Iran Hostage Crisis Day 9 – Slapstick and Propaganda
John on March 31, 2007 at 12:34 am
Update 5PM: Allah scoops me yet again. From the Telegraph:
Ministers are preparing a compromise deal to allow Iran to save face and release its 15 British military captives by promising that the Royal Navy will never knowingly enter Iranian waters without permission.
The Sunday Telegraph has learnt of plans to send a Royal Navy captain or commodore to Teheran, as a special envoy of the Government, to deliver a public assurance that officials hope will end the diplomatic standoff.
Allah-style exit question: Do Iranians go in for April Fools jokes?
Update Sat. 2PM: The Brits may have decided they have no way to resolve this crisis other than submit:
The British foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, also indicated for the first time that Britain regretted the incident.
“The message I want to send is I think everyone regrets that this position has arisen,” she said after a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Germany. “What we want is a way out of it.”
In response, Ahmedinejad is talking tough and playing to the his again:
“Instead of apologizing over trespassing by British forces, the world arrogant powers issue statements and deliver speeches,” IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying during a speech in the southeastern city of Andinmeshk.
“The British occupier forces did trespass our waters. Our border guards detained them with skill and bravery. But arrogant powers, because of their arrogant and selfish spirit, are claiming otherwise,” the hard-line leader told the crowd who was celebrating the Persian New Year holiday, IRNA said.
Behind the scenes, Tehran sent a diplomatic note to London and London responded, though no one is saying what was said.
[End update]
The Brits seem to be having a national identity crisis:
Iran would not have kidnapped our Servicemen without having considered our rules of engagement, our diplomatic isolation and our likely military response, and made a rough calculation of how likely they were to get away with their piracy.There was a time when British citizenship afforded a degree of protection from foreign harassment…Not any more.
The article ends with the stiff resolve the British are known for: “If they hate us, let them also fear us.” Somehow, it doesn’t sound convincing. In fact the same edition of the Telegraph has another piece titled Without America’s might the options are few
Military action is unfeasible without American support and so is a military blockade of the Gulf. Unless the United Nations shows more rigour, sanctions are unlikely to hurt Iran in the short term. There is a feeling that the 15 could be in for a long stay in Iran and face the nightmare prospect for Britain of a show trial.
It’s not all bad news, however. A third piece in The Telegraph notes that the EU has given Britain the strongly worded support the UN would not:
Britain gained its first significant international backing over the crisis last night when the European Union called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of the 15 Royal Navy personnel. The “message of solidarity” from 26 other European foreign ministers warned Iran that unless the sailors and marines were released, the EU would take further action, including possible suspension of business ties with Teheran and trade sanctions.
The EU statement pointedly used the word the UN baulked at endorsing by saying the it “deplores” the Britons’ continued detention. It backed Britain’s insistence that the Royal Navy boarding party had not crossed into Iranian territorial waters and threatened “further measures” if they were not released.
And the US is moving on sanctions as well:
The US State Department imposed sanctions Friday against an Iranian entity that it says has been involved in the development of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. The action, directed against Iran’s Defense Industries Organization, authorizes the administration to freeze any US-based assets it possesses.
And now for something completely, uh, different. Here’s former Monty Python star Terry Jones in today’s Guardian:
I share the outrage expressed in the British press over the treatment of our naval personnel accused by Iran of illegally entering their waters. It is a disgrace. We would never dream of treating captives like this – allowing them to smoke cigarettes, for example, even though it has been proven that smoking kills. And as for compelling poor servicewoman Faye Turney to wear a black headscarf, and then allowing the picture to be posted around the world – have the Iranians no concept of civilised behaviour? For God’s sake, what’s wrong with putting a bag over her head? That’s what we do with the Muslims we capture: we put bags over their heads, so it’s hard to breathe. Then it’s perfectly acceptable to take photographs of them and circulate them to the press because the captives can’t be recognised and humiliated in the way these unfortunate British service people are.
Terry always has had a soft spot for Islamic fanatics. Anyone who has seen his mini-series on the Crusades can tell you that. In fact, Thomas F. Madden, author of A Concise History of the Crusades has this to say about Jones effort:
A couch potato watching the BBC/A&E documentary on the crusades (hosted by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame no less) would learn in roughly four hours of frivolous tsk-tsk-ing that the peaceful Muslim world actually learned to be warlike from the barbaric western crusaders.
But hey, I think I see where Jones is coming from. Why should the Iranians propaganda efforts be allowed to flounder because of an accident of birth? They send new letters every day, callously using young soldier and mother Faye Turney as a propaganda tool. Oh, sure, they’re trying. They’re sincere. But let’s face it the language barrier is cramping their style. Poor grammar and sloppy diction are no way to crush the British spirit.
Thank goodness for cheeky Terry Jones showing them how it’s done!
Category: Foreign Affairs |
US Launching Attack against Iran April 6
Operation Bite: April 6 Attack by US Forces against Iran planned, according to Russian Military sources.
http://www.crusade-media.com/news58.html
March 31, 2007 @ 7:07 amI find Terry’s comments on the “hostage crisis” to be spot on.
I just read an article about this very thing, however it goes into much more detail on this an makes some very good points. For those who are interested in this, the article is here:
http://www.signs-of-the-times.org/articles/show/129553-%27
March 31, 2007 @ 11:58 amHostage+Crisis%27+Or+End+Game%3F
Andrew Gilligan was on Sky News yesterday evening 30/3/2007. With his typical anti-government opinions – he likes to present himself as some sort of “intellectual”.
If Britain took his attitude – then we may as well pack up and cease being British. He has zero backbone!
March 31, 2007 @ 12:14 pmLanders,
You’re on to us…
I’m afraid this means we’ll have to have you silenced. Nothing personal you understand but we can’t really run a global false flag conspiracy with folks like you out there, now can we?
