Iran seizes U.K. troops=The 15 sailors are back home

[Nimbus]

Some of the UN sanctions against Iran open the door to maritime inspections. Although these inspections are targeted specifically for nuclear technology I'm sure Iran feels they could be abused and impair Irans general shipping.

This whole thing is really pretty transparent, in a way i'm glad it started with a non violent incident. If Iran does have some damning evidence don't expect them to reveal it too soon. It is strategically wiser for them to wait and troll their opponents.

[Cryomaniac]

I am sure they will be released as the sailors were in 2004,

I wouldn't count on it. The fact that one of the Brits is a woman really doesn't help.

but it does make me think that Iran is looking for a fight.

I agree, and frankly I don't know how many slaps in teh face it they'll have to give beofre someone, in the words of my brother, "flips and starts throwing furniture".

[lurkey]

Iran to try Britons for espionage

Britons detained in Iraqi waters, says fisherman

[HURAKAN]

Iran to try Britons for espionage

That's not good at all. It's certainly not what England is expecting from this developing conflict.

[Chacor]

How is it legally possible to try someone arrested illegally?

[Brent]

Iran has accused Britain of "blatant aggression" and says 15 British sailors seized at gunpoint have confessed to crossing into Iranian waters, escalating tensions between the two countries.

It sure looks like Iran is looking for a fight here. I was thinking this wasn't a big deal but now I'm not so sure, especially if Iran wants to try them for Espionage, what?

[Janie2006]

How is it legally possible to try someone arrested illegally?

Logically, it shouldn't be. However, its never stopped anyone before.

[BUD]

If this happen 20years ago this would been a act of war!!!!!!!

[P.K.]

Ok this is getting more serious now.

British requests for access to 15 Royal Navy personnel held by Iran have been denied, the UK has said.

Sure if we had done the same thing to them, that is although it looks like they were still in Iraqi waters, they would be threatening war!

[Cryomaniac]

If this happen 20years ago this would been a act of war!!!!!!!

It damn well should be now. Maybe give them a couple more days, but after that...

[Nimbus]

This morning it appears the Iranians will either have to come up with some hard evidence that the Britons were involved in an illegal operation or else admit that they engineered a hostage situation.

Professor Sadaq Ziba-Kalam, of Tehran University, told BBC News 24 he did not think they would be charged with spying.

"That part of the water between Iran and Iraq where the incident happened has been disputed for decades," he said.

"So it is very difficult to draw the line and say this is the Iranian side of the border and this is the Iraqi side of the border."

Yet

According to a seasoned Iraqi witness the brits were operating on the Iraqi side of the Shatt al arab waterway which is simply divided down the middle.


Anyone care to post a Google Earth photo of the Shatt al arab waterway to see where the Iraqi ships typically anchor?

[sunny]

Ok this is getting more serious now.

British requests for access to 15 Royal Navy personnel held by Iran have been denied, the UK has said.

Oh, I don't like the sound of that P.K. What is the feeling over there on how the U.K. should handle this? I don't trust Iran at all.

[Yarrah]

The media's reporting here that Iran wants to trade the 15 Royal Navy personnel for Iranians who have been captured in Iraq. Iran says that they were diplomats, but the US said they were supporting the civil war.

[streetsoldier]

The media's reporting here that Iran wants to trade the 15 Royal Navy personnel for Iranians who have been captured in Iraq. Iran says that they were diplomats, but the US said they were supporting the civil war.

Yes, I read about that; the Iranians being held are six Revolutionary Guard officers ("diplomats", my royal blue *expletive unwritten*) who are suspected of supplying the Shi'a militias and training them.

[P.K.]

The media's reporting here that Iran wants to trade the 15 Royal Navy personnel for Iranians who have been captured in Iraq. Iran says that they were diplomats, but the US said they were supporting the civil war.

That would suggest our people have simply been the subject of a planned kidnap then which surely is an act of war?

General feeling over here, well I'm certainly not impressed at all with Iran. There were some responses posted to the BBC website here yesterday before any of today's news was out.

[Derek Ortt]

CNN is reporting that Tony Blair is now calling thsi very serious

Britain and us CANNOT allow this to stand, it may only embolden Iran to do things far worse than this in the future (like our weak response to Mogadishu (sp) only emboldened Al Queda

[P.K.]

Iran's detention of 15 Royal Navy personnel is "unjustified and wrong", Prime Minister Tony Blair has said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6493391.stm

[Nimbus]

As they say in Texas without hard evidence its like argueing steak sauce at a bar b que. You know the winner won't be store bought.

[cycloneye]

Above is the area of water that is in dispute between Iran and Iraq.The red dotted lines are Iraqui waters and the U.K. ship was operating there.Unless the ship went out of the Iraqui waters briefly,something Iran claims the ship was in Iran waters.

[Stephanie]

The media's reporting here that Iran wants to trade the 15 Royal Navy personnel for Iranians who have been captured in Iraq. Iran says that they were diplomats, but the US said they were supporting the civil war.

This is all a well-thought out plan by the Iranians between anticipating what the UN vote would turn out to be, stirring up the pot in the Iraq war and conditioning the release of the 15 Royal Navy personnel on the release of prisoners taken by the US in the Iraq war. I think that they were just looking for the right moment to do something like this.