **** hits the fan. Wish you all would get into the mix more offen. You canucks got more spirit in the heat of battle then any EU country aprt from the limies.