Breaking: Iran says it will release woman sailor; Update: Set to air video “confession”? Update: Iran will let British diplomats meet with sailors
posted at 9:10 am on March 28, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Today or tomorrow, according to the banner at CNN.com. Meanwhile, Blair has unleashed his dreaded “new phase” in the standoff: a freeze on all diplomatic matters with Iran unrelated to the hostage crisis and public presentation of GPS evidence that the ships were, indeed, in Iraqi waters. Iran has already responded on the latter point. The Beeb has a graphic.
Standby for updates.
Update: The report about the woman sailor comes from Turkish TV, quoting the Iranian foreign minister.
Update: Iran’s playing games with the GPS coordinates. From the Guardian link:
Vice Adm. Charles Style told reporters that the Iranians had provided a position on Sunday - a location that he said was in Iraqi waters. By Tuesday, Iranian officials had given a revised position 2 miles east, placing the British inside Iranian waters - a claim he said was not verified by global positioning system coordinates.
“It is hard to understand a legitimate reason for this change of coordinates,” Style said.
Style gave the satellite coordinates of the British crew as 29 degrees 50.36 minutes north latitude and 048 degrees 43.08 minutes east longitude, and said it had been confirmed by an Indian-flagged merchant ship boarded by the sailors and marines.
Update: Looks like there’s a price for letting her go.
The female British sailor detained by Iran along with 14 others after their illegal entry to Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf has apologized to Tehran for the incursion.
In an interview to be broadcast later on Wednesday on television, Faye Turney, apologized for the violation of the Iranian sovereignty by the British navy service people on Friday.
She said Iranians have treated her and the other soldiers in a humane, moral manner.
Update: Iran says it may let Turkish diplomats in to see the sailors.
Update: Changed the headline from “woman Marine” to “woman sailor.” An e-mailer in a position to know tells us there are no women in the Royal Marines, although there are in the Royal Navy.
Update: Video of the female soldier is now being shown on Iranian TV. Here’s the only clip I’ve found thus far which contains audio (briefly).
Naturally, they’ve slapped a headscarf on her.
And here are the screencaps of her letter to her family. It’s pure propaganda. “[W]e had apparently gone into Iranian waters…”
“I have written a letter to the Iranian people to apologise for us entering into their waters…”
“Hopefully it won’t be long until I am home to get ready for Molly’s birthday party with a present from the Iranian people.”
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.
Update: I guess this is good news but all arrows here point towards them being held for awhile. I figured Iran would release all 15 by Friday to show their “reasonableness.” That seems unlikely if they’re arranging for diplomatic visits.
As I write this, Drudge has the siren up claiming that Iran’s demanding an admission that the sailors were in Iranian waters in order to resolve the crisis. Blair can’t do that and now, having drawn this line, neither can Iran back off from it. Looks like this is about to get interesting.
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I remember there’s a statue in Trafalgar Square dedicated to a man who would have never stood for this from any foreign navy. Rule Britannia is just a wistful memory it seems.
SailorDave on March 28, 2007 at 7:54 PM
Map
\
\ 4
——
1
3
HMS Cornwall 2
Map showing location of ships, according to UK
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
They’re lying sacks of Shi’ite. And they can’t even get their lies straight.
It’s time for Bush to publicly say that Iran has committed an act of war against the Coalition, that he has spoken to PM Blair and told him that the US will fully support any action the UK wants to take in response.
The Monster on March 28, 2007 at 8:09 PM
More importantly, even if the original action wasn’t approved by the top dogs, they didn’t order their subordinates to release the captives.
As the sign on HST’s desk said, “The buck stops here.” Those sailors are there because KookooMeanie and ArmageddonJihad want them there.
The Monster on March 28, 2007 at 8:19 PM
I think the mullahs just went all-in because the jig was up on their meddling in Iraq, Gaza and Lebanon and because they are now in a corner over the nuke situation (even with their unpaid Russian buddies).
Let’s add the extra angle of a collapsing economy and an increasingly dissatisfied populus. What do you do to save your collective Islamist necks in that situation? You create (or resurrect) an external enemy by your own provocation. That’s exactly what they game plan was for Crazy Ayatollah #1 in ‘79.
It worked well then. Why not try it again?
SailorDave on March 28, 2007 at 8:34 PM
Do the Iranians seriously think anyone with 2 cents worth of common sense is going to buy that confession? It looked about as genuine as a $3 bill for crying out loud. Propaganda is one thing but bad propaganda just makes me even more mad.
