Iran captures British Sailors

[Raymond Lin]

For all we know the west have agreed not to inspect their nuclear weapons program or some kind of prisoners got released in the background.

All in all Iran came out with the high road and all generous.

 

[zain]

Why is everyone so bitter? First the talk was lets go to war and now it has been resolved peacefully some people are still digging for negative comments.


Every country has its faults I am just glad it did not escalate in a world already full of wars, good stuff ^^

 

[scorza]

Why is everyone so bitter?

Maybe the British people don't like seeing their servicemen and women being used as pawns in Iran's global power games. By kidnapping British troops, Iran has engineered a win-win situation for itself.

 

[scorza]

Thanks, I didn't know that. There should be more science and engineering folk in politics generally. I wonder how many engineering or science PhDs are national presidents?

LOL, given the mess he's made of the Iranian economy (which everyone in Iran is now conveniently overlooking), I don't think he's quite the Engineering/Science poster boy you might think.

 

[zain]

Maybe the British people don't like seeing their servicemen and women being used as pawns in Iran's global power games. By kidnapping British troops, Iran has engineered a win-win situation for itself.

I closed out the political games in my comments because I was glad nothing happened, in all honesty that just sounds childish. The better person, which is suppose to be the USA/UK would walk away from this don't you think? I know that probably will not happen.

 

[scorza]

I closed out the political games in my comments because I was glad nothing happened, in all honesty that just sounds childish. The better person, which is suppose to be the USA/UK would walk away from this don't you think? I know that probably will not happen.

Trouble is we can't just walk away from it can we? We still have to get Iran to stop its nuclear weapons programme, and to help stop the insurgency in Iraq. Iran sure as hell isn't going to forget this incident.

 

[Breeze]

So in summary, they illegally take our troops prisoner, then are made to look like the good guys. :/

I fail to see how they come out of this well? They may do to some ***** in the middle east, but beyond that?

 

[Raider]

Well Iran played this perfectly.
They captured our soldiers, humiliated them and the UK on TV, then released them shortly after to avoid any hassle.

Iran - 1, UK - 0

The saddest thing is the complete lack of outrage in the UK. I guess that's what the Iraq war has done to the general public in the UK. I can't imagine this level of indifference if this had occured 5 years ago.

EDIT - Also is anyone not a bit shocked at how willing all of the UK troops were to go along with the whole show? I thought at least some of them would try to keep quiet until released. Unless they were threatened in a serious way, then I think it's a pretty pathetic show by the lads tbh.

 

[Digital Punk]

Well Iran played this perfectly.
The saddest thing is the complete lack of outrage in the UK. I guess that's what the Iraq war has done to the general public in the UK. I can't imagine this level of indifference if this had occured 5 years ago.

Indeed.
Had this been the other way around, I expect there would have been riots and flag burning on the streets of Iran, mass protests on the streets of London and 101 do-gooders protesting on TV about how disgusting we are.

EDIT - Also is anyone not a bit shocked at how willing all of the UK troops were to go along with the whole show? I thought at least some of them would try to keep quiet until released. Unless they were threatened in a serious way, then I think it's a pretty pathetic show by the lads tbh.

Well obviously we don't know the inside story, but I have to admit that I cringed when I heard one of the servicemen cheerily apologizing for trespassing in Iran's water.

 

[Johnnytoxic]

Indeed.
Had this been the other way around, I expect there would have been riots and flag burning on the streets of Iran, mass protests on the streets of London and 101 do-gooders protesting on TV about how disgusting we are.



Well obviously we don't know the inside story, but I have to admit that I cringed when I heard one of the servicemen cheerily apologizing for trespassing in Iran's water.

Id say whatever the hell would get me out of there. If you don't brownnose your an idiot maybe a brave idiot

 

[inferno]

Why on earth are these people on Iranian media still apologising?

The officers are meant to be setting an example, they should be ashamed of themselves. I don't think we would be seeing Iranian apologising to us. These guys are in the marines, I would have expected better...

