President Bush Calls for Iran to Immediately Release Captured British Soldiers

FOXNews.com ^ | Saturday, March 31, 2007 | AP

[do the dhue]

CAMP DAVID, Maryland — President Bush on Saturday said Iran's capture of 15 British sailors and marines was "inexcusable" and called for their immediate, unconditional release.

Bush said Iran plucked the sailors out of Iraqi waters. Iran's president said Saturday they were in Iranian waters and called Britain and its allies "arrogant and selfish" for not apologizing for trespassing.

"Iran must give back the hostages," Bush said at the Camp David presidential retreat, where he was meeting with the president of Brazil. "They're innocent. They did nothing wrong."

It was the first time that Bush had commented publicly on the captured Britons. Washington has taken a low-key approach to avoid aggravating tensions over the incident and shaking international resolve to get Iran to give up its uranium enrichment program.

Bush did not answer a question about whether the United States would have reacted militarily if those captured had been Americans. The president said he supports British Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, now in its second week.

[do the dhue]

May God be with the hostages.

This is an act of war. The world should be taking this seriously.
I call for a strategic air strike on Amadjihad. Remember Muammar Khadafy?

[jch10]

I've been waiting for the US to stand with the Brits. Thank you, Mr. President.

I pray for the safe return of the sailors.

[Cicero]

It was the first time that Bush had commented publicly on the captured Britons. Washington has taken a low-key approach to avoid aggravating tensions over the incident and shaking international resolve to get Iran to give up its uranium enrichment program.

This is pretty much what I thought. We really can't intervene until the Brits ask us to. They did NOT ask us to intervene while their troops were being taken captive, and we couldn't very well poke our noses in without being asked.

Now that the Telegraph said earlier this eveing that the U.S. got Tony Blair into this war but is refusing to back him when British troops get in trouble (see the post put up about an hour ago), it is evident that the President had to say something like this.

Since it is their troops who are hostage, it's their call whether they want us to weigh in or not. But frankly, there's not a whole lot we can do at this point, unless the Brits want to get together with us and attack Iran. They can't very well sit back and ask us to attack Iran alone--especially since it was their foolish rules of engagement that led to this unfortunate hostage situation.

[ExcursionGuy84]

That's IT, Mr. President!!!

Show them "Persians" that America's Military still has it's Manhood!

[do the dhue]

especially since it was their foolish rules of engagement that led to this unfortunate hostage situation.

This is a true statement.

This article says it wouldn't have happened to the US:
click here

[do the dhue]

Show them "Persians" that America's Military still has it's Manhood!

Oh, our Military surely has it's manhood in tact. They told us we would lose 10,000 going to Baghdad. It is four years later and we lost a third of that number. In four years of WWII, we almost lost a half million Troops. Two years of Korea nearly 52,000 fell. And the bloodiest day in US history took place at Antietam. 12,000 Yankees and 10,000 Rebels fell in Four hours not four years. Our Troops have done a great job and I will not take that away.

It is our enemy who has no manhood. They hide behind woman and children.

It is the Demorats like Pelose and Hagel who have no manhood. I know Hagel has an R behind his name, but someone took 90% of his brains away and they also took his manhood away and he acts like a Demorat.

These are the ones who have yeller bellies. Not our President and our Troops.

God Bless the Command and Chief and the Troops.

[papasmurf]

"I've been waiting for the US to stand with the Brits. Thank you, Mr. President"

Not much of a stand, as stands go. But, then, what do we expect when the President has allowed himself to be hogtied by the socialists in this Country?

From the story..."Only an apology by Britain can stop it."

I remember a day in school once, where a guy kicked me in the woohaas. He told the teacher that I had spit on him (untrue). The teacher told me to apologize or else I would be sent home.

On my way out of the principle's office, I saw the guy, ran up to him and, commenced to go wild on his ace.

I spent a week at home, and he never looked me in the eyes again.

Lesson learned.

:O)

P

[do the dhue]

You got to be careful because the Amadjihad is a wile one. Once you get reptile in a chock hold, you don't let go.

[Ainast]

I told a British chick the same thing today and this is what she told me.

"God @#$# Americans and your wars." lol

[papasmurf]

We should'a choked that bastages azz 28 years ago...and not let go!

:O)

P

[do the dhue]

I think it is time to take his oil fields.

[ErieGeno]

One thing for sure, Mr Ahmadimwitnutjob is playing with some serious fire! If he keeps on the same track, I think that he will get burnt by that fire very soon!

[Spok]

Whether Bush has planned on an attack against Iran or not, it would appear that Iran is determined to precipitate one. Iran knows that all of the hysterical anti-war and anti-American rhetoric will ramp up if we lift a finger so they're daring us to, but if America's ability to wage war is as wounded as the Democrats like to think, we may not have a conventional option. Israel is already talking about an unconventional attack. The Democrats undermining of American resolve may encourage Iranian provocation of a nuclear response. All while Pelosi plays kissie face with Syria.

[do the dhue]

IF he don't get it in this planet, I would not want to be under his turban in the after life.

[do the dhue]

[do the dhue]

[DrGunsforHands]

We didn't say anything before because Britain asked us not to. They wanted to make sure that this whole thing wasn't just some big misunderstanding and end once and for all the debate over whether or not Iran can/will listen to reason and if there is any chance that Iran can ever be convinced to act rationally.

They wanted the US to stay out as the UK is one of the few Western countries that Iranians had not been conditioned to despise. If there was one country with which they might act rationally, it was the UK. As long as the US stayed out of it, there was a chance that Iran would listen to reason.

If the Iranians could be reasoned with on this issue, then perhaps they could still be reasoned with in regards to their nuclear program. They had proof that the Iranians were in the wrong. If the Iranians could/would not act rationally on such a matter as this, when there was absolute proof, then, when asked about it in the future, our leaders would be able to say, without a shadow of a doubt, that they had exhausted all possible methods before resorting to harsher measures.

That the President of the United States has now commented on this "incident" must mean that the British have once-and-for-all that the Iranians simply will not listen to reason and no amount of diplomacy will ever be enough to convince them to act rationally. Britain has gone from DEFCON 5, in terms of its approach to retrieving its soldiers and in dealing with Iran in general, to DEFCON 4.

[do the dhue]

I wonder how Russia or China would deal with something like this?

[MATSEVAH]

I have a plan lets trade Pelosi for the British soldiers then again we dont want her why should Iran.

[do the dhue]

She is already doing Iran's work in the House. Set a time line and pull out so Iran can move in.