Hostage Soldiers in Iran do not appear to be in danger. What do you think?

Question

Here is a link to the BBC reports and video of the second soldier:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6509813.stm

I see these unfortunate soldiers in the pictures and video and they do not appear to be coerced or beaten as has been suggested by posters in Yahoo Answers. There does seem to be problems in translations from Farsi language to English as well as some bad editing on the video.

To me the soldiers look very confused by it all and are hoping this situation will meet with a diplomatic resoloution soon. They do not appear to be abused at all by the Iranians, and the broadcasts are for Iranian television and probably to calm the fears for Iranian citizens.

I think it would be best not to get all inflamed about this. Obviously the reactions intend to whip up anger and fury, which always causes a problem.

So far Iran just wants a promise that this will not happen again and wants a trial. I say let them have thier process and see what happens- then respond accordingly.

We have no enlightened leaders in the world right now- and clearly there is much deception from all world leaders- so to take such a hateful angry stance on this issue- I think is very irresponsible. Iran is not a threat unless they ally with a nuclear enemy. If they wanted to engage they would do far more that holding a few hostages. They are trying to provoke an agressive response- that we should not fall for. It is difficult to believe anyone these days- but I do know by their eyes that the soldiers are not afraid. They do not agree with what they are being asked to say. That much is obvious, but they are not in any danger if we respond properly.

It is England's fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time- As if we didn't expect them to do something like this- given history. Oh, and we have broken the geneva convention and many treaties as well. No one can point a finger at anyone right now. We should just fix our own country and stay out of matters not of our making!

Just so that everybody knows- I am not some bleeding heart liberal hippie. I am a realist. We are not wanted in the middle east. Truthfully we shouldn't even be there- and this is their waying of saying just that.

I wonder how kind we would be to Iranian soldiers in Gitmo?

Should they have just fired a shot and turned them around? Yes, that would be the action I would take. But serving in the middle east right now means this is a possibility for any soldier so the fact that this happened is not the fault of the Iranians- it is OUR responsibility to protect our soldiers- especially when we know what the Iranians are capable of.

That's all I am saying.

Answer 1

Any Soldier, Sailor or Marine that is in the power of a nation that is unfriendly to their government is in danger. The danger is compounded with the presence of the Female Sailor. The Guards are not known as being that good at sticking with the letter or spirit of any reasonable law. These Sailors and Marines are being used in a cruel game where individual lives and heck even small groups of lives are not that valuable. My Two Cents.

Answer 2

Their statements are surely coerced, but as far as beaten? Come on, they all have smooth skin on camera, that's a bunch of BS. But don't think for a second that they believe that they did wrong, and they probably were in Iraqi waters at the time.

"I think it would be best not to get all inflamed about this. Obviously the reactions intend to whip up anger and fury, which always causes a problem.

So far Iran just wants a promise that this will not happen again and wants a trial. I say let them have thier process and see what happens- then respond accordingly."

I agree, remember, this happened in 2004 and those Brits were released in 15 days. I'm sure this will happen again.

Answer 3

Remember what the other Muslim FANATICS did to THEIR prisoners? Those Brits are only seconds away from a beheading. So, unless you've been in their position, back off butt head!
What Iran SHOULD have done, which is what any country would have done, was fire a couple of shots across the RIGID FRAME BOAT and warn them they were in restricted waters. It's just a game that Iran is playing and only wound up looking ignorant, as usual from those kind. You seem to forget that those men and woman were doing a JOB. They weren't terrorists or getting ready to do an invasion.
Anyone who believes those Brits weren't coerced into saying what they are is a fool! Are you so gullible to think they are saying all that crap on their own? Yeah, sure, and so were our men in Viet Nam as POW's saying what they did on their own.
You must live under a rock if you think all Iran wants is a promise that it won't happen again. I was on the Flag Ship for the Middle East Forces 78-79, and we drifted (?) into Iranian waters one day...we were chased by 3 gun boats and had to go to GQ (no, not the book!).
HEY IRAN! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO LOOK LIKE COMPLETE ANAL PASSAGES?? DOING A GOOD JOB THERE AHAB!
(USN, retired/in-country Viet Nam vet)

Answer 4

Do you not realize we are being shown what Iran wants us to see?

Did you not see how scared to death the female Seaman Faye Turney was in giving her statement...and do you think any soldier, especially after the specialized training these have had in resisting enemy torture, would submit to such Iranian leaning propaganda unless intimidated, coerced and threatened?

