Blair convenes Cobra team as crisis in Iran escalates

scotsman.com ^ | 25th March 2007 | BRIAN BRADY

[mutley]

"The Iranians don't want a a military responce from the West. They'll use this situation to their advantage while still keeping their asses safe."

If this is true, then I wonder if it's all the more reason something should be done militarily. Rendering their calculations of our (the wests) response, to UNSURE and likely UNWISE.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

The response to the inquiry, which had been immediately patched through to Ministry of Defence headquarters in Whitehall, was to hold fire.

The response should have been, "Sink it"

[randog]

...the 15 military personnel, which included at least one woman...

We're told that women should be included in combat roles for various reasons, but here's the downside. The article wouldn't have included that factoid if it didn't play on people's sympathies.

[baubau]

"The Shatt al-Arab 15 were, from the start, pawns in a perilous international game.

"It looks like too much of a coincidence," a senior Foreign Office insider confirmed.

I always thought, and still think, they were pawns right from the time they were taken.

A sad incident that hopefully will be resolved through negotiations. Probably an exchange of the British intelligence agents with the Iranians captured in Iraq?

[livius]

I agree. They've seen that they can get away with this, and they'll do it from time to time. I think it's aimed at boosting their regional profile, since Iran wants to be seen as the dominant player in the ME. This is part of its advertising campaign, so to speak. And it has learned that there will be no cost to Iran.

[R. Scott]

…you mustn't have children that would be eligible for draft in a few years.

Is the draft such a terrible thing? Is service in the US Military something to be avoided at any cost?
It must be - Bill Clinton ran in terror from it.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

you obviously want world war 3

We already had that, it was called the Cold War.

We are currently in World War IV.

[grey_whiskers]

"There is nothing to be gained in provoking a confrontation, because that would be playing into their hands. But neither should we let them have it all their way. We tried that before and we're still trying to get our kit balls back."

There, all fixed.

Must be in Hillary's lockbox (Limey poofters notwithstanding).

How's that "Third Way" working out, Tony?

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

I'm sorry, but the timne to confront them was when the whole thing started. HMS Cornwall could have, should have stopped it then!

I hereby re-christen that boat the HMS Cornwallis.

No champagne bottle against the hull, please. That might offend the Muslims!

Cheers!

[Dog]

Iran is trying to justify their ownership over this territory

This had nothing to do with territory .....those 5 seized "diplomats" seized in Ibril....must be the motherlode of info....because a faction in the IRGC caused an international incident to get them back.

[baubau]

"Are you for real, you obviously want world war 3, you mustn't have children that would be eligible for draft in a few years. I just love all this chest pounding."

Some don't have children to send. Some won't send their chidlren. While others are affected by doublethink, or the concept of holding two contradictory ideas in one's mind and accepting both of them.

[waimea.man]

A sad incident that hopefully will be resolved through negotiations. Probably an exchange of the British intelligence agents with the Iranians captured in Iraq?

What "British intelligence agents" are you talking about????

[Flavius]

Commodore Nick Lambert, frantically radioed back to his own top brass for instructions.

THERE IS YOUR PROBLEM

at least they did not contact gender bias attorney/regulator, and intercultural expert along with UN appointed attorney, but sure thats next

to borrow from recent historical revival, one wonders if the success of 300 stand at Thermopylae had a lot to do with chain of command being upfront in first line taking down the obvious threat

[thomas16]

You know if someone looks at us in a way we don't like let's blow them up! Yeah, that's what we should do! And we should do it before we think they'll blow us up! Yeah! Yeah! Lets start moving You got some kids? Send them over we'll show the world how brave I am!

If someone isn't willing to agree with you bunch of yahoos they must be a Democrat, this forum used to have a more intellectual conversation about 5 years ago now all we have are abunch of chest thumping, bible thumping yahoos. If you all want war so bad sign up! Go on over! Just stop pounding your chests and sending someone else over, walk the talk! And then after you get over there you can hear all the politicians wring their hands that everything we've done is a mistake. I'm not the sissy, the sissy is the the one who starts the fight for someone else to fight. Prove what a manly man you are and go on over! Bombs away!

[Pox]

Iran seized the British sailors in Iraqi waters, so an attempt to justify ownership of Iraqi territory does not make sense.

Even the UN isn't stupid enough to believe the absurd 'confessions', but since the UN is an impotent agency to begin with, I don't see that as even being a factor.

The Iranians are holding the British sailors as a bargaining chip, and what precisely they want in return for their release is not yet entirely clear, but I would posit that they are simply making this play to help convince the British public to call for the troops to be removed from the area, or maybe they want some of their agents back that they recently had captured in Iraq. Perhaps they simply wanted to poke a stick in our eye and will simply release them when they are tired of that game, or maybe they see an imminent attack upon their nuclear facilities and are attempting to use these sailors to try and thwart those plans. We will have to wait and see.

Of course the MSM will not do anything useful over this incident, but beyond that, the British should never have let their sailors be captured in such a fashion, IMO. According to reports, they could have actually fought for their men at the time this was going down, and although the sailors would have been extremely vulnerable in that situation, the alternative has now left the U.K. looking like a weakling who will not properly defend her troops nor fight when push comes to shove. This isn't the G.B. I knew decades ago, one which wouldn't hesitate to make an example of little punks who got too big for their britches.

[baubau]

"To be honest I cannot see this escalating much further. There will probably be some humiliating mock trial/confession for the media to boost internal morale in Iran, then they will be released."

I agree.

As we're chatting here the US and Britain are probably negotiating through their diplomats for the release of the intelligence agents. But I doubt they will be released w/o an arms lenght exchange.

[ClaireSolt]

Please notify the Center for American Progress to pay attention. This is the kind of incident that is sure to develop with their proposed policy of phased redeployment.

Macho Americans need to hold their horses and stand ready to help when the Brits ask. If you want allies, you cannot overpower them at every turn. In a way that nobody seems to understand Bush has gotten the Europeans fighting in Afghanistan and Lebanon by not always one-upping them. Alliances Dems complain about are actually stronger now and functioning better.

[Garvin]

I bet the UN will send Iran a very stern warning in writing that will get them released. /sarc off

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

It reminds me of how you would treat a bratty kid rather thana country that has stated its willingness and desire to destroy other countries. Absolutely pathetic.

[beebuster2000]

"There is nothing to be gained in provoking a confrontation, because that would be playing into their hands. But neither should we let them have it all their way. We tried that before and we're still trying to get our kit back." What a spineless uttering.

you said it. they should start sinking Iran naval craft asap. see if that makes a point. If Jimmy carter had sack when they took our embassy guys we wouldnt be in Iraq today IMHO