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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Snatch Brits 'Fit And Well' |
| 2007-03-26 |
| Fifteen British service personnel arrested by Iran are "fit and well", the Foreign Office has said. Iran's foreign ministry gave the assurance to British ambassador Geoffrey Adams. It came during a "business-like" hour-long meeting between the two this morning. "The foreign ministry assured us that the group were fit and well and in Iran, but gave no further details at this stage," a Foreign Office spokesman said. But Iran warned the group were being "interrogated" and the individuals could be charged with spying. "The case of the Britons who violated Iranian territorial waters is following the due legal process and they must answer for their violation," deputy foreign minister Mehdi Mostafavi said. "The British sailors are currently being interrogated and must clarify whether they entered Iranian waters deliberately or by mistake. "When it becomes clear, a decision will be made." Mr Mostafavi added that Iran was not aiming to swap the individuals for five Iranians arrested in northern Iraq by the US. The 15 Britons were arrested by Iranian soldiers on Friday as they inspected a dhow they suspected was involved in smuggling cars. Iran said the personnel were in Iranian waters. That is denied by Britain who says the group were in Iraqi waters. Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari spoke to his Iranian counterpart on Monday morning by phone and called for the group to be released. The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said they should be "freed immediately". Tony Blair warned Tehran it was a "fundamental" issue for the UK and insisted they had not strayed into Iranian waters. Sources told Sky News that Iran's ambassador to Britain may be called to see Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett for a third time. Foreign Office minister Lord Triesman told Sky News Britain wanted to know where the men were being held amid reports they had been taken to Tehran. Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor, Tim Marshall, said Iran would dictate the pace of events. "It appears Iran is holding all the cards whilst they decide which one to play," Marshall said. "If they want to escalate the situation they will charge them with espionage. "If having made their point they want to de-escalate, they will let them go with a warning. "The point is they are in control." |
| Posted by:SwissTex |
| #4 The British and the rest of the EU should immediately begin removing all diplomatic personnel from Tehran except for a low-level charge d'affairs for each country. Get any more potential hostages out of the way so when we hit these bastards they won't have any more human shields. |
| Posted by: Mac 2007-03-26 10:42 |
| #3 So all the Foreign Office know are what they've been told by those with an interest to lie. Brilliant! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-03-26 10:37 |
| #2 copied and pasted from Sky's article! Snatch Brits Snatch Brits 'Fit And Well' I don't check Brit's ortograf! |
| Posted by: SwissTex 2007-03-26 08:59 |
| #1 I think you meant "Snatched Brits. . .". |
| Posted by: GORT 2007-03-26 08:11 |