Not that I have any sympathy toward Iran but you have to admit that having foreign ships, in your own territorial waters, doing what are basicly aggressive manouvers, would have to be considered a challenge to sovereignty.
I'm sure the US would have a far harsher reaction should N.Korean vessels attempt to interfere with friendly ships entering or leaving Puget Sound.[External Link]
Yup, it could be a misunderstanding or it could be something bigger. And because Britain actually communicates with Iran, they can ASK them.
Posted at 2007-03-23 09:34:42 [PermaLink]Does any nation operating in those waters not "communicate" with Iran, drew?
(They can ask the Iranian government, definitely.
Whether the answer they get will be honest and bear any relation to the real-world situation rather than being extortion and strong-arming related to extracting concessions on uranium enrichment, is another matter.)
1. "This could be a misunderstanding (the British mistakenly being in Iranian waters, or
2. the Iranians thinking the British were in Iranian waters), or"
3. The Iranians thinking the British government are weenies and they'll get something out of kidnapping British Sailors and Marines in Iraqi waters.
This is Iran. They seized the U.S. embassy in '79 thinking that Jimmy Carter was too much of a weenie to do anything about it -- and they were largely right.
The British won't be harmed if they convert to Islamism like many of their politicians and judges.
Posted at 2007-03-23 11:43:54 [PermaLink]I wouldn't be suprised if it was a setup. Prominent Iranians have been "disappearing" lately and this is probably a way to do something back in their eyes.
Posted at 2007-03-23 13:47:31 [PermaLink]{ having foreign ships, in your own territorial waters, }
Only Iran claims that they were in Iranian waters. Anyway drifting into another country's waters is not against any law seeing as it is inevitably going to happen in tight areas like the Persian Gulf.
THis is getting interesting; looks like the EU might actually be giving the UK support. [External Link]
You'd think the UK and US would have a game plan for this sort of interference(?)...
HMS Cornwall ain't exactly defenceless!
[External Link]
Dan,
Can you imagine the response in Congress or Parliament if the US or UK responded militarily to this act of piracy?
The San Francisco Democrats currently in control of Congress would start impeachment proceedings. Markos "screw them" Zúniga would be accusing the U.S. government of staging the kidnapping as an excuse to go to war -- but don't question his patriotism!
The Iranians know what they're doing. Right now the British are negotiating with the Iranian government for the release of their servicemen. In practice, that implies a quid pro quo.
Poor bugger's only had his ship for 5 months...[External Link]
This isn't going to help his career.
Bruce; shades of the Gulf of Tonkin dustup, eh?
"shades of the Gulf of Tonkin dustup, eh?"
Those dubious radar blips were just ask'n fer it!
My own troglodyte approach to the Iranians would be to explain to the Iranian government that if they don't hand over the crew unharmed pronto, and provide assurances that this won't happen again, they'll need scuba gear to visit their navy. Sometimes gunboat diplomacy is the solution.
Yes, yes... sovereignty and all that, but what were the bloody Iranians doing in the Hudson Straight?
Posted at 2007-03-25 13:33:06 [PermaLink]