15 British Royal Marines seized by Iran
hailhailkc
Posts: 582
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03/23/iran.uk/index.html
LONDON, England (CNN) -- An Iranian naval patrol seized 15 British sailors who had boarded a vessel suspected of smuggling cars off the coast of Iraq, military officials said.
The British government immediately demanded the safe return of its troops and summoned Tehran's London ambassador to explain the incident.
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 violated 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.
Commodore Nick Lambert, commander of the HMS Cornwall -- the frigate from which the British patrol had been deployed -- said the incident did not involve fighting or use of weapons.
"We've been assured from the scant communications that we've had from the Iranians at the tactical level that the 15 people are safely in their hands," he said.
The British defense ministry said that it was pursuing the incident "at the highest level."
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, a disputed waterway that marks the border between Iraq and Iran on the shores of the Persian Gulf. (Location map)
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.
Lambert said there is "absolutely no doubt in my mind" that the marines were in Iraqi waters. But, he said, "The extent and the definition of territorial waters in this part of the world is very complicated... We may well find, and I hope we find, that this is a simple misunderstanding at a tactical level," he said.
"There hopefully has been a mistake that's been made, and we'll see early clarification and early release of my people."
Lambert added that the marines were doing critical work, "protecting the oil platforms to ensure the economic future of Iraq."
He described the Iranian navy as "a multi-headed organization" that generally stays within its territory doing its business, "and we stay inside Iraqi territory doing our business."
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.
It was not immediately clear where in Iran the British personnel were taken.
There was a previous similar incident in 2004, when Iran stopped three British boats and seized eight sailors and six marines.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said at the time the three boats had crossed into Iran's territorial waters. The detained servicemen appeared on Iranian television blindfolded. They were released after Iran said it determined they had mistakenly crossed into Iran's waters. (Full story).
LONDON, England (CNN) -- An Iranian naval patrol seized 15 British sailors who had boarded a vessel suspected of smuggling cars off the coast of Iraq, military officials said.
The British government immediately demanded the safe return of its troops and summoned Tehran's London ambassador to explain the incident.
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 violated 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.
Commodore Nick Lambert, commander of the HMS Cornwall -- the frigate from which the British patrol had been deployed -- said the incident did not involve fighting or use of weapons.
"We've been assured from the scant communications that we've had from the Iranians at the tactical level that the 15 people are safely in their hands," he said.
The British defense ministry said that it was pursuing the incident "at the highest level."
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, a disputed waterway that marks the border between Iraq and Iran on the shores of the Persian Gulf. (Location map)
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.
Lambert said there is "absolutely no doubt in my mind" that the marines were in Iraqi waters. But, he said, "The extent and the definition of territorial waters in this part of the world is very complicated... We may well find, and I hope we find, that this is a simple misunderstanding at a tactical level," he said.
"There hopefully has been a mistake that's been made, and we'll see early clarification and early release of my people."
Lambert added that the marines were doing critical work, "protecting the oil platforms to ensure the economic future of Iraq."
He described the Iranian navy as "a multi-headed organization" that generally stays within its territory doing its business, "and we stay inside Iraqi territory doing our business."
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.
It was not immediately clear where in Iran the British personnel were taken.
There was a previous similar incident in 2004, when Iran stopped three British boats and seized eight sailors and six marines.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said at the time the three boats had crossed into Iran's territorial waters. The detained servicemen appeared on Iranian television blindfolded. They were released after Iran said it determined they had mistakenly crossed into Iran's waters. (Full story).
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Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
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routine0
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This could end badly, very badly0
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Posted at 10:45 am and still no bombing footage on CNN. Must not be a real issue at all.
You've changed your place in this world!0 -
macgyver06 wrote:routine
agreed..
Of course the US is trying to figure how to best take advantage of it.0 -
dangerboy wrote:i was wondering how long that would take...
surprised no one has accused neo-cons wearing iranian disguises
bush did it
Well certainly you should expect that from a president that has repeatedly shown can not be trusted.
A president incidentally who chooses not to speak to Iran.0 -
Abuskedti wrote:Do you think the Marines wandered into Iranean waters?
Maybe an Iranian civilian airliner will get shot out of the air by mistake, again. You've changed your place in this world!0 -
even flow? wrote:Maybe an Iranian civilian airliner will get shot out of the air by mistake, again.
There was something in the article that said Huggie Bear happened to be rowing a canoe and witnessed that they were clearly in Iraqi waters.0 -
Abuskedti wrote:There was something in the article that said Huggie Bear happened to be rowing a canoe and witnessed that they were clearly in Iraqi waters.
That was Bill Self rowing the boat, after another Kansas victory...which you should be familiar with, since Self beat Texas twice this year...and I believe Bill Self witnessed that you were leading the raid on the Royal Marines while chanting "Terrorism no exist unless America do something, then terrorists are real and called American white people!!!"MOSSAD NATO Alphabet Stations (E10)
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Low Traffic CIO MIW
Non Traffic ABC BAY FDU GBZ HNC NDP OEM ROV TMS ZWL0 -
dangerboy wrote:i was wondering how long that would take...
surprised no one has accused neo-cons wearing iranian disguises
bush did it
He's a terrorist sympathizer / apologist, I didn't think it would take long either.MOSSAD NATO Alphabet Stations (E10)
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Low Traffic CIO MIW
Non Traffic ABC BAY FDU GBZ HNC NDP OEM ROV TMS ZWL0 -
i post the same thing... before anyone and no one cares... hailhail posts and everyone is all over it... :( lolDOWNLOAD THE LATEST ISSUE OF The Last Reel: http://www.mediafire.com/?jdsqazrjzdt
http://www.myspace.com/thelastreel http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=196043279650 -
darkcrow wrote:i post the same thing... before anyone and no one cares... hailhail posts and everyone is all over it... :( lol
The title for your thread was too sensationalistic.0 -
London 1996 Cardiff 2000 Paris 2006 and London 2007.0
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Good thing we are one of the good countries. The respect we've earned coupled with the good relationship we have with the international community will surely come in handy at a time like this.0
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Abuskedti wrote:Good thing we are one of the good countries. The respect we've earned coupled with the good relationship we have with the international community will surely come in handy at a time like this.
How would it "come in handy" at a time like this?0 -
farfromglorified wrote:How would it "come in handy" at a time like this?
hmmm, let's see...
perhaps a unified front against Iran and the shit they are pulling...perhaps russia and china helping to turn the screws on them, rather that sitting back and thinking "well, you got yourself if, get yourself out"....
you know, stuff like that....0 -
inmytree wrote:hmmm, let's see...
perhaps a unified front against Iran and the shit they are pulling...perhaps russia and china helping to turn the screws on them, rather that sitting back and thinking "well, you got yourself if, get yourself out"....
you know, stuff like that....
You mean like China and Russia's recent votes in the Security council against Iran? Stuff like that?0 -
farfromglorified wrote:How would it "come in handy" at a time like this?
We could discuss the situation with Iran. Learn what they are after. We need them badly in Iraq - and we don't even talk to them.
You do understand the value of communication between two parties with conflicting interests?0
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