U.N. Calls On Iran To Free Britons

Security Council Expresses "Grave Concern" Over Capture Of British Sailors, Calls For Early Resolution

(CBS/AP)  The U.N. Security Council expressed "grave concern" Thursday over the capture of 15 British sailors and marines and called for an early resolution of the problem, including their release.

Britain failed to win support for a stronger statement deploring weeklong Iran's detention of the Britons and calling for their immediate freedom, primarily because of Russian opposition.

Britain sought Security Council help as Iran rolled back on its promise to release Faye Turney, the sole woman among the captives, and a senior Iranian official suggested all 15 Britons might be put on trial.

Instead of freeing Turney as promised, Iran released another letter from her admitting the British sailors violated Iranian territorial waters, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

According to U.S. intelligence, there is chaos in Tehran over what to do with the hostages. But for now they are under control of the Revolutionary Guard, and that is bad news.

"These people are so hard-line I think it doesn't even merit the word 'hard-line," said Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "They're way beyond that."

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to allow a Turkish diplomat to meet with the British captives and also urged the release of Turney, Iranian state television reported.

British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett condemned Iran's use of Turney for what she called "propaganda purposes," calling it "outrageous and cruel."

The standoff and broader tensions in the Persian Gulf region helped fuel a spike in world oil prices.

Also Thursday, Iranian TV broadcast about five seconds of video it says was of the operation that seized the British sailors and marines. In the video, a helicopter is shown hovering above inflatable boats in choppy seas. Then, the British seamen and marines appear seated in an Iranian boat.

The video showed a coast guard officer identified only as Col. Setareh, who displayed a GPS device purported to belong to the British crew. He said it proved the British had "violated Iranian waters" several times before they were detained.

The British draft language sent to the Security Council was in the form of a press statement. The text circulated to the 14 other council members said: "Members of the Security Council deplore the continuing detention by the government of Iran of 15 (United Kingdom) naval personnel."

It added that the British crew was "operating in Iraqi waters as part of the Multinational Force-Iraq under a mandate from the Security Council under resolution 1723 and at the request of the government of Iraq" and it called for their "immediate release."

A press statement is the weakest action the Security Council can take, but must be approved by all council members.

The council diplomats said informal discussion of the British proposal indicated the issue of where the incident took place raised problems for some council members, including Russia. Some members also want to hear the Iranian side, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.

Britain said its sailors and marines were seized Friday after completing a search of a civilian ship near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, which forms the border between Iran and Iraq. Iran says the Britons were inside its territorial waters.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain would not negotiate for the captives.

[gdod25]

Bush and Blair want war with Iran but due to lack of voter support need to antagonize Iran into a 'justifiable' scurmish. You brown shirts supporting Bush went to Publik Skools didnt you!

[henry6543]

So what if what you claim is true. The Iranians were well aware of what the British were doing. Why would they take such extreme measures in such a dramatic fashion. Could they not have approached the Brits in the water and warned them that if they were caught there again, they would be captured or even shot at.
No such tact on the part of the Iranians. All this has done is put the British Navy on alert and if Iran tries anything again they will be blown out of the water and a worse crisis will erupt.

Iran is pathetic, its government is pathetic, and its methods are pathetic. I have more respect for African Bushmen. They are way more diplomatic and honest.

[DumbMacUser1]

I noticed the borders that UK is showing for Iran/Iraq are fake - after looking at Iranian news, my suspicions came out to be quite true. The british are deliberately re-drawing the Iran-Iraq border on their own maps and they are convinced that the Arabs will support them in this because after all the borders are to the benifit of the arabs at the expense of Iranian territory. Story below:

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-20/0703298425171510.htm

[DumbMacUser1]

I noticed the borders that UK is showing for Iran/Iraq are fake - after looking at Iranian news, my suspicions came out to be quite true. The british are deliberately re-drawing the Iran-Iraq border on their own maps and they are convinced that the Arabs will support them in this because after all the borders are to the benifit of the arabs at the expense of Iranian territory. Story below:

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-20/0703298425171510.htm

[DumbMacUser1]

Iranian news - slanted but at least it's free of western Jewrnalism: http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-20
/0703298425171510.htm

[henry6543]

Maybe it's because the UN wouldn't move its HQ to Mecca.

[henry6543]

Does anyone have any info on why AHMADINEJAD was not at the UN last week?

[henry6543]

Thanks for the response, tbweb I almost gave up hope.

I think that without Russia and China and the extremist muslims' support, Iran would be less emboldened.

But the real reason has more to do with desperation.

The Iranian people will think their govt is stronger after they capture Brits.

This takes their minds off the increasing day-to-day problems that aren't being helped by increasing sanctions and the threat of only more sanctions down the road.

This takes the focus off Iranian govt's inadequacies and shows that they have no fear of the west.

