[Dog]

This just went bigtime...

[Lurker]

the diplomats and the politicians were acutely aware that Tehran has built a foreign policy on disregarding diplomatic niceties.

Ah the British penchant for understatement, there's really nothing quite like it.

L

[Glenn]

"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.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

it may be this type of incident which forces the US and Britain to finally take off the gloves and whip these peoples a**es..enough is enough..

[Normal4me]

Time to start seizing Iran's oil tankers.

[Pox]

This went nowhere. The Iranians calculated that the British would not do anything other than talk, and they are correct.

[SE Mom]

I truly hope you're correct. It's one thing not to make a big deal out of little deals...it's another thing entirely not to make a big deal out of big deals. The longer the west allows itself to be blackmailed, the surer becomes it's demise.

[Nextrush]

Iran did it because of the Security Council sanctions.

[BuffaloJack]

Why isn't the USA involved? Weren't the Brits acting under a US regional commander?
Start sinking Iranian naval vessels. No civilian casualties that way. There must be a Brit or US sub in the area.

[Guenevere]

The Commander frantically radios to the 'top brass' as he sees this unfold before his eyes...

..the 'top brass' say...'Hold your fire'...

..WHY?

WHY allow this to happen without a fight????????

I can't imagine American forces allowing this to happen before their eyes and not try to stop it.

And I mean that as no disservice to the Brits, I really don't.

I am quite surprised they allowed this?

[Guenevere]

I'm also glad to read the definition of COBRA.

I thought it was some super force like our DELTA guys and wondered why they openly announced this.

[veronica]

I guess we'll see now what Tony Blair is made of.

[TADSLOS]

Top level COBRA is an acronym for Cabinet Office Briefing Room A, where its meetings are held.

"Send in Commander Bond, Miss Moneypenney".

[Alas Babylon!]

As the crew members were surrounded in their two rubber dinghies, the Cornwall's commander, Commodore Nick Lambert, frantically radioed back to his own top brass for instructions.

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

The order to show restraint has been observed throughout the forces and the British government in the 48 hours since, but it is unclear how long both sides will be able to maintain control.

How can they say such a thing?

To the British press and government: "Both sides maintain control"???? The Iranians took control of your mates! They broke that restraint from the very beginning!!! Your skipper stood by and passed the buck (I'm sure under orders) upstaris when while he watched his own men be attacked! Your higher ups let it be so. Now you want to spend perhaps millions of pounds convening government resources to "confront" the Iranians?

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

[toddlintown]

Sure, sure. Let's establish a dialogue./s

[AD from SpringBay]

The Cobra team? Aren't those the guys who wear the blue spandex and run around shouting 'COBRA!', all the while randomly shooting their guns? He should call the G.I. Joe team instead. They are much more effective.

[AD from SpringBay]

But seriously - England is a member of NATO. Does that mean anything?

[maquiladora]

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.

There isn't a snowsball chance of the UK or US launching a operation to rescue them, as they've probably been seperated and are being held in various unknown bases in the capital. Plus, there is no political will to issue a military ultimatum.

The Iranian's will maximise the potential from the propaganda then claim the moral victory by eventually releasing them.

[reefdiver]

I wonder how Mrs. Bill would handle this

[Reagan is King]

"There is nothing to be gained in provoking a confrontation, because that would be playing into their hands"

With that attitude I suppose this will be resolved by begging for help from London's radical mullahs instead of telling Tehran to release them immediately or suffer the consequences. They need Maggie Thatcher.

[C210N]

The smaller-scale precedent, the taking of six British marines and two sailors on the same waterway in June 2004, was a painful lesson.

Another more recent datapoint to consider: the taking of 3 Israeli soldiers and killing of others, on clearly Israeli soil, last Summer... that led to a few weeks of a mini war. Although not carried thru to their release, it was the correct response to the Iranian (via Hezbolla/Hamas) provocation.