What soldier in their "right mind" would make a statement of confession of wrong doing while being held in captivity, or would send a message to their country's leaders (U.K.) such as: demanding an end to "oppressive behaviour towards other people" unless they were under extreme duress.

Did you not notice in the video we were shown of the 15 eating a meal how eagerly they woofed down their food because up to that point they had been starved...but were fed those meals just for the propaganda purposes of the video?

Did you not?

My friend, you have been manipulated into a sensitivity for the Iranian cause, just as the Iranian government hoped you and the rest of those viewing those videos and reading those letters would be.

Answer 5

According to Iranian state run televison..no they do not seem to be in any danger.

You stated:
"So far Iran just wants a promise that this will not happen again and wants a trial. I say let them have thier process and see what happens- then respond accordingly."

They want a promise of what? That UK military personnel will not patrol within Iraqi territory? What exactly will this trial consist of? These people were taken in Iraqi waters. Iran violated Iraqi waters and took these people illegally.

To me this is just another type of terrorist hostage situation the only difference is an actual country is doing it. Does this seem like the type of conduct that a rational government would do? They are playing up peoples fears, playing up the drama, and playing up the terror. They are displaying these people on TV, forcing them to make untrue statements to secure their own personal safety, and they want the UK to apologize for doing nothing wrong.

Irans conduct doesnt really shock me, Iran is going to act like Iran and there is nothing anyone can do about that. What shocks me is that people actually think that they can placate these people and it will get them somewhere.

If you cave to people who use terrorism you just encourage more terrorism. Why? Because you verify to those people that terrorism is a viable method of getting what you want.

This is just a clear cut case of terrorism but it is being used by an actual country, plain and simple.

Answer 6

Hostage taking is still a big deal around the world, but if the first Iran hostage indiction is any indication, the guys on the low end are not that hyped about the guys on the high end. When the hostage crises was taking place in the '70s the Iran/Iraq war was going on. The U.S. hostages were offered machine guns in case the Iraqis attacked. The British were probably put in a hotel and not a prison.

Answer 7

First off, the parading of these sailors and marines before the cameras in Iran is a violation of the Geneva Convention. Secondly, it's nothing but Iranian propaganda. Of course these hostages (and that's what they are, hostages) are being coerced into saying what they're saying on Iranian TV. It's been said for decades that World War 3 will be fought in the middle east. Don't kid yourselves. You can't negotiate with people who would rather die in the process of killing you, than grow up to see their children and grandchildren prosper. The only thing you can do is annihilate them before they do the same to you. And we're going to end up fighting Iran sooner rather than later. I"m sick and tired of our country trying to fight 'kinder, gentler' wars. Our military was designed to totally annihilate our enemies. And in a war of total annihilation, no country on earth can defeat us. We ought to re-institute the draft, make a right turn, and attack Iran. If we don't, who will? You pablum puking liberals, who believe that joining hands and singing Kumbaya will solve everything, have to ask yourselves one question. Will the world be a better and safer place with a nuclear armed Iran in it? Yes, the world is 25% Muslim. But we don't have to kill all of them. We didn't have to kill 80 million Germans to end WW2, did we? We only have to show them the futility of their present strategy. Pussyfooting around, and being politically correct, isn't going to get it done. All these fanatical bastards understand is the power of the fist. We need to clench it, and get busy. Otherwise, this Islamic terrorist crap will never stop. Will innocents be killed in the process? Of course. Innocents always die in wars. But should we let our very way of life perish because we're worried about the civilians in a country that wants to see us destroyed?

Answer 8

Count on the fact that there is some form of abuse going on away from the cameras. And to think that these brave men and women will get a fair trial is pure ignorance. The Brits should blockade the whole nation, demand the release of the hostages(and that's what they are) or turn the country into a lake of glass.

I'm sorry but Ive had it with the liberal hippies thinking that by siding with these pigs they will become more safe from their murderous ways. Peace with them will never happen, NEVER.

Answer 9

Iran dose not have a good record with there treatment of prisoners. Me Ex lived there for a decade. The summery taking of human life and torture by the state was a routine practice.

Yes, if the Iranians see it as in there best interest to harm these men or the woman, they will.

Answer 10

The North Vietnamese pioneered the techniques of torturing a person while leaving no marks that will show on TV.

You cannot say that somebody had not been tortured by watching a propaganda video. Instead you listen to what the enemy is saying and look at their history - which should make you concerned.