Gets a lot of media attention for them so they all feel like Islam is getting the attention it deserves.

Makes the west look weak.

Causes division in the UN.

[tuckerndfw]

If the intention is to secure the release of the "detainees," the UK will have to use ground forces.

Bombs and missiles are not particularly effective when it comes to "detainee" rescues.

I wonder how many Brits are at the recruiting offices signing up for the military so they can help rescue the "detainees"?

[tuckerndfw]

Iran is demonstrating the "Bush doctrine."

The "Bush doctrine" states that any nation (or anyone) can ignore the law if the law prevents him from doing whatever he wants.

It appears that Blair no longer supports the "Bush doctrine."

If the "Bush doctrine" is a (legally) valid doctrine, why hasn't the UK invaded Iran?

Why bother whining about "meaningless UN resolutions"?

[rafterman1]

"Russia has deployed its Navy to hunt for subs, Russia didn't say whose subs but the West got the message. Iran is acting the way it is because of Russian and Chinese support."

Hmmm. Good luck with that. The Russians have about 100 naval vessels, most of them subs. And no Russian sub has ever successfully tracked a US sub. Their most significant surface force is based around their lone fixed wing aircraft carrier Kuznetsov, but it tries to do exactly what our own carriers do - avoid contact with subs. So, I don't know how much of a "message" this sends.

[tbweb]

That is a great post tbweb.

How do you reconcile your statement with a unanimous vote at the UN this past week to strengthen sanctions against Iran. I'm asking seriously.
Because I agree with you but I wonder then how Russia and China acted as they did.
Posted by henry6543 at 10:34 PM : Mar 29, 2007

--henry6543
China and Russia are only supporting weak, watered down, no teeth sanctions against Iran, nothing really serious and only symbolic support for the West. Yesterday Russia and China took Irans position that taking and holding the British Royal Navy personnel was Irans right! That is not a good sign because if Russia and China think Iran has a right to capture and hold British personnel as hostages then the West can't expect Chinese or Russia support for military action against Iran if it comes to that and in a worst case may even help Iran militarily. Russia has deployed its Navy to hunt for subs, Russia didn't say whose subs but the West got the message. Iran is acting the way it is because of Russian and Chinese support.

[truthword]

Check out the phony Iraq blogger story on the front page right now.. More government and mass media deception...

The Skinny: Bush Enlists Baghad Bloggers

This is all BS too, I just traced the blogs domain name themodel.com back to Start Media www.startmedia.com based in northern Virginia, can you say the Pentagon...

In what may be a first, the New York Times reports President Bush cited bloggers %u2013 Iraqi bloggers %u2013 in a speech Wednesday to back up claims that his troop buildup in Iraq is working.

They have bloggers in Baghdad, just like we%u2019ve got here," Mr. Bush said. He then went on quote them directly: "We feel safer about moving in the city now. Our people want to see this effort succeed. We hope the governments in Baghdad and America do not lose their resolve.%u201D

They got liars, just like they got here lol.. what a joke..

[themooniac]

I guess I must be an American Jew-nalist (as you refered to journalists in your earlier post).

[themooniac]

Geez, I can't believe Xevious is placing links to the Iranian governments party mouthpiece, the Islamic Republic News Agency, as though there may actual facts or something in those tales...LOL!... sure, I'll take the word of Iran/Hezbollah/Hamas, over our two hundred year ally the British anyday! LOL....get real.

[henry6543]

I heard that Blair's real plan is to train some Iranian pilots to fly hang-gliders with gas cans attached to their noses into some Iranian mosque towers. Then the Iranians will be forced to declare WWIII and then we can wipe them out. This has to be true. I can't wait to uncover the real story after it all happens. That devious won't get away with it this time.

[henry6543]

Wow execution sounds like the best option out of all those. "Them that die be the lucky ones".

[DumbMacUser1]

True. I also heard Ahmadinezhad ordered the execution of anyone who forgets to wipe their feet before entering mosques. He also wants anyone who looks at women to have their eyes plucked out. People caught watching hollywood movies will have their finger nails pulled out.

He also sponsored a "holocaust denial" conference according to America's own Jewrnalists.

[henry6543]

Do any of you Ahmadinejad supporters remember that this is the guy who made the word pizza illegal. So if you say "I'm not supposed to say the word pizza"
then you have to go to jail. If the guy next to you says "He said the word pizza" then he goes to jail. Then at the trial the judge says "did you use the word pizza?" and then he goes to jail.

So please don't quote Ahmadinejad like he's the kind of dictator that's really thought things through.

Soon all the British soldiers will be shot for asking for tea and crumpets. Some black drink in a cup and some fluffy flour with a firm exterior please, I don't want to get shot.

[DumbMacUser1]

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-20/0703298425171510.htm