Iran to release British Sailors

[Mancie]

Steeljack stated
"The Chinese now have the technology to destroy/incapacitate satallites as well as a fast growing space program, most of it either stolen thru lax security by western govts. or freely given away incompetant politicians
Given that energy hungry China has the biggest reserves of foriegn currency of any nation how long before they begin buying up all the oil reserves worldwide, then where will western culture be ?"

Very true.. but they do some blinding sweet and sour chicken.. and well priced web cams

[Mancie]

double post

[bullseyebarb]

Originally Posted by steeljack

Disagree, When is the West going to wake up and realize that the Iranians (Shia muslims) are no threat to the West , the danger from radical Islam is from the Sunni branch , (the Saudi arab wahabis ,the guys with all the Petro dollars) they are the guys who flew the planes into the WTC and did the bus bombings in London and doing all the prosleytizing

It's my opinion that the greater danger to the 'West' is China, we have allowed them to amass billions of $$$$ buy allowing them to swamp the world with useless tat and at the same time destroyed our own manufacturing bases.
The Chinese now have the technology to destroy/incapacitate satallites as well as a fast growing space program, most of it either stolen thru lax security by western govts. or freely given away incompetant politicians
Given that energy hungry China has the biggest reserves of foriegn currency of any nation how long before they begin buying up all the oil reserves worldwide, then where will western culture be ?

The Chinese are a whole other issue - and I don't disagree with your comments. But to say that Iran is no threat....well dream on, pal.

[garinda]

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm disgusted at the M.O.D. and the government's decision to allow the freed hostages sell their stories to the press, and pocket the money, which in the case of the female service woman could be up to £250,000.

A quarter of a million pounds, which is a hell of a lot more than is paid in compensation to members of the armed forces who have given their lives in this war.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Yes I do find that an insult to those who have died.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by Mancie

I don't think that is a good argument Willow...risk the lives of the 15?.. all action involving armed forces carries a risk and anyone who joins must know that or they should not be in the armed forces.
Should we have reacted with aggression? Yes.. what is the point of putting personnel at risk in the first place if you cannot react when aggression is the obvious intent of other forces?

I'm sure their families are glad 'we' didn't.

[Doug]

I don’t believe there is any case for these services personal to benefit financially from their experience in Iran, certainly while they continue to serve in the armed forces, it’s unfair on the individuals themselves in the respect that those who did not receive so much television exposure are unlikely to draw the attention or the sums that the others will.

However, my main objection is that it weakens the image of the British Military Establishment and cheapens what these people went through. Unfortunately this episode stinks of the Blair Governments spin tactics and while the nation contents itself on this matter the reason why our forces didn’t have adequate protection in the field will fade into the mire, just like the country

[steeljack]

It will be interesting to see what Tony and his chums will do if the reprobate red headed Prince Harry is taken into custody by the Iranians, thats if he ever sobers up enough to go on overseas deployment .

[Ianto.W.]

Originally Posted by poppy

YOU RACIST!

Why they are not all bald are they?, by the way is your last name TUPPER.

[jambutty]

I have sat and thought long and hard about the 15 sailors and marines being prisoners in Persia and the following aftermath. I’ve read the views of others on the issue not just on this forum but elsewhere in the media and press etc. and come to the conclusion that half the comments are coming from people who haven’t a clue about the military other than what they have seen in the fictional movies.

Many voices have been raised castigating the 15 for appearing on Persian TV and for admitting that they were in the wrong place. They seem to think that all they had to do was to giver their name rank and number and refuse to do anything else and all would be OK. That maybe the case in the movies but in real life it is different. The 15 did what they did to survive. One armchair warrior even had the stupid audacity to ask why didn’t they try to escape.

I was as pleased as anyone to read that they had arrived safely on British soil with the first consideration being to get them into a military establishment where they could meet their families away from the baying press and report the details of their incarceration.

Since then they have been hounded by the press waving cheque books in the air to buy their stories. It has not been like some people have had the gall to suggest that the 15 sought out the press to ask them if they wanted to buy their stories.

It is a general rule in the armed forces that serving members do not talk to the media or press about service matters or personal matters that have a link to service issues. It just isn’t allowed and woe betide someone who does. A charge quickly follows. But that doesn’t apply to the families of serving personnel providing there is no breach of the Official Secrets Act. Many a serviceman has let his wife, mother, father do the talking whilst he sat back and said nothing. But that was in the days when chequebook journalism hadn’t been invented.

