Does anybody know? Was everybody in IRAN today asleep during the Spring of 1982? Stop poking the lion or you will get bit. Haven't they ever read that famous line. "Cry Havoc and let loose the Gurkas of war"?

Their leaders must be in real trouble to risk twisting John Bull's nose to get support of the radicals. Especially with Bush Jr. already in the area and chomping at the bit. Is everybody insane?

This can only get very nasty Wendy, whatever the outcome. Iran really seems to be doing everything it can to provoke conflict with the West. Maybe that's what they want, and the radicals will then point the finger at us for starting it. I can tell you from experience, the Royal Marines will be ready to act on this and will straining at the leash. Nothing good will come of this for the ordinary Iranian.

I heard on the news today that Iran has said they might release the soldiers IF Britain admits they were trespassing. Britain of course have already published their proof of position using global positioning gadgetry. And the original position stated by the Iranians was not actually in Iranian water. Only when the Brit’s pointed this out did Iran revise the position! Of course, I’m British, I’m biased…
It does sound like provocation though, they just want to prove that the west is “wrong”, and perhaps are looking for bargaining tools for their nuclear/sanctions issues. No good can come of it, on either side.
Why such a fuss over a few hundred yards of water anyway?
Madness, lies, deceit, blackmail and childishness. It’s no way to run a country.
We’re all on the same planet, religion or place of birth shouldn’t matter, we are all earthlings in a vast universe.
Love and peace.
xx

Hopefully this situation will be resolved soon since the radicals in Iran are calling for trial and possible execution. I can't believe the Iranian leadership wants this because of the escalation it is likely to cause but it needs to find a solution to the issue without being seen to lose face.

I too hope these sailors get out ok, but it doesnt seem like Tony Blair's doin very much to help get them released( i may be wrong), but the longer they are there then it'll be all the harder to get them out. Me personally, i'd find out where the sailors were being held....then send in the best fighting force in the world, The good old SAS to get them out. I just get this feeling that this is what its gonna take to resolve this problem.....i really do hope i'm wrong but.....

LOL xxxxxxx
Anna-Marie

Anna-marie,

The problem is that you have to find them...then the other side may be set up and waiting for just such a rescue attempt. These things do not go well when the other side is ready. I fear it would require a far larger military action to get Iran's attention....the days of an Entebbe-style rescue are probably long past and the UK does not need a Mogadishu (Blackhawk Down)....and we are dealing with "crazy" people here. Remember the story of the frog and the scorpion.

Personaly I think Tony is doing the best he can and solve the situation without more military action. He's doing the right thing by trying deplomicy first. However I don't think deplomicy is working very well. We have two CVs (Cariers) in the area now doing drills. I tink one good low level flay over ba the F-14's and F-18's aught to do the job quit effectively to get the message across to Iran that we and the British mean business. Release the prisoners now or suffer the quinces. ( but I think the best was is to send in the Seal teams to get the prisioners out (if the U.S. and British are able to get a fix on their location that is).

Apr 5, 89 PM (ET)

By TARIQ PANJA

(AP) Some of the the 15 British service personnel released by Iran, board a military helicopter at...
Full Image

ROYAL MARINE BASE CHIVENOR, England (AP) - Fifteen Royal Navy crew members freed from Iran enjoyed their first night on English soil Thursday.



****

All's well, etc.

I don't know what made Iran change their mind but I'm gald they did. I don't know if it was the threat of military action aginst their country be the U.S. and British armies, navy and mariens, or if it was the threat of other factors what ever it was I'm glad it worked. I know that Iran said it was an early easter present, but knowing the middle east countries like I do I don't thik easter had anything to do with the prisioners being released.

Apparently the incident started during a period in which the central government of Iran was "on vacation" and they had to deal with a fait accompli. In addition, they came back to objections from sources they never imagined would speak out against them, like Syria. The pressure from "friends" seems to have had a great deal to do with the release of the seized Brits....after they milked it for propaganda purposes. They teased the bull but got out of the field before he charged.

I'm pleased the sailors and marines were released unharmed, physically at least. I do think there are one or two things that need to be taken note of here, though. Firstly, I think there was little doubt they would be released and probably would have been so earlier if the British Governments initial response had been a little more temperate. Britains ability to act militarily independent of the United States has all but ceased, so any physical response to this crisis was probably out of the question. The taking of the British military personnel was a deliberately provocative act on the part of the Iranians. They are trying to assert themselves from a very precarious position. Let's not forget that we illegally invaded Iraq and all but destroyed it in the process. Iraq borders Iran and is now occupied by a large heavily armed American army, a pretty scary prospect for a regime already described by George Bush as part of the axis of evil. Iraq is also home to an effectively autonomous Kurdistan. There are many Kurds in Iran who would like the same, something that is also worrying Turkey. Similarly, Afghanistan is also occupied and borders Iran. Iran is effectively hemmed in, it is isolated and has few friends internationally. Then of course we have the nuclear issue. We have nuclear weapons, indeed the United States is the only country to have used them in a military conflict, against a country that was defenceless against them and could not respond in kind. Pakistan has them, hardly a stable country: India has them also, and these countries are hardly the best of friends. More pertinently for the situation in the middle east, Israel has them. When you back a country up against a wall and restrict its options it will fall prey to the more radical and fanatical elements within it, and that's when conflict starts. I'm no friend of the Iranian regime and though I opposed the war in Iraq, I supported America's right to defend itself in Afghanistan. Sometimes war is necessary, to believe otherwise is both naive and dangerous, but every other avenue should be explored and exhausted before we resort to it. Like some of the other girls have mentioned already, I fear a major conflict may not be to far away. And it certainly doesn't help the situation when we are too parochial and refuse to see the bigger picture. I hope I still have some friends here after this, really I do. After all, this is forum for debate. Bye and a kiss for you all x