March 31, 2007 @ 4:22 pmhttp://www.signs-of-the-times.org/articles/show/129553-%27Hostage+Crisis%27+Or+End+Game%3F
I read it – more CONSIPIRACY “TRASH” as you Americans would call it????
“the Western public has been subjected to a week-long barrage of simplistic anti-Iranian propaganda that has sought to capitalise on the event and pitch the Iranian government as the aggressor.”
ARE YOU ON THIS PLANET????
I’ve been in the UK all this week … I haven’t seen any PROPAGANDA…
i.e. ALL IRANIANS = EVIL…. ALL IRANIANS = STUPID …. etc
I can HONESTLY ASSURE YOU – PEOPLE IN BRITAIN ARE PRETTY SOPHISTICATED.
I’m mind numbingly sick of hearing all this CONSPIRACY CR*P for the past 5 years over 9/11!!!!!
Let alone this.
Next you’ll be telling me all about ROSWELL….
*sigh*
For goodness sake!
If we took this logic to the extreme – Elvis is still alive.. blah blah blah
April 1, 2007 @ 11:16 am“15 British marines were captured by Iranian soldiers in the Persian Gulf, just one day before the UN security council was to meet to decide whether to impose further immoral sanctions on 80 million Iranians (2) Of course, the timing of the capture of the British marines could have been a coincidence and the direct result – a slam dunk on the sanctions vote – just a piece of uncanny bad luck for Ahmadinejad.”
So – what did the British Marines simply jump out of their boat into a passing Iranian patrol boat as it went past them?????
The only uncanny timing – is that the Iranians WERE LOOKING TO RETALIATE against the US …. and found the BRITISH AN EASIER TARGET….
Went to them in a friendly fashion….. with at least 3 boats… then told them to surrender when they were surrounded.
Then took them into IRANIAN waters… where another three boats were waiting.
I suppose if the British Government – released the full footage of everything….
YOU’D THEN SUGGEST ITS PROPAGANDA…
Such is your logic!
April 1, 2007 @ 11:23 amWhoa “m in the UK”, easy on the caps there. One might think ou were getting a tad out of control.
Seems the good brits were harrassing fisherman with “inspection boardings” based on this little geographic fiction cooked up by Tony B:
How I know Blair faked Iran map by Craig Murry in the Daily Mail. Comes with pictures and everything.
Here’s a nice chunk of quote:
You really should read the whole thing.
April 1, 2007 @ 9:08 pmLady,
I did read the whole thing. Did you?
In addition, it is likely the Iranians planned this seizure days before it happened. This was not the result of miscommunication, but a planned operation.
Furthermore, the Iranians gave two locations for the seizure. The first one was found to be in Iraqi waters. Now Mr. Murry may say that’s not clear, but it is clear that when it was pointed out to the Iranians they revised their numbers placing the seizure at a new location on the other side of that “bright red line” that doesn’t exist.
Finally, the Brits were not harassing fisherman, they were inspecting a large cargo vessel carrying used cars.
April 1, 2007 @ 11:05 pmLady Rogatoff:
the Daily Mail – ???
I live in the UK and that publication is a pile of pants.
Indeed this is one reason I stopped purchasing newspapers – since they’re full of opinion but lite on facts…
April 2, 2007 @ 1:27 amCraig Murray is a political activist… I thought I recognised the name.
http://www.craigmurray.co.uk/archives/2005/12/damning_documen.html
As such I treat his opinion as highly suspect.
April 2, 2007 @ 1:34 amMurray resigned from the Foreign Office in February 2005
Lady Rogatoff – your “facts” are in dispute
I don’t recall The Mail – telling it’s readers that…. or telling them the reasons why he resigned (before he was pushed?).
April 2, 2007 @ 1:38 amThe issue is and something I recently recalled… on watching “the latest” propaganda – with the guys pointing to the maps…. (edited – with obvious prompting).
Also – on reading Robert Fisk’s IDIOTIC – The Independent headline today…
This isn’t a humiliation. Not at all.
This is a great reminder – for us Britain not to show HUBRIS..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubris
“Hubris or hybris (Greek ὕβρις), according to its modern usage, is exaggerated self pride or self-confidence (overbearing pride), often resulting in fatal retribution. In Ancient Greek hubris referred to actions taken in order to shame the victim, thereby making oneself seem superior.”
Aristotle defined hubris as follows:
to cause shame to the victim not in order that anything may happen to you, nor because anything has happened to you, but merely for your own gratification. Hubris is not the
requital of past injuries; this is revenge. As for the pleasure in hubris, its cause is this: men think that by ill-treating others they make their own superiority the greater.”
Britain must be careful to not allow itself to be drawn into a trap. Even with superior technology. Indeed – Iran is currently embarked on a policy that embraces hubris….
What we must do – is wait. Bide our time…. and when the dust settles, take remedial action – in a manner and at a time of our choosing.
Currently, Iran has the initiative. Lets wait awhile until Britain and her allies retake the initiative…
Then we’ll hear the theocracy squeal…
If Britain is clever… time is on our side…. remembering that a confrontation over the nuclear issue is potentially unavoidable. We should learn from this – and the nature of the Iranian-theocracy threat….
Iranian HUBRIS is the key here….
Not exactly without historical precendent …. in that area of the world…
Rather than be cryptic – on this:
I suggest people read up on:
Aeschylus, The Persians (Persai), performed in 472 BC
The Persians focuses on the popular Greek theme of hubris…. by blaming Persia’s loss on the overwhelming pride of its king at the Battle of Salamis….
All quite ironic really given some Iranian complaints over a recent Hollywood film…
April 2, 2007 @ 1:51 am