However someone at the Admiralty realising what might happen gave the 15 permission to talk to the press because there was nothing that anyone could do to stop the families talking.
With the gutter press hounding the 15 and their families for stories you can hardly blame them for doing so.

When it became known that six figures sums were being banded about some of the public were up in righteous arms and suggesting that any fee should be donated to various charities and to the families of the servicemen and women who had been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Smacks of jealousy to me.

And now the MOD has placed an embargo on the 15, although I understand that it is only temporary whilst the top brass and government discuss the issue. They will have to concede that 15 individual stories will be told either by the 15 themselves or their families so they may as well give the go ahead.

Considering the way the government treats servicemen and women who return from a combat zone wounded both physically and mentally the 15 should get as much money out of the gutter press as they can and good luck to them.

[Eric]

The whole Iraq war is one mammoth screw up. Why the UK ever got in volved I do not know. Where are the weapons of mass destruction which were the raison d'etre for the whole bloody mess in the first place? How inefficient can the British and the American intelligence services get? Enough of the rhetorical questions. We all know that most of the weapons of mass destruction are in the US ... I do believe that North Dakota, home of the Minuteman silos, is the 3rd largest military power in the world. And military intelligence? That's a bigger oxymoron than jumbo shrimp. I was relieved when our previous PM, Jean Chretien, told Bush where to go when he asked for Canadian support in Iraq. Victory in Iraq is not possible. For those who think it is I have two words: "Viet" and "Nam." Iran is an interested player in the area; they are the target of the sabre that the Americans continue to rattle.

Maybe we don't like their govt.; maybe we don't like what they do to survive as a nation. But can one blame them for fighting in the limited ways that they are able to do?

Anyone remember "We shall defend out island whatever the cost may be" and "We shall never surrender." ?

[steeljack]

I've just read a report that the captured sailor (Mr Bean) was upset because the Iranians took his ipod away ........

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23392218-details/Troops+ridicule+Mr+Bean%2C+the+'cry+baby'+captive+ of+Iran/article.do


any suggestions what songs it had on it ?

[flashy]

iraning men? by the weather girls?

[Flash]

Just read through all the previous comments. Like to just make a few brief points-

1. Frankly astounded by the level of racism on display by a number of those posting responses.

2. ERIC- One word required to undertsand why we went to war in Iraq- OIL (No oil in North Korea)

3. JAM BUTTY- Do you honestly believe, does anyone, that the MOD werent completely aware of the stories being sold to the gutter press- of course they were- After all only way to get certain pieces of information into the public domain without being seen as the ones releasing it.

TTFN

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Flash

Just read through all the previous comments. Like to just make a few brief points-

1. Frankly astounded by the level of racism on display by a number of those posting responses.

2. ERIC- One word required to undertsand why we went to war in Iraq- OIL (No oil in North Korea)

3. JAM BUTTY- Do you honestly believe, does anyone, that the MOD werent completely aware of the stories being sold to the gutter press- of course they were- After all only way to get certain pieces of information into the public domain without being seen as the ones releasing it.

TTFN

Of course we all know that oil is at the root of the invasion. But it requires more than one word. The personality of George W., his desire to finish his daddy's war, the willingness of the US people, devasted by 9-11, to lash out at anyone who may have been responsible. (Not all of them of course, but at least those who voted for the moron who is now in charge). But if the war on terrorism is really a war for oil, how much blood is the damn stuff worth. And the Iraqi people, in a country destabilized by the invasion, are spilling most of it. But apart from the massive civilian losses there are the casualties among the troops.

Canadians are not fighting in the Iraqi section of the war on terror, but they are fighting in Afghanistan. Eight Canadian soldiers, six from the Royal Canadian Regiment and two from the Royal Canadian Dragoons, have died in the last couple of days alone. And this all happens in the week that Canadians are remembering those who fell taking Vimy Ridge 90 years ago. Our troops are certainly not in Afghanistan for oil, we have more than enough oil of our own; Alberta is floating on the stuff.

Let's get political. Our present govt. is Conservative, and this brand of conservatism is from the rural redneck west. Since they have been in power, the Canadian presence in Afghanistan has grown significantly. Candian "peacekeepers" are now backed by armor. In Kingston, which has a large military base - CFB/BFC Kingston is one of the largest in the country - we see more and more uniforms and military vehicles on the streets. The local regiment, the Princess of Wales Own (Kingston), has suffered casualties. So we have to look at more than oil. Perhaps it's that conservative thinking governments (and this could include, perhaps, the Labour Party) will tend to try to achieve a military solution to a political problem. Or to create a problem in order to apply a military solution.