Iran 'to release British sailors'

[Nbadan]

Iran 'to release British sailors'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says 15 British naval personnel captured in the Gulf will be freed.

He repeated allegations that the British sailors and marines "invaded" Iranian waters, but said they would be freed as a "gift" to Britain. (...)

BBC

Any chance the coalition (i.e. the US) will release it's captured Iranian Embassy staff? Didn't think so.

[Nbadan]

That Ahamdinoncrack is a card...

The Raw Story | Iran to release 15 British marines and sailors

According to an unofficial transcript of Ahamdinejad's statement acquired by RAW STORY, he said the following:

"I declare that the people of Iran and the Government of Iran in full power and given their legal rights to place on trial the military people, to give amnesty and pardon to these 15 people. And I announce their freeing and their return to the people of Britain. I request the government of Mr. Blair not to question these people or to place them on trial for speaking the truth and I request Mr. Blair, rather than to increase the international controversy or call for the occupation of other lands, to take them toward peace, truthfulness and justice to serve the people of England."

[Nbadan]

TEHRAN (AFX) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the British
government had promised in a letter not to repeat the incident which saw 15 of
its sailors captured for entering Iranian waters. Tehran claims they had intruded into Iranian waters, but the UK claims theywere in Iraqi waters.

"The British government, in a letter, has vowed not to repeat such incidents. But this release is not linked to this letter. It is due to Islamic goodwill," he told a news conference. It followed his announcment that the 14 men and one woman would be freed imminently.

Linky

British pussies..

[smeagol]

Any chance the coalition (i.e. the US) will release it's captured Iranian Embassy staff? Didn't think so.

You would make very good friends with some local leftists militant who hate the US as much as you

[ChumpDumper]

I think an Iran/Iraq summit aimed at settling the boundaries, which haven't been adressed properly since the Shah and Saddam talked about it, might be a good pretense for the US and UK to get some low level Iran diplomacy under their belts before taking on the big problems.

Better yet, we should just continuously put our sailors in the disputed waters and turn it into the Shatt al Tonkin.

Whatever.

[Nbadan]

Some people just love burying their heads in the sand, right Smeagal?

A botched attempt by the U.S. to abduct two senior Iranian officials on a visit to Iraq 10 weeks ago was the flashpoint for the current crisis in which detained 15 British troops in the Persian Gulf, the Independent reported.

The U.S. move happened on the morning of Jan. 11, when forces carried out a surprise raid on an established Iranian liaison's office in northern Iraq, the newspaper claimed.

• Click here to read the Independent report.

While the forces nabbed five junior Iranian officials, whom the U.S. still holds on accusations of being intelligence agents, the paper said the objective of the mission was to seize two men at the "very heart of the Iranian security establishment."

The current crisis began March 23, when Iran grabbed 15 British sailors and marines and claimed the crew was in Iranian waters. Britain insists its troops were in Iraqi waters working under a U.N. mandate.

Faux News

[xrayzebra]

Some people just love burying their


Faux News

Hey Dan, you are surprised that we are to blame. Wonder
how long before Pelosi get all the credit for getting them
released. Fox is already asking.

[Jimcs50]

Sailors are released.......to the chagrin of George Bush.

[Ocotillo]

Hmmmm, the Brits didn't have to nuke Tehran first? WTF?

[Nbadan]

Wha? No waterboarding?

* We were blindfolded and subjected to interrogation
* We were told we faced seven years in prison if we did not 'confess'
* Iranians entered Iraqi waters deliberately to detain us. Fighting back was not an option
* We were 1.7 nautical miles away from Iranian waters * We were under psychological pressure and mind games
* Faye Turney was isolated in a cell away from the rest of the crew
* Iranian state TV says crew's comments were 'dictated' by British Ministry of Defence
The British sailors released by Iran have today told how they were kidnapped and blindfolded and subjected to 'constant psychological pressure'.

The sailors and marines were told if they did not admit they had strayed into Iranian waters they faced seven years in prison.

Daily Mail

The horror....the horror...