U.K. Bans Military From Selling Stories

Defense Ministry Reverses Decision After Controversy Over Sailors Cashing In On Iran Capture

(CBS/AP) 
"If I didn't, they'd put me on trial for espionage and I'd go to prison for several years. I had just an hour to think about it," The Sun quoted her as saying.

"If I did it, I feared everyone in Britain would hate me. But I knew it was my one chance of fulfilling a promise to Molly (her daughter) that I'd be home for her birthday on May 8.

"I decided to take that chance, and write in such a way that my unit and my family would know it wasn't the real me."

Turney told ITV1 that she "felt like a traitor" when she was forced to write letters of confession that were shown on Iranian television.

Batchelor said in an interview with the Daily Mirror that he found his capture "beyond terrifying."

"They seemed to take particular pleasure in mocking me for being young," he said. "A guard kept flicking my neck with his index finger and thumb. I thought the worst."

Retired Maj. Gen. Patrick Cordingly said Monday he believes the sailors and marines were being used "almost as a propaganda tool" by the British government.

"I was depressed because I thought the team were so good on the press conference — they didn't overplay their unpleasant experience and we could all imagine what they had gone through," Cordingly said in a British Broadcasting Corp. radio interview.

"I want everyone to know my story from my side, what I went through," she told ITV1. She added part of the money she was paid would go toward helping personnel on her ship, the frigate HMS Cornwall.

After their release last week, the crew members told reporters in Britain they were subjected to constant psychological pressure in detention.

In an attempt to dispute that claim, Iran broadcast new video Sunday showing some of the crew playing chess and watching television during their captivity.

Some of the footage, briefly aired on Iran's state-run Arabic satellite TV channel Al-Alam, also showed crew members watching soccer on TV and eating at a long table decorated with flowers. The crew members could be heard laughing and chatting.

A newscaster said the video proved "the sailors had complete liberty during their detention, which contradicts what the sailors declared after they arrived in Britain."

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.

[zootallures2]

Faye Turney is the only one getting money and oddly the one who was filmed for TV prior to going on the little boat tour into Iranian water.

[stick130]

Why should they not be allowed to make a few bucks off the war? Cheney is making millions off the war. They served they deserve everything they can can out of this War started by Bush's Lies.

[gunnerv1]

toldyouso: E-8 GMCS Gunner's Mate Chief Senior, US Navy 12/9/64-4/31/86

[gaye5]

Why can't they sell their stories and help make up for the horror that they went through, surely if criminals can then these more deserving people should be able too.

[toldyouso21]

Some of the footage, briefly aired on Iran's state-run Arabic satellite TV channel Al-Alam, also showed crew members watching soccer on TV and eating at a long table decorated with flowers. The crew members could be heard laughing and chatting.

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?

[toldyouso21]

SHAME--used as a propaganda tool--BY BOTH COUNTRIES. Better be glad they did not run afoul of us, we would have waterboarded them, did more than flick a neck (maybe electrodes on those genitals or dogs barking in their face while they crouched) put them in stress positions and made them stay awake listening to loud music with bright lights on--and THAT would be on a light day---if we really did not like them, we might let a military contractor kill them or...perhaps send them Ethiopia or elsewhere for some true US LOve--and we would never, ever show them on tv, because we would never admit that we had them. If we ever let them go, we would take them maybe to Wales or the mountains in France and let them find their own way home and then...we would deny everything. (all sarcasm)

If that is the only psychological torture they underwent, then our version is still worse by all accounts.

[toldyouso21]

Yes we do make that kind of money, don't belive me just look up Military Pay Scales on the web. I have no reason to lie to you. Don't forget, I was senior enlisted. (juniors aren't doing too bad either)
Posted by gunnerv1 at 01:12 PM : Apr 09, 2007


Senior enlisted what? what exactly was your rank and in what branch?

[toldyouso21]

As for the pictures of her with the other captives, they could have been taken any time within those 2 weeks. One scenario is the pictures were taken when they first were captured then they were split up and a few days into it she was told that she was the only one there now. OR they were taken after she was forced to write the letter. .
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?

[toldyouso21]

think it%u2019s good the stories come out as from reading the general publics comments many are unaware of the true details. Posted by stanmc5 at 12:20 PM : Apr 09, 2007



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.

[toldyouso21]

She never asked to be captured or mentally abused which she was. If she can make a few bucks off the experience, why not? On the salaries military enlisted make she most likely can use the funds for living expenses.

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.

[toldyouso21]

righto. guess the propaganda ploy was NOT working in the favor of the soldiers or the UK government, eh, mates?

[Syndicate]

The story will be told and fortunes made but the people who suffered through the ordeal will get nothing. I would have liked to have seen them negotiate huge sums and donate it to the families of the dead and injured. Perhaps the British government could collect fees for these stories and use it to help their military personel. I just hate to see the studios or book people or tv stations make a fortune and screw the little guy.

[inventagod]

Hmmm, smells like Bu$hflipflop...

[gramto7]

According to the military pay scales a 20-year E-8 would be getting $4,161.30. As a widow of a 21-year USAF MSGT (ret), I am getting the shaft. I get $780 a month, no where near 60% of the $4,161.30 listed. I do realize I only get a percentage of his retiree pay, but retirees in general are getting shafted.

[nishaboston]

I am almost 100% certain these soldiers were in Iranian water and they were treated far better them most hostages. It makes me sick to my stomach that soldiers are dying and being injured fighting in Iraq. Most of them come back home with NOTHING yet these people get to sell their stories for six figures? That is not fair and it is very disgusting. They were not released for less then a week and they already sold their stories once again it is disgusting!!!!

[gunnerv1]

In Case no one knows, The Brit Gov. Revoked permission for them to sell their stories

[gunnerv1]

Yes we do make that kind of money, don't belive me just look up Military Pay Scales on the web. I have no reason to lie to you. Don't forget, I was senior enlisted. (juniors aren't doing too bad either)

[ajaxrose1]

Hey, in case no one knows it, sailors don't make that much money and they sure aren't going to get anything else from all that trauma. They might get some kind of medal from their government, and that's all well and good, but it won't put a kid through college or pay for counseling over the years. If it was me I'd sell my story, too, and to heck and gone with what anybody thought, they weren't there. You KNOW someone is going to write it up and make some kind of movie or something and they'll make $ out of the deal. This way at least the sailors themselves get something out of it and the stories will be more accurate. If the rest of the world doesn't approve, well, that's the rest of the world's problem not the sailors.

[stanmc5]

I think it%u2019s good the stories come out as from reading the general publics comments many are unaware of the true details.
Two of the five Royal Marines did not confess to anything and yet the whole group is tarred with the same brush. The Iranian propaganda machine worked at full speed and now we have the chance to correct the factual errors of this story.

[gunnerv1]

obiquital- Thanks for explaining it to the knukleheads. Also, if I had stayed in the Military for 30 years rather than the 21 years that I did, I would be making right about $70k as a Senior Enlisted and thats not including Housing, Sea pay or Hostile Fire (combat) pay, with that added I would be just under $90k a year. Don't forget that when I enlisted, (1964) an E-2 would be taking home less than $100.00 a month. We've come along way baby, and I belive we deserved every dam* penny too!