BBC: Iran TV shows female navy captive

BBC ^ | Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 17:27 GMT 18:27 UK | BBC Staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Iran TV shows female navy captive

Faye Turney said her captors had been 'friendly' and 'nice'

Iranian state television has broadcast an interview with captured British female sailor Faye Turney and footage of the 14 servicemen seized with her.

Leading Seaman Turney, 26, said they had been seized in the Gulf because "obviously we trespassed" in Iranian waters - something the UK disputes.

She said her captors had been friendly and the 15 personnel were unharmed.

The circumstances of the filming are not known. The Foreign Office said the footage was "completely unacceptable".

'Hospitable'

Earlier Iran said it would release Leading Seaman Turney "very soon".

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said she would be released on Wednesday or Thursday.

The footage showed the eight Royal Navy sailors and seven Royal Marines, who were seized at gunpoint by Iranian Revolutionary Guards last Friday, in their uniforms sitting and eating a meal out of white trays.

UK VERSION OF EVENTS 1 Crew boards merchant ship 1.7NM inside Iraqi waters 2 HMS Cornwall was south-east of this, and inside Iraqi waters 3 Iran tells UK that merchant ship was at a different point, still within Iraqi waters 4 After UK points this out, Iran provides alternative position, now within Iranian waters UK version in more detail

There was separate footage of Leading Seaman Turney - wearing a black headscarf - and speaking.

She said: "I was arrested on Friday March 23. Obviously we trespassed into their waters.

"They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, good people.

"They explained to us why we had been arrested. There was no aggression, no hurt, no harm. They were very, very compassionate."

The video showed footage of a letter, said to have been written by Leading Seaman Turney to her parents, in which she admitted that the nay personnel had "apparently" crossed into Iranian waters.

"I wish we hadn't because then I would be home with you right now," the letter said.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "It is completely unacceptable for these pictures to be on television."

"There is no doubt that our personnel were seized in Iraqi waters and were entitled to be there.

"We expect immediate consular access as a prelude to the release of all the personnel and the return of their equipment."

Greater pressure

Earlier on Wednesday the UK said it was suspending bilateral contacts with Iran amid the dispute over the personnel.

They were taken after searching a merchant vessel in the northern Gulf.

Iran has insisted the group, based on HMS Cornwall, which has its home port in Plymouth, were in its waters when they were taken.

Earlier Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was time for the UK to "ratchet up" pressure on Iran.

The Ministry of Defence issued data it said proved the navy group had been 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters when they were seized.

HAVE YOUR SAY The country of Iran needs to have a good long hard look at how this situation will look to the rest of the world Gary, UK Send us your comments Iranian view on stand-off

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Charles Style, gave detailed co-ordinates which he said proved that.

The co-ordinates were 29 degrees 50.36 minutes north, 048 degrees 43.08 minutes east.

The MoD also released a photograph of a handheld global positioning satellite device in HMS Cornwall's Lynx helicopter as it flew over the searched merchant vessel.

Vice Admiral Style said the sailors had been "ambushed" and their detention was "unjustified and wrong".

The UK government said the Iranians had initially said the merchant vessel had been at a point within Iraqi waters, before later providing a second, alternative position, within Iranian waters.

Iran's embassy in London issued a statement in response to the UK data, in which it said the sailors and marines had been 0.5 km inside Iranian waters at the time they were seized.

The statement, quoted by the official IRNA news agency, said "the governments of Iran and Britain have the ability to solve the incident through contacts and close co-operation".

[mewzilla]

So much for the Geneva Convention.

Paging all those lefty human rights groups....

[mainepatsfan]

UK VERSION OF EVENTS

Of course the BBC doesn't take their word for it.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Monday, 26 March 2007, 16:06 GMT 17:06 UK
An Iranian view on the stand-off

An Iranian view on the stand-off

The sailors and marines are from HMS Cornwall

Dr Ali Pahlavan is the executive editor of Iran News, an independent newspaper published in Tehran.

He spoke on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the current standoff with Britain over the arrests of Royal Navy personnel.

