Iran Questioning Detained U.K. Troops

International Pressure Mounts As Tehran Threatens Legal Action Against Service Members

(CBS/AP)  Iran said Monday it was questioning 15 British sailors and marines to determine if their alleged entry into Iranian waters was "intentional or unintentional" before deciding what to do with them — the first sign it could be seeking a way out of the standoff.

The two countries continued to disagree about where the military personnel were seized Friday, with Britain insisting they were in Iraqi waters after searching a civilian cargo vessel and the Tehran regime saying it had proof they were in Iranian territory.

Britain's Defense Ministry said they were seized in the Shatt al-Arab, a waterway flowing into the Persian Gulf that marks the border between Iran and Iraq. But the dividing line in the waterway, known in Iran as the Arvand river, has long been disputed.

The Iranian emphasis Monday on the detainees' intent was a noticeable pullback from the certainty expressed Saturday by Iran's military chief, Gen. Ali Reza Afshar. Afshar said then that the 15 confessed to "aggression into the Islamic Republic of Iran's waters."

Other Iranian officials suggested afterward that the Britons might be charged with a crime — presumably espionage or trespassing — for knowingly entering Iran's territorial waters.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mehzi Mostafavi took a softer line Monday while saying that the 14 men and one woman were still being interrogated.

"It should become clear whether their entry was intentional or unintentional. After that is clarified, the necessary decision will be made," Mostafavi said.

Iran has refused to say where the captured Britons were being held or to allow British officials to speak with them, but assured the British ambassador to Tehran, Geoffrey Adams, that they were in good health.

CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports diplomats in London think the detained service members may be political pawns; part of an Iranian strategy to fight off the new sanctions.

Meanwhile, the leaders of Russia and China have called on Iran to fulfill the sanctions, which Tehran has rejected.

During an official visit to Turkey on Monday, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett called for Iran to allow access to the captives. "We will continue to press the Iranian authorities until the incident has been resolved with the safe return of our personnel and their equipment," she said.

In London, Iranian Ambassador Rasoul Movahedian was summoned to the British Foreign Office for the third time since the standoff began. Lord Triesman, Foreign Office undersecretary, again demanded the safe return of the detained personnel, the Foreign Office said.

There were fears in Britain that the fate of the 15 could get caught up in the political tensions between Tehran and the West, including the dispute over Iran's nuclear program and accusations of Iranian help to Shiite militants in Iraq.

In particular, there were worries Iran might seek to use the prisoners as leverage in trying to get the U.S. to free at least five Iranians detained in Iraq for allegedly being part of a Revolutionary Guard force that provides funds, weapons and training to Iraqi Shiite militias.

[patriotic9]

If you don't want these freedoms, there are plenty of Muslim Arab nations that will gladly accept your application for citizenship.


Posted by singinrick at 01:24 AM : Mar 27, 2007

singinrick
How dare you an ANTI-AMERICAN who believes in an ANTI-AMERICAN,RACIST and UNJUST GOD talking about freedom!
Your CHRISTIANITY has made United States and AMERICANS SLAVES,SERVANTS,PROTECTORS and DEFENDERS of the NON-AMERICAN EUROEPAN INVADERS IN PALESTINE
Why should we tolerate your ANTI-AMEIRCAN,RACIST and UNJUST GOD who RACIALLY DISCRIMINATES against Americans by not promising them a single penny while promising NON-AMERICANS a land in the MIDDLE EAST?
Why should Americans be treated as GOD-NEGLECTED and NON-AMERICANS as GOD-CHOSEN?
Why America should be treated as an UNHOLY LAND while some place not one of the US territories or states be treated as a HOLY LAND?
Why should GOD-NEGLETCED AMERICANS work day and night to pay tax to the govt and NON-AMERICAN GOD-CHOSEN ENEMIES OF YOUR GOD'S ONLY SON should have right to snatch more then $3B from the US tax payed money which results in HATRED,TERRORISM and 9/11 against our nation?
You can't use CHRISTIANITY as a TOOL TO FOOL the people of United States for a long time.

