Iranians captured 15 UK sailors in Iraqi waters
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070323/ap_on_re_eu/british_seized_iran
2007-03-23 03:43:16 · 16 answers · asked by FOA 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Possible military conflict with Iran? Iran is in a heap of trouble.....
Iran is dealing with two issues. First, Iran has captured 15 British sailors. Second, Iran has refused to cooperate with the U.N. regarding cessation of uranium enrichment.
Military confrontation may be on the horizon.
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=3961
In addition to the British naval vessels at the Diego Garcia atoll in the Indian ocean, there is a multi-national force in the Persian Gulf. The British HMS Cornwall aircraft carrier strike group, the American aircraft carrier strike group Bremerton-based aircraft carrier CVN-74 John C. Stennis, the American aircraft carrier strike group USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the French nuclear carrier Charles de Gaulle and its task force are all in close appoximation in the Persian Gulf. The USS Nimitz may also be in the Persian Gulf as it was scheduled for its WESTPAC07 deployment to replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/navy/batgru-68.htm
More details about military options can be found here:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iran-strikes.htm
Iran has elicited "confessions" from the 15 British sailors they captured and may put them on trial for espionage. The penalty for espionage in Iran is death.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1563877.ece
“If it is proven that they deliberately entered Iranian territory, they will be charged with espionage. If that is proven, they can expect a very serious penalty since according to Iranian law, espionage is one of the most serious offences.” Espionage carries a death sentence.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6493391.stm
Iran's detention of 15 Royal Navy personnel is "unjustified and wrong", Prime Minister Tony Blair has said. UK officials are waiting to be granted access to the HMS Cornwall staff, who were seized on Friday, and have not been told where the group are held.
"It simply is not true that they went into Iranian territorial waters and I hope the Iranian government understands how fundamental an issue this is for us," Mr Blair said.
"We have certainly sent the message back to them very clearly indeed. They should not be under any doubt at all about how seriously we regard this act, which is unjustified and wrong."
On March 23, 2007, U.S. and British officials said a boarding party from the frigate HMS Cornwall was seized about during a routine inspection of a merchant ship inside Iraqi territorial waters near the disputed Shatt al-Arab waterway.
The seizure of two Royal Navy inflatable boats took place just outside the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, a 125-mile channel dividing Iraq from Iran. Its name means Arab Coastline in Arabic, and Iranians call it Arvandrud - Persian for Arvand River. A 1975 treaty recognized the middle of the waterway as the border.
Iranians send arms to Iraqi extremists, including sophisticated roadside bombs. This week, two commanders of an Iraqi Shiite militia told The Associated Press in Baghdad that hundreds of Iraqi Shiites had crossed into Iran for training by the elite Quds force, a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard thought to have trained Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
Regarding enrichment of uranium, Iranian President Mahmaoud Ahmadinejad abruptly cancelled his appearance before the U.N. security council and in his stead, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki Iran spoke. He indicated that Iran was willing to continue negotiations but without the precondition that uranium enrichment must be halted.
Mottaki said, "the world has two options to proceed on the nuclear issue: continued negotiations or confrontation. Choosing the path of confrontation ... will have its own consequences. "
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070325/D8O3E7J00.html
The U.N. security council unanimously voted to expand sanctions on March 24, 2007.
The new resolution 1747 calls on Iran to comply fully with all previous UN resolutions and join negotiations to reach agreement so as to restore international confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. Full transparency and cooperation with the IAEA are required. Suspension of Iran’s banned nuclear activities will elicit the parallel suspension of sanctions. The package of incentives offered Tehran last year for its cooperation remains on the table.
The full text of the draft of resolution 1747 appears at this website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6455853.stm
Iranians send arms to Iraqi extremists, including sophisticated roadside bombs. This week, two commanders of an Iraqi Shiite militia told The Associated Press in Baghdad that hundreds of Iraqi Shiites had crossed into Iran for training by the elite Quds force, a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard thought to have trained Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
2007-03-24 17:06:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
if we will look at the issue as an economist, we will see that war needs to be supported by a very strong economic situation, iran is very weaker than what they say and show to the world.
the look of a socialogist is this that how can a country be win at the war when the people are not satisfied in that country?
if you were an Iranian , you could know that the people are not satisfied and they almost hate their regim.
and at last I must say iran is armed but no one can rely on an Iranian soldier, they will soon escape .
David Vanree
2007-03-23 11:36:58 · answer #2 · answered by senesmh 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Iran does not want a war as much as a military crisis with another nation.
Iran has an unpopular government and has been trying to create a foriegn crisis to the people will 'rally around the flag.'
This is why the US is focusing on political, economic and dimpomatic pressure after using geostrategic military manauver to neutralize the Iranian military without firing a shot.
(Hint: look at a map and you will notice that the US has Iran surrounded.)
2007-03-23 14:39:38 · answer #3 · answered by MikeGolf 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Iran knows that the US/UK coaliltion is unwilling and unable to move into Iran right now.
Both militarys are streached too thin between Afganistan and Iraq, neither country has popular support amongst its own population, both country's political structures are unable to manage global or national perceptions.
The sailors and marines will be held for a few days. The UK will make a lot of fuss. Iran will win the PR campaign and look good to other middle east and third world countrys as they stand up to the big boys.
Not the way it should be handled.
2007-03-23 10:50:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Iran is run by political hard liners whom do not like American influence in the middle east. Iran had a sphere of influence that included Iraq and Afghanistan but since we took that away they are flexing there muscles to show the world there still strong. It may very well cause them to enter a war with countries like the UK and the US.
2007-03-23 10:57:06 · answer #5 · answered by supergod33 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No Iran isnt ready to go to war, because they got 15 people doesnt mean they want war, that just means that they need to convince their populace that if they went to war they could win, instead of being left as nothing but a blip in the history books.
2007-03-23 10:50:51 · answer #6 · answered by Kenneth W 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They (Iran's government) want us or Isreal to attack them first, it's all about propaganda and spin, they want to be the poor victim, the martyr, so they can become leader of the muslim world in a holy war against the US, UK and West in general. In their religion there can be only one top dog, and that Hitler clone figures it will be him if he has to get everyone else in the Middle East killed to prove it.
2007-03-24 01:41:31 · answer #7 · answered by theshadowknows 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The stunt they just pulled is unaceptable. Let's get rid of these islamic idiots quick like. Shouldn't take us too long. What we need is a smarter majority of the population to support our war of terror. The media is ruining our outlook of Iraq.
2007-03-23 13:09:18 · answer #8 · answered by Bigasian 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the president of Iran is a puppet
he is an embarrassment to his real boss the ayatollahh!
before we get into a war I think the ayatolla will intervene
Iran is supposedly a theocratic country.the real boss of Iran is supposed to be Allah. One day God will fix Iran.
2007-03-23 10:53:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Iran has an inferiority complex. Like so many of the Middle East countries, their ignorance, poverty and having had their asses kicked by Israel on several occasions has given them a great deal of shame. In their childish attempt to have something to be proud of, they have become criminals. They care only for themselves and their tribe / gang. Do you think that any Arab has given any thought to global warming?
2007-03-23 11:29:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
They are counting on the Un to keep Britain from blowing them to bits.
They want something.
They might think they are ready,but they are running a terrible chance.
Expect his to drag out for some time.
2007-03-23 10:57:06 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