Do you know where the sailors are being held?

The suspicion is that they are in Tehran. The only official government line is that they crossed into Iranian territorial waters and confessed to it.

My understanding of the situation is that this could be a reaction to the UN sanctions which were passed two days ago... the revolutionary guards had promised that some sort of reaction would be forthcoming from Iran.

The revolutionary guards are a very hard line, ultra-conservative wing of the regime who believe that the US and Britain need to be challenged in the Persian Gulf and in the Middle East... their interests need to be challenged in Palestine, in Lebanon, in Iraq and elsewhere.

So this could be part of the strategy to challenge the British and American supremacy in this part of the world which is troubling. It could lead to confrontation and be a trigger and which could lead to escalation.

How does the situation differ from two years ago when British sailors were seized?

To understand the differences you need to follow the rhetoric of President Ahmadinejad and the revolutionary guards in the past couple of years.

Two years ago when British sailors were seized, there was a different Iranian government which was more moderate and more reformist.

But now the revolutionary guard is the government; it is very different situation as the crisis over the nuclear issue is at a very critical stage... the revolutionary guards are of the view that the UK and the US should be pushed and their interests need to be threatened. So this is a serious situation.

But the British are more diplomatically astute and understand Persia... if it was American servicemen or the American marines, this could have led to war.

So there is some hope - at least on my part - that believes in a few days or a few weeks this could be resolved. But then again you never know.

How worrying is the current situation?

I am worried because it's very different than the 2004 incident. The revolutionary guard is the government now.

So it is troubling and it is worrying. Many of us analysts had predicted an incident in the Persian Gulf, which is very crucial to the global economy and to Western interests and could trigger something disastrous.

How are most Iranian people reacting to the situation?

We can't really assess it because right now in Iran it's the Persian New Year holidays and most people are on vacation. Offices are closed and the city of Tehran, which is the political heart of the country.

But if the situation escalates and continues to be the kind of crisis that I think it is, this could be very troubling.

[Ieatfrijoles]

I'm pretty sure they released the women and African-Americans about ten days into the 79 hostage crisis so I should've seen this coming.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Wednesday, 28 March 2007, 12:22 GMT 13:22 UK
The capture of the UK crew

The capture of the UK crew

The UK government has released details of where it says the 15 sailors and Marines were when they were seized by Iranian forces on 23 March.

• The Ministry of Defence says the merchant ship boarded by a crew from HMS Cornwall on 23 March was 1.7 nautical miles (3.1km) inside Iraqi territorial waters. It says the master of the vessel has confirmed this.

• HMS Cornwall was south-east of the merchant ship, inside Iraqi waters.

• On 24 March the Iranian government told the UK - according to the UK's Ministry of Defence - that the merchant vessel was at a different location, but still within Iraqi waters.

• When the UK pointed out to the Iranians that the location they had given was within Iraqi waters, the Iranians provided a "corrected" location, nearly 1 nautical mile away (1.9km) from its first position but within Iranian waters.

• The UK government disputes both Iranian claims. It says the "corrected" location is more than 2 nautical miles (3.7km) from its own version, as recorded by HMS Cornwall's GPS data equipment.

How GPS works

• One of the small boats used by the boarding party from HMS Cornwall had a GPS chart plotter, continually communicating its position to HMS Cornwall, where the position was displayed on an electronic chart.

• The UK says the two boats were together at all times.

• HMS Cornwall's Lynx helicopter had been monitoring the initial stages of the boarding of the Indian-flagged merchant ship, at 0739 local time on 23 March.

  Communications with the boarding team were lost at the time the boarding ended - at 0910.

• The helicopter crew returned to the scene and reported that the two boats were being escorted by Iranian Islamic Republican Guard Navy vessels towards the Shatt al Arab waterway, inside Iranian territorial waters.

[BigFinn]

Can anyone say 'human shield'?

[1066AD]

She should not be treated any differently from the men, equality has a price.

Some good commentary here A nation of wimps led by wimps.