[patriotic9]

Don't bother listening to or responding to singingslick or lars (I think they're both two sides of the same psychosis myself)

They would be the perfect candidates for the new research study to determine

"WHETHER THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY RELIGIOUS BECOME PSYCHOTICS OR THOSE WHO ARE PSYCHOTICS BECOME VERY RELIGIOUS"

[patriotic9]

If you don't want these freedoms, there are plenty of Muslim Arab nations that will gladly accept your application for citizenship.



Posted by singinrick at 01:24 AM : Mar 27, 2007

Singinrick
If you don't like this freedom,if you want to snatch the freedom of HOMOSEXUALS to marry unlike HETEROSEXUAL CITIZENS,if you want to snatch the freedom of women to be TOPLESS IN PUBLIC while allow a man to run and jog TOPLESS in public (GENDER BASED DISCRIMINATION),if you want to snatch the freedom of women to choose abortion,these are the same ideologies just lke your RADICAL MUSLIM TALIBAN BROTHERS,there are plenty of muslim Arab nations that will gladly accept your application for citizenship.


-I should've guessed you are simply a college kid who's been brought up in a lawless society that no longer considers morals and values relevant to our culture

Dude,those European countries who believe in FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY,who allow women to choose prostitution as profession(they have controlled STDs much better then USA since PROSTITUTUES've to go through Medical checkup to get licensed),which grant freedom and equality to HOMOSEXUALS and allow them to marry just like HETEROSEXUAL CITIZENS,etc have much less of crime rate then USA.
It's better to see a NAKED BODY then to see a DEAD body.
You better move to Afghanistan,they sacrifice their lives for their cause just like your JESUS did.

[randalds]

Don't worry dude.I am channeling my point of views and you'll see great revolution in our counrty from University of Berkeley,University of Illinois,University of Wisconsin,etc in near future.
I gotta go for work early in the morning.Enjoy the pleasent weather tomorrow if you on the East coast.
Have a great night everybody.
Posted by patriotic9 at 10:40 PM : Mar 26, 2007

Don't bother listening to or responding to singingslick or lars (I think they're both two sides of the same psychosis myself). They're trolls and idiots. neither one of them can be talked to as a rational human being. Both are infected with the same disease, fanaticism.

Of course if you're just looking for the fun and exercise of kicking them around some then hey, more power to you. They are two of the blogs more popular clowns and jesters. Like the title of the movie says "That's Entertainment!".

[diplomacy3]

I hope Iran don't use those 15 sailors as human shield. The first half of next month is very crucial.

[feelfree1]

Correction-

"This seems looks it was an obvious provocation by the Coalition of the Killing."

Should be:

"This seems like it was an obvious provocation by the Coalition of the Killing."

[feelfree1]

Re: "Iran said Monday it was questioning 15 British sailors and marines to determine if their alleged entry into Iranian waters was "intentional or unintentional" before deciding what to do with them"

Good idea. This seems looks it was an obvious provocation by the Coalition of the Killing.

If the Iranians treat these captured soldiers humanely, and grant them a fair hearing, they have a good opportunity here, to offer the Bush team an important lesson in justice and fairness, especially following the recent abuse and joke trial of David Hicks at Guantanimo.

[radiob-2009]

Lars I forgot about Pakistan being a part of India originally.1800's started , and then in forties became a nation itself.Can't remember everything.

[lars008-2009]

Don't worry dude.I am channeling my point of views and you'll see great revolution in our counrty from University of Berkeley,University of Illinois,University of Wisconsin,etc in near future.
I gotta go for work early in the morning.Enjoy the pleasent weather tomorrow if you on the East coast.
Have a great night everybody.
Posted by patriotic9 at 10:40 PM : Mar 26, 2007

hahahahahahahahahaha why do you need a job when you are communist..... steal from the workers...... hahahahahahahaha capitalism is for workers..... communism is for dead beats..... lol

[lars008-2009]

Lars the fight is over Kashmir in India for control of it,Pakistani warlords, terrorist, Taliban, have waged attacks against it. A dispute over ownership of land.
Posted by radiob at 10:02 PM : Mar 26, 2007

it is bs, it is about fascist nazi islam.... all around the world they use terrorism to drive civilians away and then they say, we are the majority, we want independence, we want another fascist nazi islamic country.... that is how they stole pakistan from india and how they continue to steal land around the world......