Yakko77 on March 28, 2007 at 8:44 PM
Iran also says it won’t release the female sailor, either.
amerpundit on March 28, 2007 at 8:52 PM
Thomas Jefferson didn’t ask Congress for war declaration (doubting he would get one) for the First Barbary War.
It’s a good precedent.
VinceP1974 on March 28, 2007 at 9:44 PM
Lehuster: “Sorry, but if you think either this or the embassy take-over of 1979 resulted from excessive intiative on the part of over-enthusiastic lower-echelon commanders, you’re nuts. In both cases, the orders without a doubt came from the top.”
Lehuster, I know that the embassy takeover was done on the initiative of the students because they said so when interviewed by Mark Bowden for his book on the event, “Guests of the Ayaytollah.” The Iranian government officials involved backed up this version of the events. The Iranian mullahs didn’t know what to do about the embassy takeover at first. No orders came from the top because Khomeini rarely gave orders. He vacillated, leaning toward whatever set of advisors he talked to last. Before you start calling people crazy, you need to learn your subject, kid.
Tantor on March 28, 2007 at 10:07 PM
The Iranian government is simply using her to show their humanitarian side.
Connie on March 28, 2007 at 11:11 PM
Heck, Berkeley even helped them with the overthrow.
Connie on March 28, 2007 at 11:13 PM
I heard that. They want the Brits to admit they were in Iranian waters?
Connie on March 28, 2007 at 11:17 PM
The Iranians are making Tony Blair look like a weak little baby in front of the entire damn world. It makes me sick to my stomach watching this take place, and I’m not even British!
WisCon on March 28, 2007 at 11:33 PM
As I said on WCE
Tim Burton on March 28, 2007 at 11:38 PM
Well, seems that James Stockdale disagreed with that. May he rest in the arms of Christ.
Tim Burton on March 28, 2007 at 11:47 PM
I think it’s mainly the Iranians exploiting our protectiveness towards our women. We don’t send them on suicide bombing missions or use them as human shields.
Yakko77 on March 28, 2007 at 11:47 PM
Parading prisoners like this is such a major human rights violation, that I’m sure Amnesty International will get right on it–just as soon as it’s done condemning Israel for defending itself, for the forty-zillionth time this year. Of course prarding prisoners is nothing like this http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2000/10/13/palestinian256.jpg photo taken from outside a police station, mind you, but Amnesty International has its priorities.
smellthecoffee on March 29, 2007 at 12:35 AM
I repeat, for the mpteenth time - Mr. Bush is extremely lucky in his enemies, domestic and foreign.
This is going to get very interesting, soon. Lots of activity around Iran.
This act will be one of the most significant in history. I can’t wait to see how the crazies are going to blame Mr. Bush for it. What will the conspiracy be? He paid off the hostage-takers to save his legacy?
Entelechy on March 29, 2007 at 1:29 AM
Do you really think, Tantor, that they’d break their cover story for any western author?
The words “plausible deniability” are operative here.
georgej on March 29, 2007 at 3:13 AM
Yes England, just admit that your men were in Iranian waters and we will release them immediately. We would like it in writing and please attach a gift of your soil and water as a sign of ‘friendship’ between your people and the Iranians.
BohicaTwentyTwo on March 29, 2007 at 8:11 AM
In a perfect world… 20 years this would have happened.
How many sorties would have already flown under Thatcher and Reagan?
Are the armed forces of Argentina on high alert? I don’t know if they realize it yet, but the Falklands is theirs for the taking. Maybe Hugo can send some support, the West won’t do a damn thing about it….
reaganaut on March 29, 2007 at 9:15 AM
Do the Iranians seriously think anyone with 2 cents worth of common sense is going to buy that confession? It looked about as genuine as a $3 bill for crying out loud. Propaganda is one thing but bad propaganda just makes me even more mad.
Disregarding the actual words, the overall message it conveyed was brilliant: the British military consists of a bunch of WOMEN - in dresses and headscarves, standing in front of a flowery curtain! - abjectly confessing their crimes. The British are pussies and their military is toothless; this is a message that the other countries in the region will understand perfectly.
Lehuster, I know that the embassy takeover was done on the initiative of the students because they said so when interviewed by Mark Bowden for his book on the event, “Guests of the Ayaytollah.” The Iranian government officials involved backed up this version of the events. The Iranian mullahs didn’t know what to do about the embassy takeover at first. No orders came from the top because Khomeini rarely gave orders. He vacillated, leaning toward whatever set of advisors he talked to last. Before you start calling people crazy, you need to learn your subject, kid.