[keat]

Why would she make a false confession? I wouldn't have. There is obviously zero threat that she would be harmed.

[GOP_1900AD]

What ever happened to being silent when a POW? I bet they barely had to water board her (or perhaps even mere psych methods) to get her to "confess." I won't even get into the stupidity of women in combat, per se.

[highlander_UW]

But they had to be in Iranian waters...Rosie O'Donnell said so. /s

[LiberalBassTurds]

Interesting read Ernest. I wouldn't expect them home any time soon. What we have here are the new human shields for the Iranian nuclear program. They'll be released when Iran has the bomb.

LBT
-=-=-

[Patriot Hooligan]

"It always made me mad to have to beg for opportunities to win battles." General George S. Patton

[unkus]

No, Rosie O'Donnell said the HMS Cornwall was within 20 miles of Teheran.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From Mondays postings....I hadn't seen it:

Tehran's Hostages - Iran's act of war against our British allies
The Wall Street Journal ^ | March 26, 2007

Advocates of engagement with Tehran often claim that the Islamic Republic long ago shed its revolutionary pretensions in favor of becoming a "status quo" power

[george76]

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Good read thanks....got to watch that Blog...good stuff.

[wjcsux]

"It always made me mad to have to beg for opportunities to win battles." General George S. Patton
Truth bump.
If Curchill was PM, Iran would be smoldering.

[everydayislikesunday]

I say we (Britain) bomb O'Donnell.

Iran would then know we mean business.

[unkus]

Did you get the part about the ship being within 20 miles of Tehran?

[Patriot Hooligan]

Agreed.

"The only thing to do when a son of a bi*** looks cross-eyed at you is to beat the hell out of him right then and there." General George S. Patton

Inaction is going to get all of us killed.

[BurbankKarl]

if GPS jammers were on, you wouldnt know where you were!

[Right Wing Assault]

"Yes, we will release her since she is just a woman. Now, were she a sheep, or goat, or camel, that would be a different situation. Praise be to Allah."

[everydayislikesunday]

I did :)

I do get tired of this fat f*ck of a "TV personality" getting involved in matters she has no understanding. She has previous, of course.

Dear Ms O'Donnell, 15 of my countrymen are being held captive by a criminal regime - so will you desist in your lousy paranoid propaganda and die horribly in a yachting accident.

Yours...

[unkus]

A boating accident wouldn't work-she would float. Try a weak bungie cord off the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Just DAMN!...says it all!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See post #17.

[colorado tanker]

Hmmm. A little soon for Stockholm Syndrome to set in.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the Blogosphere (EU Referendum):

Sunday, March 25, 2007
What's it to be?

**************************EXCERPT*******************************

What's it to be?

With Google currently running over 2,200 stories on the abduction of the British marines and sailors from Iraqi waters by Iranian forces, compared with only just over 500 on the EU's weekend anniversary bash, the figures tell their own story.

Equally significant is the fact that the only public statement to come from our prime minister while attending the bash was a comment on the detention of the sailors and marines, Blair declaring that it was "unjustified and wrong".

One again this is a salutary demonstration of how Britain’s standing in the world so often seems far more affected by events and actions which are totally unrelated to the EU and, in this case, not for the better. While we are spending a King's ransom on our subscription to the EU – devoted in part to increasing our global influence – we might therefore be better advised to spend our money where it really matters.

Whether there were any deficiencies in our Iraqi operation remain to be seen but there must surely be an inquiry, once our servicemen are safely recovered, to determine whether indeed there were failures.

Not least, there needs to be an examination of the truth behind the story in The Sunday Telegraph, which alleges that British Intelligence chiefs were warned in January to expect reprisal attacks from Iran after America detained five suspected Iranian intelligence officers in Iraq. According to this newspaper, although the CIA alert led to the United States raising its official security threat level throughout the Middle East and elsewhere, Britain did not follow suit.

What has been exercising us, however – and we are far from being alone in this – is how a reported six Iranian vessels had managed to sneak up on the British craft, and why HMS Cornwall did not intervene.

