Comments on: Sky News: British sailors were collecting intel on Iran when kidnapped

By: Khyber Pass

Khyber Pass — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 21:41:23 +0000

“Yes it’s true” said Captain Air. We were on an intelligence mission. “However, now that we have been released, I can categorically state that there is no intelligence in Iran.”

By: Freed UK Marine Captain: We Were Spying on the Iranians « Ahmed Ismail

Freed UK Marine Captain: We Were Spying on the Iranians « Ahmed Ismail — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:15:44 +0000

[...] For more details, please refer to Hot Air [...]

By: Agrippa2k

Agrippa2k — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:40:56 +0000

The Capt stated what the current concern was – piracy. The primary “intelligence” would be ambush locations that threaten Iraqi fishermen, and cargo ships.

That is Iranian pirates (and terrorists), not necessarily (in their minds) Iranian military. Movement of Iranian ships and troops are already under surveillance by satellite and other methods.

What was overlooked by the British, in their concern about the pirates, is that the actions of the pirates revealed gaps in surveillance, tactics, strategy, and response.

The Iranian military used the “intel” gathered by the pirates to sneak under the “radar” and ambush the Brits.

This episode is an allegory to the threat we face. A perfect demonstration of the threat of state sponsored terrorism. The terrorist press and probe, then the enemy state exploits, using similar tactics.

By: Blacklake

Blacklake — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 22:55:29 +0000

If you listen to it in context, he isn’t talking about gathering intelligence on Iran in general. He’s talking specifically about Iranian acts of piracy and intelligence that locals would have about those acts. It’s not like they were poking around for the GPS coordinates of Ahmedinejad’s bedroom.

By: csdeven

csdeven — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:37:58 +0000

DANEgerus on April 5, 2007 at 3:22 PM

*snicker*

By: DANEgerus

DANEgerus — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:22:24 +0000

Amadinthehead looses seaman, Blair swallows, and Nancy comes while Jimmy watches.

All in the pursuit of intelligence?

By: aengus

aengus — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:57:52 +0000

The Labour Government are trapped in an unreality bubble which forms the basis for all their policies.

By: CP

CP — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:19:24 +0000

Sky News: “We withheld the interview until now so it would not jeopardise their safety.”

Yeah, I agree with the others above – I don’t have faith that the American media would have done the same and its a real shame it’s come to that.

By: januarius

januarius — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:14:13 +0000

I don’t think there is anything England can do to lessen their humiliation. Their marines let themselves be captured without fighting, they apologized, and they looked like their were having a wonderful time in Iran.

These marines were shameful. Their terrible behavior makes all Westerners look weak in the Middle East. One lady on the Laura Ingraham show today whose husband was in the Royal Marines said in his day this behavior would never occurred.

A lot of changes can occur when you have a liberal running a country for so long.

By: cmay

cmay — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:01:45 +0000

This just in: Gathering intel is not an act of war or a crime. It certainly is not grounds for detaining 14 marines and 1 sailor who were in the territorial waters of another country.

By: Tony737

Tony737 — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:45:13 +0000

That was SKY News, their version of our FOX News. Now had it been the BBC, who knows? They prolly woulda blabbed it to the whole world.

By: Canadian Imperialist Running Dog

Canadian Imperialist Running Dog — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:32:25 +0000

Does someone assume for a moment that whereever the alleged border sits, that mystical line in the sea, that you wouldn’t be gathering intel on whats happening on the other side of said line?

You also have to remember that the brits do have an official secrets act, and aren’t afraid to use it.

By: JayHaw Phrenzie

JayHaw Phrenzie — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:30:33 +0000

Who said, “The first ammendment is not a suicide pact?”

By: Bad Candy

Bad Candy — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:28:45 +0000

I seem to remember hearing that the policy is that if the US press gets ahold of something, its pretty much guaranteed they’ll print, or its to be assumed they will, consequences be damned.

By: csdeven

csdeven — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:26:30 +0000

I guess not.

By: csdeven

csdeven — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:25:54 +0000

Am I the only one that feels like the US media would have aired this interview and be damned the consequences?

By: eeyore

eeyore — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:25:46 +0000

But Capt. Air must not have thought the "int" a big deal, since he was talking about to a reporter. But CurtZHP was right. If it had been their choice, every American MSM outlet would have been screaming that, indeed, "a detailed campaign of spying" was taking place.

By: CurtZHP

CurtZHP — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:19:37 +0000

Can you imagine the American MSM embargoing a story in order to protect our troops?

By: Hilts

Hilts — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:10:36 +0000

Yeah that is why the ship was unprotected.