It never ceases to amaze me how gullible people are. Of course the “official” Iranian story, maintained from 1979 to this day, is that the students acted on their own initiative. Does that mean it’s true? Of course not. Khomeini ordered the embassy seizure in order to destroy his domestic opponents, specifically the group that sought improved relations with the United States.
Lehuster on March 29, 2007 at 11:09 AM
georgej: “Do you really think, Tantor, that they’d break their cover story for any western author? The words “plausible deniability” are operative here.”
The words most operative to your argument are “conspiracy theory.” As usual with conspiracy theories, the documented facts of reality are given less weight than the speculative fantasies of the conspiracy theorists. If you think orders came from Khomeini, produce them.
In fact, the days immediately following the revolution were chaos. Iranian mullahs are none too competent even in calm times, much less so in the turbulent times of the revolution, when factions were fighting for power and all the mullahs were looking for an angle to gain power. The facts are pretty straightforward.
The world is too disorganized for everything to be a conspiracy. This Iranian piracy could easily be the work of one cowboy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, just like an international incident was created by one cowboy Chinese squadron commander who inadvertently crashed into a Navy spy plane off the coast of China in international waters not so long ago. Such incidents reflect the poor discipline of their military units.
Tantor on March 29, 2007 at 11:16 AM
Lehuster: “It never ceases to amaze me how gullible people are. Of course the “official” Iranian story, maintained from 1979 to this day, is that the students acted on their own initiative. Does that mean it’s true? Of course not. Khomeini ordered the embassy seizure in order to destroy his domestic opponents, specifically the group that sought improved relations with the United States.”
It always surprises me that conspiracy theorists with absolutely no facts on their side call anybody “gullible” who doesn’t buy into their speculative fantasies. You’re going to have to do better than spin fables to prove your case. If Khomeini gave the order, produce it.
The fact is that Iran under Khomeini in the days of the revolution was chaos. The revolutionary leaders were largely reactionary with respect to events, not daring to do anything that another faction could interpret as hostile. It took a while for the mullahs even to get interested in the embassy takeover. It took them by surprise and they didn’t know what to do about it.
It’s entirely possible that this Iranian act of piracy is similarly an irresponsible act of a small group of people. Third World nations are hardly models of discipline. More things happen there accidently than on purpose.
Tantor on March 29, 2007 at 11:25 AM
Tantor
There is no doubt that the Iranian government backed the occupation of the US Embassy in Teheran. In fact, the matter was tried before the International Court of Justice, which reviewed the factual basis of not only the Embassy occupation, but of consular offices as well. You don’t have to believe me…just Google “International Court of Justice Teheran Hostages case”. It’s all there. As a result of the findings of the ICJ, Iran paid millions in reparation to the US and US businesses and citizens.
For me, however, the most telling fact was the ratification of the student’s acts by the Iranian regime, including the public awarding of honours to the leaders.
Blaise on March 29, 2007 at 11:34 AM
Didn’t Hannity and Combs had a segment on this last night. Hannity discussed this with Oliver North (who has extensive experience dealing with Iran and basically called Iran a Liar of the first order) and one of the hostages who was held in Beruit.
The ex-hostage noted how they would often force a confession by holding another hostage with a gun to his head off-camera with the knowlege that if you did not follow the script exactly the hostage would be killed.
Yeah… lets hold a ‘dialogue’ with these animals…..
CrazyFool on March 29, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Blaise: “There is no doubt that the Iranian government backed the occupation of the US Embassy in Teheran.”
They did so after the fact. They did not initiate it, which is my point. The students came up with the idea independently and executed it on their own. Khomeini and his mullahs took possession of it after the fact when they saw political advantage in doing so.
My point is that these Third World thug regimes are not well-oiled machines with disciplined citizenry taking precise orders from well-established chains of command. In fact, they are chaotic messes where everyone is doing their own thing, where each group is trying to dominate the other group, where nobody is thinking ahead but rather everyone is reacting to what’s in front of their face now. Their leaderships are often driven by bonehead blunders their folowers make.
The embassy takeover was certainly a bonehead blunder, as many of the hostage-takers themselves admit, which cost Iran dearly. A bunch of wannabe Berkeley-ite students thought they’d pull a harmless demonstration, taking over the embassy just like American radicals took over college administration buildings, and walk away after a couple days. Instead, they tossed a steaming hot potato into the mullah’s laps which they turned into an international incident that poisons relations with America to this day.
This piracy at sea may be derived from the same Third World lack of self-control.
Tantor on March 29, 2007 at 4:41 PM
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