U.K. Bans Military From Selling Stories
Jason Cipriani/CNET
Britain on Monday banned all military service members from talking to the media in return for payment in the future, reversing its decision to allow the 15 marines and sailors held captive in Iran to sell their stories.
Defense Secretary Des Browne issued a statement saying the navy faced a "very tough call" over its initial decision to allow the payments, which came under sharp criticism. The new ban will not affect those who already gave accounts, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
On Monday, in one of the first accounts, Faye Turney, the sole woman in the detained crew, said that she "felt like a traitor" for agreeing to her captors' demands to appear on Iranian TV and that she believed they had measured her for a coffin.
The Sun newspaper also reported that Turney, 25, was told by her captors that her 14 male colleagues had been released while she alone was being held.
Another sailor, Arthur Batchelor, 20, said he was singled out by his captors because he was the youngest of the crew.
The financial arrangements for Turney and Batchelor were not disclosed, but Turney said the offer she accepted was not the largest she had been offered.
"I was offered a hell of a lot of money for this," Turney told Britain's ITN television network.
That may be an understatement, reports CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar, who says Turney was paid almost $200,000 for her story.
Browne said lessons must be learned from a review the Ministry of Defense is now conducting regarding the regulations that affect service members talking with media.
"I want to be sure those charged with these difficult decisions have clear guidance for the future," Browne said. "Until that time, no further service personnel will be allowed to talk to the media about their experiences in return for payment."
The British sailors and marines were searching a merchant ship on March 23 when they and their two inflatable boats were intercepted by Iranian vessels near the disputed Shatt al-Arab waterway, U.S. and British officials said. Iran claimed the British had strayed into its territorial waters, a charge that Britain denied.
During the crew's captivity, Britain accused Iran of using the group for propaganda for putting them on Iranian television in appearances in which they "admitted" trespassing in Tehran's waters. They were freed last week by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who called their release a gift to Britain.
Turney, who also sold her story to British broadcaster ITV1, told The Sun that she feared at one point that she would be killed.
"One morning, I heard the noise of wood sawing and nails being hammered near my cell. I couldn't work out what it was. Then a woman came into my cell to measure me up from head to toe with a tape," The Sun quoted Turney as saying.
"She shouted the measurements to a man outside. I was convinced they were making my coffin."
Turney said she asked one Iranian official where her male colleagues were.
"He rubbed the top of my head and said with a smile, 'Oh no, they've gone home. Just you now,"' she said.
At another time, Turney said the same official asked her how she felt about dying for country.
By her fifth day in detention, she said she was told that she could be free within two weeks if she confessed that the crew had intruded into Iranian waters.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Defense Secretary Des Browne issued a statement saying the navy faced a "very tough call" over its initial decision to allow the payments, which came under sharp criticism. The new ban will not affect those who already gave accounts, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
On Monday, in one of the first accounts, Faye Turney, the sole woman in the detained crew, said that she "felt like a traitor" for agreeing to her captors' demands to appear on Iranian TV and that she believed they had measured her for a coffin.
The Sun newspaper also reported that Turney, 25, was told by her captors that her 14 male colleagues had been released while she alone was being held.
Another sailor, Arthur Batchelor, 20, said he was singled out by his captors because he was the youngest of the crew.
The financial arrangements for Turney and Batchelor were not disclosed, but Turney said the offer she accepted was not the largest she had been offered.
"I was offered a hell of a lot of money for this," Turney told Britain's ITN television network.
That may be an understatement, reports CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar, who says Turney was paid almost $200,000 for her story.
Browne said lessons must be learned from a review the Ministry of Defense is now conducting regarding the regulations that affect service members talking with media.
"I want to be sure those charged with these difficult decisions have clear guidance for the future," Browne said. "Until that time, no further service personnel will be allowed to talk to the media about their experiences in return for payment."
The British sailors and marines were searching a merchant ship on March 23 when they and their two inflatable boats were intercepted by Iranian vessels near the disputed Shatt al-Arab waterway, U.S. and British officials said. Iran claimed the British had strayed into its territorial waters, a charge that Britain denied.
During the crew's captivity, Britain accused Iran of using the group for propaganda for putting them on Iranian television in appearances in which they "admitted" trespassing in Tehran's waters. They were freed last week by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who called their release a gift to Britain.
Turney, who also sold her story to British broadcaster ITV1, told The Sun that she feared at one point that she would be killed.
"One morning, I heard the noise of wood sawing and nails being hammered near my cell. I couldn't work out what it was. Then a woman came into my cell to measure me up from head to toe with a tape," The Sun quoted Turney as saying.
"She shouted the measurements to a man outside. I was convinced they were making my coffin."
Turney said she asked one Iranian official where her male colleagues were.
"He rubbed the top of my head and said with a smile, 'Oh no, they've gone home. Just you now,"' she said.
At another time, Turney said the same official asked her how she felt about dying for country.
By her fifth day in detention, she said she was told that she could be free within two weeks if she confessed that the crew had intruded into Iranian waters.
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At a news conference Friday, Lt. Felix Carman, who was in charge of the crew, said the sailors and marines were allowed to socialize only for the benefit of the Iranian media.
And yet when the cameras rolled they were so relaxed, that they grinned, laughed and chatted easily--ahhhhhh the resilience of youth!!!!! not. They want to be heros not zeros so they are now trying to make up stories--they had a grand ol' time and there are just too many pictures to prove it--you'd think that the smiles would at least look a bit forced or contrived--but they seemed to be enjoying themselves. great actors? maybe. But the question is which part is the act? Now or Then?
If that is the only psychological torture they underwent, then our version is still worse by all accounts.
Posted by gunnerv1 at 01:12 PM : Apr 09, 2007
Senior enlisted what? what exactly was your rank and in what branch?
Posted by obiquital at 10:35 AM : Apr 09, 2007
the British news released the interview with the troops before they were captured, who admitted that one of their goals was to spy on Iran. How does that fit into the "poor little us, we can't stop grinning with fear" scenario you want to believe?
Silly, silly boy. Whatever makes you think you are now getting the "true details"? How do you know you are not just getting great copy to sell a book? We will never know the truth--especially if it involved spying or other things that could embarrass the UK or undermine something they are doing. The crew would never have been allowed to tell their story without special strings attached. The military only let them for propaganda and now have stopped because it BACKFIRED.
Keep the above types from making money off their military experiences and then you can crtitize her.
Posted by ramos937 at 09:44 AM : Apr 09, 2007
books AFTER service is through not during...it is bad for morale and encourages soldiers to not follow rules but to do other things just to have a "story" later. maybe do things that would jeopardize their mission or get them or us or someone else killed. THINK!!! It is only painful the first couple of times you do it.