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-   -   Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors (https://www.cableforum.uk/board/showthread.php?t=13798)

punky 21-06-2004 17:54
Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._british_ships

Err... This doesn't look good.... :erm:

Paul K 21-06-2004 18:02
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & People
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._british_ships

Err... This doesn't look good.... :erm:
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBC
A spokesman for Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the vessels had entered Iranian waters without permission.

A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, Hamid Reza Asefi, said the three vessels had entered Iranian waters on Monday morning.

"Iran's naval forces, acting on their legal duty, confiscated the vessels and arrested the crew," he added.

An Iranian military spokesman said the boats were being escorted to shore, where an investigation would be conducted.

He indicated they could be freed soon if the inquiry showed there had been no malicious intent.
Hopefully they will embarrass the necessary people into apologising for not asking permission to enter the area they were caught in and then the boats and more importantly the crews will be released.
Looks like someone was flexing their muscles a bit.

punky 21-06-2004 18:13
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & People
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul
Hopefully they will embarrass the necessary people into apologising for not asking permission to enter the area they were caught in and then the boats and more importantly the crews will be released.
Looks like someone was flexing their muscles a bit.
I really doubt we would have deliberately gone in there without permission. We aren't crazy. I reckon our maps probably didn't tally with Iran's and it was a mistake.

That BBC report seems a bit softer though. Makes the situation sound a bit less worrying, which is nice.

Paul K 21-06-2004 18:17
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Don't think we don't push our luck when we think we can get away with it, it's more than likely just a ****-up or mis-communication but none the less its more than a little embarrasing for the people in charge :(

Earl of Bronze 21-06-2004 18:24
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Sounds like the commander of three rigid's couldnt read there map's, got lost, and now 8 Jack Tar's are having the cr@p scared out of them.

A bit embarrasing, but these things happen all the time. Just think back a couple of years. Bunch of Cabbage Hat's landed on the wrong beach, ended up in Spain instead of Gib. :dunce:

punky 22-06-2004 12:09
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Update: They are being prosecuted.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...d=540&ncid=716

God knows what punishment they'll get. Iran isn't renowned for its leniency. I saw a bit of the BBC report last night. They made out that not even Iran and Iraq knew where the border was. The best they could say was "between these two towns", 1km apart. They raised the good point that they could have been chasing criminals.

This really doesn't look good though now.

Chris 22-06-2004 12:23
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
Update: They are being prosecuted.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...d=540&ncid=716

God knows what punishment they'll get. Iran isn't renowned for its leniency. I saw a bit of the BBC report last night. They made out that not even Iran and Iraq knew where the border was. The best they could say was "between these two towns", 1km apart. They raised the good point that they could have been chasing criminals.

This really doesn't look good though now.
One thing is certain, they're not going to end up in some smelly Iranian jail. The Iranians don't like us very much but they can ill-afford that kind of dent in their international standing. This is just further muscle-flexing. There will probably be a show trial, leading to some appalling sentence, and at that point, they will be handed over as a 'sign of good will'. :rolleyes:

I say we storm in there and get them out ourselves, and show those tinpot 'Revolutionary Guards' how the job is done. ;)

dr wadd 22-06-2004 12:36
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
They raised the good point that they could have been chasing criminals.
As far as I know that wouldn`t make a difference, if that were the case then the criminals would have gone into a different jurisdiction where the British military had no rule.

Earl of Bronze 22-06-2004 12:54
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by towny
I say we storm in there and get them out ourselves, and show those tinpot 'Revolutionary Guards' how the job is done. ;)
Who's this 'WE' there pale-face. You suddenly deciced to do you're bit then towny. ;) :) :p:

Ramrod 23-06-2004 15:58
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Marines released
Quote:
Eight British Marines detained for illegally entering Iranian waters have been freed, the Iranian foreign ministry said today,
"The eight British sailors, including six soldiers and two ranking military officials, have been released," a spokeswoman said.
While they were no longer being detained it might be an hour or so before they were handed to British authorities, she added.
Meanwhile the three boats they arrived on would be kept.

dr wadd 23-06-2004 16:27
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Perhaps the whole thing was a blag to get three free patrol boats? ;)

punky 23-06-2004 16:31
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Well, thank God that is over. I must admit, it wasn't looking good. Blindfolded looking very uneasy, being forced to read from scripts, etc. And now they have seized our equiptment.

With what was initially, technically know as a "pr**k-waving exercise" from the Iranian government, they really decided to push their luck. Considering all the help we gave them after their last eqarthquake, you would have thought we deserved more respect. Given everything else (Iran is alledgley sitting on the border with Iraq taking pot-shots at us whenever they like, their well-known for support for both rogue terrorist groups and organised millitant shi'ite groups in Iraq). I'm wondering what would be best to do. Severing ties would be nice, but I doubt it will punish them as much as we like. Maybe going after them through the UN and IAEA with a renewed vigour. Make their lives as difficult as possible. Or is it better just to let it go and pretend it hasn't happened?

