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15 lost NATO sailors rescued by Iran

orca | 23.03.2007 12:48 | Anti-militarism

Fifteen British sailors are being held by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in what is sure to be the top mainstream news story later today.

They were held in the Persian Gulf, and according to the MoD were taken from international waters. Persia is an older name for Iran. These sailors are part of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation tasked with defending the North Atlantic area. What no news service has noticed, the Persian Gulf and the North Atlantic are thousands of miles apart.

It is obviously an embarrassment for Tony Blair that the once proud Royal Navy is so underfunded and lacking in navigators that they could stray so very far off-course without realising it. Or perhaps the MoD statement that they were on a 'routine piracy operation' is complete candour, after all this isn't the first time this has happened :

Sailors 'admit' entering Iranian waters
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,12858,1244613,00.html

It also isn't the first time NATO troops have 'accidentally' entered Iran by road, 'allegedly' blowing up mosques and planes before getting caught. They probably thought they were still near Salisbury. Maybe it's time to scrap Trident to pay for maps and navigators, or maybe it is time to hold their commander in chief responsible for these unfortunate and dangerous incidents.

orca

Additions

Todays main enemy is...

23.03.2007 16:45

The Royal Navy was founded upon piracy, or privateers as they were euphemistically known, and still fly the 'skull and crossbones' after a kill such as the sinking of the Belgrano.

The initial MoD report stated the lastest batch of brigands/ heroes was caught boarding a vessel -without jurisdiction- in International waters, which they ammended quickly to Iraqi waters. The fact is those 'Iraqi' waters were only declared Iraqi by Saddam Hussien during his bloody, and British-backed invasion of Iran. So although we are now supposed to see Saddam as an independent monster, it is odd the British are still enforcing his false territorial claims to their own advantage now Iran is again our main official enemy.

I admire how you manage to follow the official line so steady when it squiggles all over the place, you must be great at 'Twister'. Remind me exactly what part of the North Atlantic the Persian Gulf is located in ? Somewhere near Bergen ?

orca


Comments

Display the following 6 comments

  1. Parthia no more — orca
  2. a paid apologist for ignorance — orca
  3. Water sports — orca
  4. a suggestion — Mike
  5. another suggestion ... — jackslucid
  6. thanks Mike and Jack — orca