Seizure of British troops

[Trooper]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/...ranbritCND.php

Iranian forces seized 15 members of the British Royal Navy at sea in the Gulf today, after the British sailors boarded an Iranian merchant ship for an inspection, the British Ministry of Defense said.

The British sailors had just finished the inspection when they were surrounded by Iranian vessels and escorted into Iranian waters, the British Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Are they trying to start something or did those seaman do something wrong?

[Atomic Dog]

This happened in 2004 when 8 british soldiers were detained and released. I'm worried that the Bush administration will use this as more fuel for their fires of propoganda to go to war with Iran. People shouldn't jump the gun yet and assume this as a hostile action. I'm just waiting and watching to see how this unfolds. In the past these situations with Iran were settled smoothly with little tension.

Here's a link from CNN to the article in 2004:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/....uk/index.html

[secret.squirrul]

I wonder why they detained them. And how?

[PanzerHans]

From what is in the news in Europe it seemed the British sailors had navigated into Iranian territory. The coastguard intervened and detained them.

[Kerostasis]

Well, Iran is saying they were in Iranian waters, but Britain is insisting they were in Iraqi waters. Same with the 2004 incident.

[War.mongeR1]

Hmm. Messing with the British navy doesn't seem too wise. They have one of the most respectable navies in the world. But, I'm sure this is just another international incident and will defuse in the near future.

[Trooper]

Originally Posted by War.mongeR1

Hmm. Messing with the British navy doesn't seem too wise. They have one of the most respectable navies in the world. But, I'm sure this is just another international incident and will defuse in the near future.

I truely hope so. Iran has every right to detain them if in their waters, i just dont want, like someone said, parties to use this to hold against iran. Iran has enough trouble right now they dont need to stir up more. Hopefully it was just an honest mistake.

[Atomic Dog]

Well, it was the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that detained them and not the Iranian Navy proper. Two totally different branches of their military. The Revolutionary Guard has been described as the "loose cannon" of that area. They sometimes act without any authority from the Iranian President. I'm sure they're still accountable to someone somewhere, but this may just be a case of the head not knowing what the tail is doing.

[Kerostasis]

"Plausible Deniability".

[Trooper]

Reading more into this it sounds like British marines and sailors are patrolling the oil rigs out at sea. They stop a Japanese merchant ship and then the Iranians take control of the situation because they say they where in Iranian waters. But both US and UK intelligence say it was definitely Iraqi waters and its the Iranians that where trespassing and should be detained.

[PanzerHans]

They wold of course say that they were in Iraqi water. There is no way they would admit to either having performed an error in navigation or intentionally going into the national territory of Iran.

[El_Gringo_Grande]

I heard the waters they where in have been in dispute for a while. Iran says they are theirs, Iraq theirs.

[xTYBALTx]

Indeed, Panzer, indeed.

[Trooper]

Originally Posted by El_Gringo_Grande

I heard the waters they where in have been in dispute for a while. Iran says they are theirs, Iraq theirs.

The trouble is Iran doesnt recognize them as Iraqi waters, only Iranian. But if British marines and sailors have been in those waters for years why now do they decide to do something about it.

[Atomic Dog]

Originally Posted by Trooper[SNPR]

The trouble is Iran doesnt recognize them as Iraqi waters, only Iranian. But if British marines and sailors have been in those waters for years why now do they decide to do something about it.

This happened in 2004 when 8 British sailors were detained in Iran for the same reasons. The area's been in dispute for some time. Situations like this are unavoidable.