Royal Navy sailors held in Iran

[richardm]

The Iranians say they crossed the border illegally. The Navy say they were just delivering a boat and strayed accidentally.

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The whole thing seems to be blown out of all proportion, with a full-scale diplomatic crisis pending.

Iranian television has shown the personal weapons the sailors were carrying - not unreasonably, given the current state of affairs in Iraq. But they appeared to me to be M16s or similar. Does the RN use those guns? 'Cos the suspicious person in me wonders if they might be the sort of guns the SBS uses, rather than boat delivery types.

 

[Mr Manifesto]

The dial-a-pundits I've heard who've commented on this say that Iran is showing the soon-to-be-Iraqi-leaders who's boss as well as hitting back at the IAEA over nuclear compliance issues.

 

[Donks]

I think the Iranians should have just confiscated the weapons and boats and sent the 8 guys back. I don't see how 8 guys on 3 boats could be considered to be an effective espionage or invasion force, so it's obviously a mistake.

OTOH, I don't know what international law says, but if armed members of an army cross into another country without permission, I'd guess it's the right of that country to arrest them. I doubt the US would look kindly if 8 armed north korean soldiers suddenly arrived in San Diego.

 

[Mr Manifesto]

And try asking Equitorial Guineans what they think of mercenaries landing in their country. No sense of humour at all.

 

[aerocontrols]

I think the Iranians should have just confiscated the weapons and boats and sent the 8 guys back. I don't see how 8 guys on 3 boats could be considered to be an effective espionage or invasion force, so it's obviously a mistake.

No possibilty of espionage? Really?

 

[The Don]

OTOH, I don't know what international law says, but if armed members of an army cross into another country without permission, I'd guess it's the right of that country to arrest them. I doubt the US would look kindly if 8 armed north korean soldiers suddenly arrived in San Diego.

I expect that they'd assume that the security in LAX was as effective as usual

 

[Mr Manifesto]

No possibilty of espionage? Really?

While Donks didn't say as much, it's a little strange that Iran didn't report that the boat had any spy equipment on board. Usually the first thing a country does when they capture a spy is point out that they had some kind of spy equipment- even if that equipment is merely something like a satellite phone.

 

[Donks]

What Mr. Manifesto said.

Where they captured at day, without any special equipment and in military fatigues? My guess is that they'd be caught pretty fast. Of course if they were caught at 3 am, with James Bond's gadgets and stuff, then that would be different.

 

[richardm]

Usually the first thing a country does when they capture a spy is point out that they had some kind of spy equipment- even if that equipment is merely something like a satellite phone.

There was, in fact, a satellite phone on board, and it was displayed to the media. They did stop short of saying it was spy equipment, though, so perhaps it was just Iranian devilment after all. (Especially since they've apparently decided to just release the sailors now)