Personally, I think Iran taking pot shots at the UK from across the border is a declaration of war. But they know we have our hands full atm and can't even think about responding.

Chris 23-06-2004 16:38
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
Well, thank God that is over. I must admit, it wasn't looking good. Blindfolded looking very uneasy, being forced to read from scripts, etc. And now they have seized our equiptment.

With what was initially, technically know as a "pr**k-waving exercise" from the Iranian government, they really decided to push their luck. Considering all the help we gave them after their last eqarthquake, you would have thought we deserved more respect. Given everything else (Iran is alledgley sitting on the border with Iraq taking pot-shots at us whenever they like, their well-known for support for both rogue terrorist groups and organised millitant shi'ite groups in Iraq). I'm wondering what would be best to do. Severing ties would be nice, but I doubt it will punish them as much as we like. Maybe going after them through the UN and IAEA with a renewed vigour. Make their lives as difficult as possible. Or is it better just to let it go and pretend it hasn't happened?

Personally, I think Iran taking pot shots at the UK from across the border is a declaration of war. But they know we have our hands full atm and can't even think about responding.
Well firstly I should say I'm glad it's over, and all without Earl having to kit me out in SAS gear and march me over the border in a daring attempt to rescue these guys. ;)

Secondly - this is the first I've heard about Iranian soldiers shooting at the British army in Iraq. D'you have a link by any chance? That's really quite worrying.

punky 23-06-2004 17:08
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by towny
Secondly - this is the first I've heard about Iranian soldiers shooting at the British army in Iraq. D'you have a link by any chance? That's really quite worrying.
I can't rememeber where I initially heard it. I have found this, but which is pretty good, but i'll keep looking and try find a source that is a bit better.

Well apparently the report, even though the site is on is a little biased, is allegedly from AFP. I can't search the AFP site, but they are probably as reliable as AP or Reuters, aren't they?

Chris 23-06-2004 17:13
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
I can't rememeber where I initially heard it. I have found this, but which is pretty good, but i'll keep looking and try find a source that is a bit better.
:Yikes:

Mind you, that was back at the beginning of the war, hopefully it's calmed down a bit now - although the arrest of the British soldiers, set in that context, is worrying. Who's to say they really had strayed over the border? Many recent reports have said that nobody is entirely certain where the border is.

punky 23-06-2004 17:22
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by towny
:Yikes:

Mind you, that was back at the beginning of the war, hopefully it's calmed down a bit now - although the arrest of the British soldiers, set in that context, is worrying. Who's to say they really had strayed over the border? Many recent reports have said that nobody is entirely certain where the border is.
True, but i'm sure the pot-shots are more recent. Either I mis-read the 2003 as 2004, or there are more recent reports out there.

I think Iran wanted to engage in "pr**k-waving" (sorry ladies. I need a better phrase for it). It wouldn't suprise me if they seized the boats from within Iraq. Noone knows where the border is and there are no signposts around there.

Needless to say if we were going to invade Iran, we would have used more than 3 rubber dinghys, 8 sailors, side arms, a couple of sub machine guns and night vision goggles.

Theodoric 23-06-2004 18:47
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by towny
One thing is certain, they're not going to end up in some smelly Iranian jail. The Iranians don't like us very much but they can ill-afford that kind of dent in their international standing. This is just further muscle-flexing. There will probably be a show trial, leading to some appalling sentence, and at that point, they will be handed over as a 'sign of good will'. :rolleyes:

I say we storm in there and get them out ourselves, and show those tinpot 'Revolutionary Guards' how the job is done. ;)
I'd agree. They know that Straw and, to a greater extent, the EU are trying to mend fences with them. Poking us in the eye isn't in their interests. Unfortunately, the Iranian government is divided between the strong conservatives and the weak liberals.

Ramrod 01-07-2004 12:40
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
The plot thickens
Quote:
Eight British servicemen claim they were "forcibly escorted into Iranian territorial waters" before being taken captive, the defence secretary has said.
Geoff Hoon said the six Royal Marines and two Royal Navy sailors maintained they had been operating in Iraq's waters and had not strayed into Iran's.
:erm:

punky 01-07-2004 13:06
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramrod
Not suprised.... Not suprised.....

Chris 01-07-2004 13:15
Re: Iran Gov't Seizes Royal Navy Boats & Sailors
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by punky
Not suprised.... Not suprised.....
Certainly adds weight to your suggestion that the Iranians have been looking for trouble. :erm:


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