[patriotic9]

Have you so much anger inside that you can't channel it somewhere else besides a silly message board?
Posted by singinrick at 10:20 PM : Mar 26, 2007

Don't worry dude.I am channeling my point of views and you'll see great revolution in our counrty from University of Berkeley,University of Illinois,University of Wisconsin,etc in near future.
I gotta go for work early in the morning.Enjoy the pleasent weather tomorrow if you on the East coast.
Have a great night everybody.

[radiob-2009]

hillaryin08 funny add a few republicans too.Agnew, Nixon,Reagan, and all of the candiates running for president on both sides of the political aisle.

[hillaryin08]

This Just In, we are going to trade Jimmy Carter, Algore, Bill Clinton and John "I was in Vietnam" Kerry for the British Hostages.

[radiob-2009]

Agnim That was a quote, describing Hindu religion.It is not mine. My doctor is a Hindu and one of the best around. She has her moral compass and her compassion for man, which was taught to her by her religion.Fascinating person actually.

[radiob-2009]

patriotic9 You see alot of these battles as being about religion itself, whereas I see them as being about power, land, control of assets. Religion has over it course regardless of the type of religion has been used as a excuse for power. It is not the teachings of the majority of religions that is offensive, it is the manipulation of the teachings that is offensive.

[agnim]

"When we think of the Hindu religion, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to define Hindu religion or even adequately describe it.
Posted by radiob at 10:05 PM : Mar 26, 2007"

That is because there is NO SUCH THING as Hindu religion!

So-called 'hindu religion' is just some childish western nonsensical representation of their ignorance about a foreign culture that greatly transcend anything they have known or can imagine!

[patriotic9]

radiob
Two different issues.I am talking about war between Hindus and Muslims in INDIA and you are talking about fight between India and Pakistan.
Kashmir is an issue created by the CHRISTIAN BRITISH HYPOCRITES to make Muslims and Hindus fight against each other,the same British who were the ones who brought EUROPEANS from different European countries into Palestine to occupy the land of those Palestinians by force who had nothing to do with the actions of HITLER.
CHRISTIANITY and CHRISTIANS are the source of all the EVILS and they always have been the number one supporter of RADICAL ISLAMIST whether it was REAGANS support to OSAMA BEEN-FORGOTTEN or BUSH giving US tax paid money to ISLAMIC RADICAL MALIKI.
British CHRISTIANS were the ones who divided India on the name of Religions.All the muslim leaders who supported Pakistan got their education form England including the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
British had come to the conclusion that Muslim majority areas should be Pakistan and Hindu Majority areas should be in India.When Kashmir which was a Muslim majority area was given to India in order to make Muslims and Hindus fight on a land for ever,fight started and it's still continued.

[radiob-2009]

In Hinduism, the cow is considered sacred and its protection is a recurrent theme in which she is symbolic of abundance, of the sanctity of all life and of the earth that gives much while asking nothing in return. Most Hindus respect the cow as a matriarchal figure for her gentle qualities and providing nurturing milk and its products for a largely vegetarian diet. Hindus do not worship the cow, yet it holds an honoured place in society, and most Hindus do not eat beef.


When we think of the Hindu religion, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to define Hindu religion or even adequately describe it. Unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one God; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one set of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion of creed. It may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more.

[radiob-2009]

Lars the fight is over Kashmir in India for control of it,Pakistani warlords, terrorist, Taliban, have waged attacks against it. A dispute over ownership of land.

[patriotic9]

hey do not consider a cow a GOD... it is considered sacred.... there is a difference.....
Posted by lars008 at 09:52 PM : Mar 26, 2007

They do consider COW a GOD just like MONKEY(HANAUMAAN JEE),ELEPHENT(GANAISH MAHARAAJ),SNAKE(NAAG DEWTA),etc.
There is a big RAT temple in the Indian city of Calcutta where they worship RATS.
Hindus are much smarter then CHRISTIAN PSYCHOS like you.Atleast they worship the GODs they have seen.
Do you have any proof whetheryour unseen God really exist and whether he is on Bush's side or Osama's side?