15 British sailors kidnapped by Iran

[Evan]

I hear that Britain will be going into a different "phase" of negotiations if diplomacy doesn't resolve this.

[King]

I think everybody is right.

[Hat Rack]

Supposedly this all began a few weeks ago. The US may have kidnapped a couple of Iranian Generals. We say they defected. A warning went out last week that Iran was going to kidnap US soldiers and hold them hostage until we returned the Generals. They could not capture any US soldiers, so they took the next best thing-British Marines. Sorry Britain, but were not giving back the Generals.
As for the Brits bombing Iran or any sort of an attack on Iran, is a bit silly. The British military cannot do a thing without the US military. That is the way it has been designed. The Brits decided to spend their taxes on social welfare, and we decided to spend our taxes on bombs. Besides, there are more people living in Great Britain who are loyal to Hezbollah than there are British Marines. There are also too many people in Britian who believe Tony Blair is a war criminal and should be hung, and believe that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a wonderful, peaceful loving country.

[Alofwar]

Supposedly this all began a few weeks ago. The US may have kidnapped a couple of Iranian Generals. We say they defected. A warning went out last week that Iran was going to kidnap US soldiers and hold them hostage until we returned the Generals. They could not capture any US soldiers, so they took the next best thing-British Marines. Sorry Britain, but were not giving back the Generals.
As for the Brits bombing Iran or any sort of an attack on Iran, is a bit silly. The British military cannot do a thing without the US military. That is the way it has been designed. The Brits decided to spend their taxes on social welfare, and we decided to spend our taxes on bombs. Besides, there are more people living in Great Britain who are loyal to Hezbollah than there are British Marines. There are also too many people in Britian who believe Tony Blair is a war criminal and should be hung, and believe that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a wonderful, peaceful loving country.

Hatrack, you just hit the nail on the head with that last part about people in Great Britain. Its such a sad truth about my own country but its true, most of us have lost all sense of honour, and have become greedy. They moan about our soldier dying on lies of WMD's, but it was intelligence that later proven to be wrong, Tony Blair wasn't lying, i think he was convienced that Iraq had WMD's it was the spy's who made a mistake, they didnt make it up, they made a mistake. they talk about all the good things that could have been brought for our own country with the money spent on the war, I am rather disgusted by this arguement as it is greedy. What about the people of Iraq? Don't they have a right to the same rights as us? To all the luxories that we have??? The main reasons for the current situtation is that there was no plan put in place for after the war, that the US disolved Iraq's police, army and government completely to start from scratch, leaving them open the shire death squads now run them. And a few bitch individuals who want complete power to themselves, and seem to think the fact that someone is a slightly different version of the same religion means they are evil somehow, or that being a completely different religion makes a difference.

[TiNM@N]

Man Iran has a good propaganda machine

[cavalierlwt]

Hey, the UN just issued a statement asking Iran to give the sailors back. Way to go UN, way to show such strong leadership. It's only been a f***ing about week you frigging shit-for-brains. Don't tire yourselves out now UN, pace yourself. They wonder why no one takes them very seriously.

[Alofwar]

Hey, the UN just issued a statement asking Iran to give the sailors back. Way to go UN, way to show such strong leadership. It's only been a f***ing about week you frigging shit-for-brains. Don't tire yourselves out now UN, pace yourself. They wonder why no one takes them very seriously.

"If you do not co-operate we will be very angry with you, and we will write you a letter telling you how angry we are."

In that time the only woman amongst the 15 has been forced to write letters by the Iranians say stuff that obvious what the Iranians are making her write.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6508909.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6508039.stm

Im sure you can find exactly what was said in the letters somewhere, i know they've been released.

[SavageParrot]

Wow this is a waste of time. I hate this childish nationalistic bullshit. All they want from us is an apology so why don't we just cross our fingers behind our backs and give them one. I fail to see how that is such a price to pay for the safe return of all those people. If they were asking for something more substantial then fuck em but is this really worth it for something as small as an apology? All this trying to save face whatever the cost is fucking pathetic so yes if those guys end up dead I'll be blaming our government as much as I'll be blaming the Iranians; for playing dumb fucking games with stakes that weren't there's to bet with.

If it was drunk guy picking a fight in a bar saying you spilled his drink any idiot would know to just apologise and diffuse the situation. Why that suddenly doesn't apply when it comes to global politics I have no idea. I mean it's not as if anyone is going to have their opinions changed about us as a nation based on this event.

And say what you like about lack of national pride, it's water of a ducks back to me. I think nationalism is a disease; Along side religion nationalism had to be the biggest cause of wars throughout history, and for what? For an abstact idea? For pride? Am I proud to be British? Yeah. Do I think it's worth going to war to prove my country is better? Do I bollocks...

In any case at what point did national pride become a good thing while regular pride stayed on the list of deadly sins? WTF is that all about? If I walk past a mirror and think wow my arse is looking a bit tasty today I am going to hell but if I beat a man to death becasue he was saying bad things about my country that's ok? Makes perfect sense to me.

This is an easily diffusable situation but instead we try and play power games for god know what reason. It all comes down to that lovely expression they keep using 'If we want to keep punching above our weight on the world scene then we need to do this stuff'. But why the fuck do we want to be punching above our weight? What does it get us but an irrelevant, fleeting sense of pointless and misplaced superiority and a lot of planes full of the bodies of our soldiers?

I could care less what the rest of the world thinks about us. Whether they like us dislike us or laugh at us it makes no odds to me at all. The size of our economy is more than enough punching for us, we don't need to keep proving we still have military muscle.

[cavalierlwt]

I don't know that it's about nationalism. Yes, it is game of sorts, but it's impossible to figure out what their angle is. For all you know, if Tony Blair says 'Sorry for invading your waters', Iran might say " Well, we're glad you admitted to invading our sovereign waters. Now all we have to do is chop these guys heads off and we'll call it a day" This is mess and it's all tied into Iraq, their nuclear program, etc. I think it will all work itself out, but these guys once held some US hostages for well over a year in the late 70's. You gotta play it right.

[CodeRed68]

I don't know that it's about nationalism. Yes, it is game of sorts, but it's impossible to figure out what their angle is. For all you know, if Tony Blair says 'Sorry for invading your waters', Iran might say " Well, we're glad you admitted to invading our sovereign waters. Now all we have to do is chop these guys heads off and we'll call it a day" This is mess and it's all tied into Iraq, their nuclear program, etc. I think it will all work itself out, but these guys once held some US hostages for well over a year in the late 70's. You gotta play it right.

yea.. and i remember these t-shirts and bumper stickers were all the rage..
And in Louisiana, there was a 30ft image of this painted on a supermarket wall...


... you guys in the UK want to borrow it?

[Alofwar]

If we apologise, the sailors won't be returned, Iran will treat it, it treats all victories, it will start demanding more, give them an inch and their take a mile. They are only saying "britain acted inappropriately" because we embarrased them by proving the sailors were in Iraqi waters, they're getting desprate. And its obvious it its in response to the UN resolution on more sanctions, you can't seperate the issues. The only way to deal with Iran is it to slap in the face and say thats enough of your fucking crap bitch!!!

[SavageParrot]

Yeah becasue that's worked so well in the past...

[Wesley]

I think the UK needs to check and see if they have their balls. I am guessing they dont.
And please tell me why this boat allowed some Iranian pontoon boats to capture 15 soldiers?

[jingleBoy]

..its sad what briton has become.....

i hear there going to be issuing rugs to everyone soon..

[TiNM@N]

can i call you smacker Wesley? The UK troops were in BF2 type "RIB" boat. That ship is the Cornhollio.