UK Sailors Captured At Gunpoint

UK sailors captured at gunpoint BBC news
Fifteen British navy personnel have been captured at gunpoint by Iranian forces, the Ministry of Defence says.
The men were seized at 1030 local time when they boarded a boat in the Gulf, off the coast of Iraq, which they suspected was smuggling cars.
The Royal Navy said the group was on a routine patrol in Iraqi waters and were understood to be unharmed.
But Iranian state television quoted the Iran foreign ministry as saying they had illegally entered Iranian waters.
The Associated Press news agency is quoting US Navy official, Commander Kevin Aandahl, as saying that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard were responsible.
Mr Aandahl is also reported as saying the naval force had told them in a radio message that the British were not harmed.
Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has demanded the immediate and safe return of the HMS Cornwall servicemen.
She added that she had called for a “full explanation” from Iran and had left them in no doubt that she wanted the group and their equipment back immediately.
The task force’s commander, Commodore Nick Lambert, said he was hoping there had been a “simple mistake” over territorial waters.

“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they [British personnel] were in Iraqi territorial waters. Equally, the Iranians may claim they were in Iranian territorial waters.

The incident comes at a time of renewed tensions with Iran over its nuclear programme and follows claims that most of the violence against UK forces in Basra is being engineered by Iranian elements.
British army Colonel Justin Maciejewski, who is based in Iraq, said Iran was providing “sophisticated weaponry” to insurgents and “Iranian agents” were paying local men to attack British troops.

Wild Thing’s comment…….
it were up to me I’d simply say, “At the end of two hours one of two things will have happened. Either the hostages will be returned, or you will have no Navy.”