Iran 'seizes' 15 British sailors

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

LONDON, England (CNN) -- An Iranian naval patrol seized 15 British sailors who had boarded a vessel suspected of smuggling cars of the coast of Iraq, military officials said.

The Royal Marines and ordinary naval officers were believed to have been apprehended by up to six ships from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy who claimed they had entered Iranian waters.

British naval officials said the sailors, using small boarding craft, had completed an inspection of a merchant vessel in Iraqi waters when the Iranians arrived.

Nick Lambert, commander of the HMS Cornwall -- the frigate from which the British patrol had been deployed -- said a Royal Navy backup helicopter witnessed the incident.

The British defense ministry said that it was pursuing the incident "at the highest level" and Tehran's ambassador to London had been summoned to the Foreign Office.

There was no immediate comment from Iranian officials.

Lambert said the British sailors had been on a "normal, routine boarding" of a vessel that had aroused suspicions as it navigated the Shatt al-Arab waterway that marks the border between Iraq and Iran on the shores of the Persian Gulf.

British military patrols have been given authority to board vessels in Iraqi waters under United Nations mandate and with the permission of the government in Baghdad.

He said the captain of the merchant vessel had been cleared to proceed and the two British inflatable patrol boats were readying for departure when they were surrounded by the Iranian navy and taken into Iranian waters.

A U.S. military official who monitors the region told CNN that the seizure was made after a dispute over whether the British patrol was in Iraqi, international, or Iranian territorial waters.

An Iraqi fisherman told Reuters the incident took place in the Shatt al-Arab waterway that marks the southern stretch of Iraq's border with Iran. His account could not be immediately confirmed.

The British defense ministry said: "We are urgently pursuing this matter with the Iranian authorities at the highest level and on the instructions of the Foreign Secretary, the Iranian ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office.

"The British government is demanding the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment."

CNN's Aneesh Raman in Tehran said there had been no mention of the incident on Iranian TV and calls to officials had not been answered.

The U.S. military official said the British Royal Marines are believed to be unharmed. It was not immediately clear where in Iran they were taken. The U.S Navy in the Gulf said none of its military personnel was involved.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03...n.uk/index.html

[slim 1,525]

I wonder if 15 British Sailors and Marines is enough to trade for 6 Iranian "diplomats."

[almaty 19]

hmmm...there is bush's reason to start bombing iran

[mawilson 2,133]

hmmm...there is bush's reason to start bombing iran

British marines, Blair's reason?

[slim 1,525]

Blair's already done with Iraq.

He learned his lesson. There's no way he's going to do anything with Iran. Bush on the other hand.....

There was no threat to the U.S. from Iraq, so who cares if this one is only a threat to British folks? Remember, the 6 Iranian "diplomats" seized in Iraq were seized by "coalition" troops. Do you think they care if they're British or American?

The fact of the matter is, that at the current time, a military action against Iran, (other than perhaps a surgical strike with cruise missiles) is impossible for the U.S. as well. So, it'll be back to the table, or that sulfur-smelling podium at the U.N.

Good luck Condi. You're going to need it.

[almaty 19]

hmmm...there is bush's reason to start bombing iran

British marines, Blair's reason?

Our #1 allies...followed us into iraq ..it is bush turn to help out blair