Iran grabs yacht crew - accident or power play?

**Mr T** · 11-30-2009, 04:15 PM

Iranian navy detains five Britons on yacht in Gulf

Five Britons have been detained by the Iranian navy while sailing a yacht from Bahrain to Dubai, the Foreign Office (FCO) has said. The sailors were crewing a boat belonging to Sail Bahrain when they were stopped on 25 November. In a statement, the FCO said it was possible the crew, who are still in Iran, may have "strayed inadvertently into Iranian waters". The five are understood to be safe and well and their families have been told.

It is not known where the sailors are being held nor which club they had come from, but the FCO did confirm they were on their way to take part in a Dubai-Muscat race. They are believed to have been sailing a yacht called the Kingdom of Bahrain. FCO officials have had contact with Iran's ministry of foreign affairs and the Iranian embassy in the UK, while Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he hoped the issue would be resolved "soon".

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall said the FCO had wanted to keep the matter "private" in order to increase the chance of a resolution. But after five days the details emerged and they had no option but to confirm the story, she added. It is thought the Eid holiday could have delayed proceedings in Iran, said the BBC's Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne. He added that with Iran feeling beleaguered over Western concerns about both its recent elections and its nuclear programme, the incident "could hardly [have come at] a worst moment".

Mr Miliband added: "FCO officials immediately contacted the Iranian authorities in London and in Tehran on the evening of 25 November, both to seek clarification and to try and resolve the matter swiftly. Our ambassador in Tehran has raised the issue with the Iranian foreign ministry and we have discussed the matter with the Iranian embassy in London," he said.

Why on earth wasn't the boat asked to leave Iranian waters instead of siezed? I'd like to think this will be resolved quickly and that the boat & its crew being detained was a mistake, but be prepared for a claim that the yacht was actually full to the gunnels with high-tech survelliance equipment à la James Bond as part of some scheme to boost Imadinnerjacket's crooked government.

**bd popeye** · 11-30-2009, 04:33 PM

Power play no doubt. Just like the US hikers they have accused of spying. Power Play. Unfortunately these folks may wind up as bargaining chips.

**Mr T** · 12-02-2009, 04:37 PM

So Iran holds on to them for a week or so, starts talking about potential investigations, spying, James Bond conspiracies, serious punishment, etc.

Then releases them. What, is it expecting us to be grateful?

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.....

**pla101prc** · 12-02-2009, 05:30 PM

well they prolly needed something like this after all that anti-government demonstration in the summer.
this is more like a bargaining chip i guess, give me some cookie and i'll release your ppl. what amuses me is, why is it always the British that gets picked on LOL.

**Mr T** · 12-03-2009, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by pla101prc

this is more like a bargaining chip i guess, give me some cookie and i'll release your ppl.

What did Iran get? Nothing as far as I can see, other more international ill-will. More likely that they realised they'd made a very bad mistake and with more sanctions looking possible it was a good idea to stop digging a hole.

what amuses me is, why is it always the British that gets picked on LOL.

You think it's funny people get kidnapped? Were you in hysterics when those Chinese workers, having been kidnapped, were killed in Sudan a few years ago? That's the serious end of getting grabbed.

I doubt you'd be happy if someone said they were amused that Chinese are repeatedly picked on in Africa, so be a bit more serious and don't trivialise what can be a very traumatic experience even if everyone gets released unharmed. No county's military is able to dissuade people from siezing their citizens. They only get left alone if they're seen as being worthless.

**bladerunner** · 12-03-2009, 06:10 PM

Ive never paid too much attention to middle eastern geo politics, but I sometimes wonder whether Iran is beeing unfairly picked on by the Western Powers over a period of time, has made it what its become.

**pla101prc** · 12-03-2009, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by Mr T

What did Iran get? Nothing as far as I can see, other more international ill-will. More likely that they realised they'd made a very bad mistake and with more sanctions looking possible it was a good idea to stop digging a hole.

You think it's funny people get kidnapped? Were you in hysterics when those Chinese workers, having been kidnapped, were killed in Sudan a few years ago? That's the serious end of getting grabbed.

I doubt you'd be happy if someone said they were amused that Chinese are repeatedly picked on in Africa, so be a bit more serious and don't trivialise what can be a very traumatic experience even if everyone gets released unharmed. No county's military is able to dissuade people from siezing their citizens. They only get left alone if they're seen as being worthless.

iran already released those ppl so relax.
no one is gonna laugh when ppl get kidnapped. i was just referring to the earlier incident involving british naval personnel being kidnapped and having to admit on tv that it was their fault. was a HUGE embarrassment for the British government i recall. so twice ina row its the British that gets picked on. maybe iran should start pickin on someone else for a change.

**Mr T** · 12-04-2009, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by pla101prc

iran already released those ppl so relax.

Err, yes I know that. It's what I said in an earlier post.

no one is gonna laugh when ppl get kidnapped.

You said it amuses you that Britons have been subject to Iranian grabs in the past and you ended with "LOL". You clearly think it funny, so why are you now trying to deny it? It would be more mature to apologise instead.

i was just referring to the earlier incident involving british naval personnel being kidnapped and having to admit on tv that it was their fault. was a HUGE embarrassment for the British government i recall.

It wasn't a huge embarrassment, it was an outrage. It was obvious they were forced to make those statements. Read what they had to say about their treatment, it was hardly pleasant.

so twice ina row its the British that gets picked on. maybe iran should start pickin on someone else for a change.

It was not twice in a row. Other countries had similar problems with the Iranians, such as the Australians - they were after anyone they could get at. It's just coincidence that there were two incidents, over a period of three years I might add, where Iranians detained British service personnel. Either of those times it could have been anyone that the Iranians had gone after.