Such a response was triggered by the classic boarding scenario, where the warship stands off but a short distance from the intercepted vessel – illustrated here with HMCS Vancouver (photo Canadian DND). A small boat is then detached, and the warship stays close, throughout the boarding, protecting the away team.

Clearly, this was not the case in this instance. HMS Cornwall may have been many miles away, acting more as a depot/command post than a guard ship, running several patrols from its location. Similarly, while its Lynx helicopter was available, it too seems not to have been covering the abducted boarding party. Yet, we see other pictures of the "classic scenario", this one (left) showing US personnel aboard a tanker with an Aegis class destroyer in the background, standing guard.

With only one frigate (and two minesweepers) in theatre, however, the Royal Navy must be hard pressed to back up all its small boat patrols, or this may simply be a case of (false) economy, the ship saving on fuel by not sailing. On the other hand, it could be carelessness, complacency or even incompetence – the latter hardly being a stranger to the military.

Either way, as Private Eye often puts it, I think we should be told.

Update here.

COMMENT THREAD

permalink posted by Richard @ 7:44 PM | Comments forum |

[POWG]

I don't know about everyone else, but I would be so proud to be British today - - NOT!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the above Blog...and the update :

Monday, March 26, 2007
Rules of engagement

**********************************EXCERPT***********************************

Rules of engagement

Our sailors and marines - why did they not defend themselves? They were not allowed to ... their rules of engagement did not permit it.

This was raised in Defence Questions today by Ann Winterton MP. She put to the defence minister that "the current rules of engagement that allow no conflict in Iraqi waters with Iranian forces" and thus suggested that "this led directly to 15 of our service personnel being abducted by the Iranians".

Defence minister Adam Ingram was evasive, telling MPs not to speculate. "Let us stand back and understand the sensitivity of the situation," he pleaded. "There is too much speculation about what happened and what did not happen."

Then, in classic fashion, he went on not to answer the question, offering only obscurity: "Those carrying out that mission clearly have to respond to the level of threat that is posed to them ... We will have to investigate that when they are safely returned to these shores and we get their version of events rather than the speculation that is being paraded around in the media and elsewhere."

But Winterton was not speculating. Directly from extremely angry servicemen recently back from Iraq, she had received information that boarding parties were under rigid instructions that left no room for discretion. Even though faced with Iranian Revolutionary Guards, every one of the Party knew that to fire a weapon (even a warning shot) would have ensured their personal Court Martial.

This still does not explain, however, why the boarding party was caught by surprise by six Iranian vessels (and no one has disputed that figure). The team was equipped with fast, highly manoeuvrable boats and, given an alert overwatch, the members should have got enough warning to enable them to break for the shore or call up reinforcements.

Interestingly, no further light has been shone on this murky episode in the unofficial Army forum, where such matters are often discussed at length. A moderator moved in quickly to delete threads and shut down further comment, on the grounds that, "there now exists a real danger that speculation and reported remarks influenced by genuine anger will be to the detriment of the safety of our people and OPSEC (operational security)".

That the incident is being widely discussed on media forums and comment threads seems to have escaped the board moderators, demonstrating an acute sensitivity on the subject.

As it stands, therefore, it looks like the boarding party members were set up like rats in a trap, unable to defend themselves, leaving the Iranians only to say thank you very much indeed for the free hostages. And instead of facing their own military courts, our people are now at risk of being paraded through the Iranian courts, to the utter humiliation of a nation which cannot even safeguard its own troops.

Meanwhile read this from Hot Air.

COMMENT THREAD

Labels: Iran, iraq

permalink posted by Richard @ 7:04 PM | Comments forum |

[Doc91678]

You know as well as any American that what the Iranians did is against GC protocols. But the Progressive Marxist Liberals of America will not peep once abot the double standard being used.

[marshmallow]

Typical Middle East mentality. We all know how it goes.

They snatch your wallet or vehicle then you haggle and bargain to get it back, just like in a souk or bazaar. When they've extracted what they want from you, you get your walllet back.

Empty.

