Iran made a point of parading their British captives on state TV today, including Sailor Faye Turney in a hijab whom they coerced a `confession' out of, saying that British boats had "trespassed" in Iranian waters.
The British military said its vessels were 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters when the sailors and marines were captured at gunpoint, and it released what it said were the GPS coordinates that proved that.Of course, the point is not whether the British sailors strayed in Iranian waters - even if they had, any civilized nation would simply have confronted them and escorted them out of the area.
But then, we're not dealing with a civilized nation, are we?
The Iranian government broadcast a video showing the prisoners on al Jazeera, and released a statement from Turney saying the sailors and marines were inside Iranian waters when they were captured.
"Obviously we trespassed into their waters," Turney said, sitting by herself against a floral curtain and smoking a cigarette.
"They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, nice people. They explained to us why we've been arrested, there was no harm, no aggression," she said.
Turney, 26, was also shown eating with several fellow sailors and marines. What appeared to be a handwritten note from Turney to her family said, in part, "I have written a letter to the Iranian people to apologize for us entering their waters."
The Brits, for their part continue to play along.
"It's completely unacceptable for these pictures to be shown on television," the Foreign Office said after the broadcast. "There is no doubt our personnel were seized in Iraqi territorial waters." The statement also demanded that British diplomats be given immediate access to them as a "prelude" to their release.
That still hasn't happened as of yet,and the Iranian government is reportedly asking for the British government to admit that its sailors were in Iran's territory as a pre-condition for `negotiations'.
Stay tuned...
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