Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

[88Mariner]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

iran actually indicated that those troops were NOT in Iranian water, but rather in Iraqi water. Which, before they changed thier story, also confirmed what the British Gov't was saying. Saying you don't believe either country in this is moot. And while there is a valid point in bringing up the Geneva Convention, that is only a secondary issue at this time.

I'm beginning to think that the biggest threat to the West is not radical Islam, but moderate muslims who continue to say "yes, but".

[Morgan]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

If theres any doubt on the postion check with the master of the indian ship, i'm sure he'd know whose waters he was in when he was boarded. Iran is just playing games, they'll have to give them a some kind of show trial then expel them. Sort of face saving.

[88Mariner]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

i don't think Iran is interested in saving a face it doesn't have. My suspicion is that, whether they know they fvcked up or not, they'll try to milk the price of gas as high as it can be. Nothing does this like creating tension.

[thesightless]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

if they jail them in iran, i ran can count on losing a lot of infrastructure and citizens. say goodbye to the power plants, the main oil refinery, some airports, major higways, etc. and the UN should blockade everything going into and out of iran before anty attack, see if a noose around thier economy will shake em up. pathetic lot of people they are there.

[Miroslav]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

Iranian diplomat: No need to try Britons

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070402/ap_on_re_mi_ea/british_seized_iran

I'm guessing the Iranians are getting close to letting them go. I guess they'd planned this all along...they've had their fun and gotten their chance to try to make the West look bad and piss everyone off with a few threats, and now it's time to cut loose lest any real problems start to develop. All this of course coming from the same dude who last week was implying all sorts of legal threats.

Supposedly they said they'd also stop their ridiculous charade of broadcasting the UK troops reading made-up shit off of cue cards at gunpoint (the part you don't see on camera). Most importantly of all, Larijani made it clear that the Iranians are all business about this matter - no showmanship involved, no sir!

"Through sensationalism, you cannot solve the problem," he said.

what a fucking asshat.

[Morgan]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6520571.stm

The next 48 hours are critical says bliar.

[thesightless]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

well... they are gonna be released.

great.

england, here is the hankie to wipe the egg.

[subterFUSE]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

Look at the video of the hostages. They are wearing tailored suits. Seems like Iran had this whole release ceremony planned out ahead of time.

[thesightless]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

[88Mariner]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

i could be well alone on this, but having seen some of those pictures...i can only think that the british military is made up of a bunch of pussies. I can't wait to read the interviews on what occured....

[Miroslav]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

i could be well alone on this, but having seen some of those pictures...i can only think that the british military is made up of a bunch of pussies. I can't wait to read the interviews on what occured....

Do you really think those British soldiers actually had any choice in what they did and said in any of the pictures and videos you saw? I'm very curious to see what you will do differently next time you're caught by a bunch of armed Iranian soldiers who tell you what to do and threatening to shoot you in the nuts.

[Miroslav]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

Look at the video of the hostages. They are wearing tailored suits. Seems like Iran had this whole release ceremony planned out ahead of time.

the whole damn thing was planned out ahead of time.

It's not hard for the Iranian military to observe the Brits where they usually patrol and devise a plan to capture a few of them and parade them around.

They get to reinforce the perception to the Iranians and other Middle Eastern Muslins that the evil allies are trying to move in on Iran and their buddies. They get to make the Brits look whimpy and incompetent. They get to engineer ridiculous "interviews" to portray the Brits as meek and apologetic and the Iranians as mighty and righteous. Then they get to flex their muscle to the world and look brave as they threaten the Brits with jail time. They get to piss off the UK and a bunch of other people at the UN in the process and make them all look like a bunch of sissies.

Then Ahamadinejad gets to step in and grant them clemency and look like the ultimate nice guy in the eyes of his people and the rest of the Muslims.

The Iranians and other Muslims get to bond together and feel warm and fuzzy that Father Ahmadinejad has got his finger on the incompetent allied "intruders" and that Iran is powerful, just, kind, great and all that other horseshit.

It's one big fucking CIRCUS. And every last bit of it is FAKE.

[Localizer]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

^tell me what isn't a circus in life? Political strangleholds are played by everyone, thought I'm pretty sure Ah shit his pants when he heard 2 of our carriers were practicing off his coast.

[88Mariner]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

Do you really think those British soldiers actually had any choice in what they did and said in any of the pictures and videos you saw? I'm very curious to see what you will do differently next time you're caught by a bunch of armed Iranian soldiers who tell you what to do and threatening to shoot you in the nuts.

well i think we both agree that all of the written and oral communications were staged. But, my thoughts stem from they way they carried themselves in those pictures. I"ve never been kidnapped, but I probably wouldn't be smiling at any point during my detainment. I guess force and coercion can produce any sort of result you want...

[superdave]

Re: Iran captures British Forces at Gunpoint

I found the propaganda interesting the way the Iranian president was greeting the hostages. It's almost as if he was thanking them for visiting his country. I also noticed the nice clothes the British sailors were wearing. A definite PR and photo opportunity not to make the Iranians look so bad.

I can't think of a real winner in this whole thing. Iran proved they aren't afraid to defend themselves, but probably had pressures internal and external to release the hostages. Britian looked weak at the beginning, but fortunately prevailed in getting their sailors back.
It will be interesting to hear the sailors stories once they're free.

Not sure if I believe this, but possibly Iran isn't as irrational as we were led to believe. They did have the sense not to escalate things any further by keeping the hostages or killing them.