Of course, they'll pretend you "dropped" your wallet or someone else stole your vehicle and they found it. They're congenital liars and have no conception of or appreciation for the truth.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From Hot Air:

Breaking: Iran says it will release woman sailor; Update: Set to air video “confession”? Update: Confession released; video, screencaps added
posted at 9:10 am on March 28, 2007 by Allahpundit

Update: Okay, Sky’s got the whole clip. There’s not much to it. “Obviously we trespassed into their waters,” she says, and praises their compassion.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Getting technical....then there should be no reading.....?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Iran's actions serves to assist in their AGENDA:

*********************************

There is a book (now available in paperback ):

Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left (Paperback) by David Horowitz (Author)

***********************

********************************************************

And reviews:

****************************************

Editorial Reviews

Rich Lowry, Editor National Review
David Horowitz is synonymous with pyrotechnics. A historian and polemicist of the first order, he is paid the ultimate compliment --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Davis Hanson, Author, Ripples of Battle
An original look at those who want us to fail in the Middle East, both at home and abroad. The --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

***********************************************************

See all Editorial Reviews

Fascinating Analysis of Leftist Goals, August 13, 2006

Reviewer:

N. Sincerity - See all my reviews

A former 1960s radical, Horowitz is well-acquainted with the Leftist mindset. In this book, he strives to explain the modern alliance between left wing progressivists and radical Islamofascists. He argues that this alliance is based on a common desire to destroy Western capitalism. Leftist sympathy with Islamofascist ideas makes no sense from an intellectual point of view, given that countries ruled by radical Islamists are among the most racist, sexist, theocratic states in the world today. However, Leftists have recognized that they can benefit politically from destructive terrorist attacks on the Western world. A West under attack can be made to turn on its leaders in fear and desperation (as they did in Spain after the Madrid train bombings). Only once people reject current government structures can the Left execute its anti-capitalist revolution and build a new reality that mirrors the Leftist view of utopia.

The complete and utter idealogical hypocrisy of the Islamofascist-Leftist alliance is distressing, but as Horowitz reminds us,

Leftists radicals truly believe the ends justify the means. ***************************************

[AdamSelene235]

The Future of Europe

[sageb1]

They must be holding them at Evin. Check the curtain behind her. And then this.

Photos from inside Evin prison by Morteza Farajabadi, Isna

http://khabarnameh.gooya.com/english/archives/001308.php

[sageb1]

Also check out comparisons at these threads:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1808189/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1808183/posts

[mutley]

"The Future of Europe"

Ouch!!!

[Free ThinkerNY]

[Doc91678]

Horowitz is correct. However, what the Progressive Marxist Left does not understand is, that as soon as Capitalism is overcome by the Islamofascist, They will turn on the Progressives. Why? Because of the decadent ways which are wholely again the Quran.

[Doc91678]

Horowitz is correct. However, what the Progressive Marxist Left does not understand is, that as soon as Capitalism is overcome by the Islamofascist, They will turn on the Progressives. Why? Because of their decadent ways which are wholely against the Quran.

[mcshot]

We need a Patton figure to save us as the PC crap is not survivable. Perhaps he or a protegee will return as his life suggests he had a previous life as a warrior, IMHO.

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

"I wish we hadn't because then I would be home with you right now,"



This was not written by her.......

She would NOT be back home, she would be back in IRAQ serving out her tour of duty.....

Check out CNN: Stunning admission by female sailor

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03/28/iran.uk.sailors/index.html


What a bunch of sh*t heads

[Deo volente]

Can anyone say 'human shield'?

[LikeLight]

Plus there's an eerie line in her letter about them receiving "a constant supply of fluids"...

No normal English-speaking person would describe drinks that way. It's just wierd and makes me think she's trying to say something else, or that her non-native speaking hosts scripted it that way.

[ASOC]

For the sake of discussion, may we safely assume the statement was coerced?

If so, did anyone note her use of any of the Standard Signs (of distress)? (do not list, just observed or not)

[sageb1]

I would assume her statement was dictated to her. I don't know the Standard Signs.