 

[Stiff_Cookie]

Why on earth are these people on Iranian media still apologising?

The officers are meant to be setting an example, they should be ashamed of themselves. I don't think we would be seeing Iranian apologising to us. These guys are in the marines, I would have expected better...

I was thinking the same thing. I was watching the tube and one of the sailors/marines was having a conversation with the Iranian president and smiling. Now I am not a mean person but I will not have a casual conversation with the president of a country that sanction my capture and then paraded me on TV.

I wonder what information the Iranians were able to get from them.

 

[Vibez]

I was thinking the same thing. I was watching the tube and one of the sailors/marines was having a conversation with the Iranian president and smiling. Now I am not a mean person but I will not have a casual conversation with the president of a country that sanction my capture and then paraded me on TV.

I wonder what information the Iranians were able to get from them.

Nothing...

They're nobodies, low level service men/women, not high ranked military officers who know tactics/plans or anything. They were just doing their patrols, nothing else.

 

[meghatronic]

Why on earth are these people on Iranian media still apologising?

The officers are meant to be setting an example, they should be ashamed of themselves. I don't think we would be seeing Iranian apologising to us. These guys are in the marines, I would have expected better...

As the Iranians could backtrack. Wait until they'rer in the UK.... surely that's bloody obvious?!?!?

"I HATE IRANIAN PIGS DIE DIE DIE" is hardly appropriate when you're ABOUT to be released...

jeeeeez.....


I hope that none of you lot are ever held in a hostage situation. There is a time for bravado and a time for bending over to secure your release as the Government wasn't prepared to enter combat.

 

[VIRII]

Why on earth are these people on Iranian media still apologising?

The officers are meant to be setting an example, they should be ashamed of themselves. I don't think we would be seeing Iranian apologising to us. These guys are in the marines, I would have expected better...

They might even think that they were in the wrong, it is not as though they have been given any hard data other than the GPS the iranians gave them that "proves" they were at fault.

Either way antagonising your captors is hardly going to help you.

 

[Murf]

Well it turned out exactly how I said it would. Iranians huffed and puffed, then released the servicemen. Everyone in this country (media most definitely included) getting bent out of shape just made us look like morons.

 

[Ak!ta]

Glad to see that our people are comming home...

Can't help thinking that this whole thing was some kind of setup. We've been played big time, and made to look stupid on the world stage.
Iran have proved how uneffective the UN, EU and UK are.
I suspect this has more to do with "testing" the west's response, with regard to any future incidents concerning the nuclear question rather than terratorial boundries.


Iran 1-0 UK

 

[WJA96]

They might even think that they were in the wrong, it is not as though they have been given any hard data other than the GPS the iranians gave them that "proves" they were at fault.

Either way antagonising your captors is hardly going to help you.

You'll have to forgive me - but unless RN training has seriously gone to the dogs since I resigned my Commission, they knew exactly where they were. The RM might not have had a clue, but the Boarding Officer and Senior Rates would have known their position almost exactly for their activity reports.

They will have known they had no chance to fight it out (although if I know anything about Royal Marines that wouldn't necessarily have stopped them) and they will have had training about what to do if taken by extremists. They will almost certainly have been briefed about what happened the last time RM fell into the hands of the Iranians. I think they'll get a big BZ all round when they come home and it'll be a long time before they'll be allowed to buy anything in their Wardrooms or Messes.

 

[D4VE]

yeah Iran played it well, they showed they will defend their territory and they will not be "soft" if the coalition try to enter their land or try to stike nuclear facilities etc.

But who can blame them? America is always bossing everyone around, showing military might etc. Condoleeza Rice has critised just about every leader in the world.

Plus, the US are holding some Iranian officials in Iraq and I heard about something else which I cant recall.

Anyone stop to think that Britain and the US might be the bad guys and not Iran? Goodness knows how much is going on that we dont hear about.

Glad to see those people have been released though.

 

[NathanE]

Why are they being sent home? They should be sent straight back to doing patrols. Perhaps a video link with their families before hand though, just as a "gift" to them.