Iran Watch: Are Seized British Troops Hostages?
A graphic locating the waterway where Iran seized British navy sailors. The United States Friday called for the release of a group of British sailors held by Iran saying they had been carrying out “routine” inspections in Iraqi waters.
Hostage fears over troops seized by Iran
Britain’s crisis with Iran deepened last night after Tehran justified seizing 15 British servicemen by claiming that they had strayed into Iranian territorial waters “illegallyâ€.
The announcement appeared to rule out any hope that the incident was a simple mistake that could be quickly rectified.
Instead, there were growing fears that the 15 British sailors and Royal Marines were victims of a deliberate ambush on the disputed Shatt al-Arab waterway by Iranian Revolutionary Guards, perhaps seeking to use the captives as hostages in the increasingly tense stand-off between the West and Iran over its nuclear programme.
Iran blamed Britain for the border incident. “British chargé d’affaires Kate Smith was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to receive a firm protest from Iran against the illegal entry of British sailors into Iranian territorial waters,†said a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran.
“This makes a number of times that British sailors have illegally entered Iranian territorial waters at Arvand Roud. They were arrested by border guards for investigation and questioning,†the statement added.
Iran may be biting off more than it can chew.
The United States and Israel are looking for any excuse to militarily neuter Iran’s nuclear program.
This may be it.
President Ahmadinejad canceled his appearance before the United Nations Security Council tomorrow. He claims it was because of the United States not issuing timely visas. This was denied by the United States State Department.
So, is Iran holding these Brits as a bargaining chip over their nuclear program and United Nations sanctions?
Iran is playing with fire – nuclear fire.
Iraqi coast guards patrol the waters off the Iranian Bou Chahr port in southern Iraq.
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5 Comments
Vigilante
This latest incident is just one more ‘tick’ in the ticking time bomb the world has had to endure since Bush and Blair illegally invaded and occupied Iraq.
Flap
The latest incident is just one more tick in the ticking time bomb since the Iranian Islamic Revolution and the overthrow of the Shah.
Remember the taking of hostages by Iran at the American Iranian Embassy on November 4, 1979?
Mark Vukovic
I am willing to personally go and KILL the Irainians that are part of this Militant regime. Enough is Enough. Pay my way and I will kill for free! My hate toward these Iranian terrorist grows day by day. Wake up people. The world is not safe with these types of regimes leading countries! Send in the death squad nand kill the S.O.B.
P.S. Democrats this is a reality check.
Hunter
Vigilante maybe you should know your history and international laws better before making retarted statements. As you recall after the first gulf war under a UN mandate (which is international law) Iraq was ordered to allow UN inspectors in yearly and they violated this multiple times. If you read the mandate it states that violation of this constitues military or economical retaliation. Plus sadam viloated many other aspects of the mandate. So the war was perfectly legal, maybe not well planned but it was legal. 2nd of all this has nothing to do with Irans unacceptable behavior. I love how when anything bad happens in the world it the US’s or Great Britains fault yet the world conviently forgets all the things the US and GB have done for the world. And on a final note the US and GB can pretty much do whatever they want if they feel there country is threatened regardless of international law, because lets face it no one can really do shit besides bitch. A good defense is a god offense.
Ellen
Are you the same Mark Vukovic or ran the underground newspaper in HS???
Kenmore????