Iran: British sailors 'bargaining chips'

JPost ^ | 3/24/07

[bnelson44]

An Iranian military official said Saturday afternoon that the 15 detained British sailors "confessed" to illegally entering Iranian waters.

The sailors, taken at gunpoint Friday by Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Al Quds soldiers were captured intentionally and are to be used as bargaining chips to be used for the release of five Iranians who were arrested at the Iranian consul in Irbil, Iraq by US troops, an Iranian official told the daily paper Asharq al-Awsat on Saturday.

In addition, a senior Iranian military official said Saturday that the decision to capture the soldiers was made during a March 18 emergency meeting of the High Council for Security following a report by the Al-Quds contingent commander, Kassem Suleimani, to the Iranian chief of the armed forces, Maj.Gen. Hassan Firouz Abadi. In the report, according to Asharq al-Awsat, Suleimani warned Abadi that Al Quds and Revolutionary Guards' operations had become transparent to US and British intelligence following the arrest of a senior Al Quds officer and four of his deputies in Irbil.

According to the official, Iran was worried that its detained people would leak sensitive intelligence information.

[Radix]

Will the UK "bargain" with terrorists?

[rightwingextremist1776]

If the Brits had any hair on their backsides, they would counteroffer with some well placed ordnance.

[I see my hands]

Just my hunch that Iran will release the sailors soon and without much (public) fuss.

[lag along]

they sure did release our embassy folks in a hurry.

[bnelson44]

Hostage British Military taken to Tehran. Said to “confess.” (AP / Fars) “The said personnel are being interrogated and have confessed to aggression into the Islamic Republic of Iran’s waters.” — Iranian General. At least one woman among the 15 captured

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070324143855.gbix0jqx&show_article=1

[GSlob]

Well, grab three ayatollahs. Impale two, and use the remaining one as a bargaining chip.

[I see my hands]

"they sure did release our embassy folks in a hurry."

W wasn't calling the shots then. And like I said.. just a hunch.

[JasonC]

They always have, so yes of course they will bargain. And grovel, and beg, and pay for the same thing twice, and all the rest of it.

Does anybody else recall that just last week the Iranians were talking about how they would find a way to kidnap Americans or Brits in retaliation for the raids inside Iraq that captured Iranian intelligence agents?

[bnelson44]

ping

[JasonC]

W isn't calling the shots now. Nancy and the Nancy boys are.

[dfwgator]

Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, BOMB IRAN!
Let's take a stand, bomb Iran.
Our country's got a feelin'
Really hit the ceilin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

Went to a mosque, gonna throw some rocks.
Tell Ahmadenejad..."Gonna put you in a box!"
Bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Our country's got a feelin'
Really hit the ceilin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

Ol' Uncle Sam's gettin' pretty hot.
Time to turn Iran into a parking lot. Bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

Call the volunteers; call the bombadiers;
Call the financiers, better get their ass in gear.
Bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Our country's got a feelin'
Really hit the ceilin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

Call on our allies to cut off their supplies,
Get our hands untied, and bring em' back alive. Bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Our country's got a feelin'
Really hit the ceilin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, BOMB IRAN!
Let's take a stand, bomb Iran.
Our people you been stealin'
Now it's time for keelin', bomb Iran.
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

[gpapa]

I would guess the captured Brits are chips the Mullahs think will help them to get their agents back. the only question will be who blinks first.

[sourcery]

Iran is deliberately provoking the West--or at least, the Anglosphere. Absent insanity (which can't be ruled out,) such behavior is necessarily predicated on the extreme confidence that no substantive response can or will be forthcoming.

So, will Iran's gambit prove successful? And if so, why? Why would Iran be so confident? What stick do they carry? Is it just a bluff?

[antti tuuri]

that would have been because of saint carter's intimidating, badass reputation

[I see my hands]

"W isn't calling the shots now. Nancy and the Nancy boys are"

Naive and wrong to say that. NP is spinning her wheels, W is doing.

[antti tuuri]

they didn't have any problem going after argentina over less, but margaret thatcher isn't around any more, of course maybe they think a bunch of sheep are worth more than their soldiers

[JSteff]

"they sure did release our embassy folks in a hurry."

As I mentioned on another thread, the Iranians have no history of wanting to get along in the world. They need to be slapped down before they have nukes.

Look at how they treated us after Jimmah Carter helped them become an islamic power. They are muslims and muslims only know one thing.

POWER with incredible brutality. Until that happens they will not stop. The Iranians since the hostage incident in Tehran have only attempted and actually killed more Americans. We have never responded and so the Iranians have only gotten bolder.

They still are doing it by supplying arms to the terrorist insurgents in Iraq. If Britain caves on this they will be dealing with the Iranians again.

[sidegunner]

Time to round up a whole @hit pot of those "cud" types..and a few more generals need to be persuaded to defect.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Given the spineless capitulation by euro countries like Germany, Italy, and Spain when hostages are taken or terrorist attacks hit them, I'd be very shocked if the Brits don't completely give in to every Iranian demand.