There is shortly going to be an interview with one of the hostage/prisoners, where they are supposedly going to apologise and admit there were in Iranian waters...probably with a gun behind his back.

Thought that was against international law for governments to parade prisoners ??...but the didn't we do that to Saddam ??

Why should they be released?

If you sell drugs in Thailand or something as a British tourist, you also have to go to prision....that is more or less the same in my opinion.

I would not refer to soldiers as "personnel" - rather as killing machines.

YOU SHALL NOT MURDER.

What would you say if let's say armed soldiers with guns from Russia would suddenly walk around in Manchester ?

Do you think that would be legal? I am sure they would get arrested too.

Or less exaggerated: imagine there were armed Iranian ships at the British border....somewhere in the channel...a couple of miles off the coast from Southsea or Brighton....

In the face of the law, a soldier is also a "normal" person especially if the soldier is from another country and there is no war with that country.

There is a law against:

(a) carrying around bombs and guns etc..
(b) randomlny driving around the sea without any permission for your route

There is no war against Iran and it has the same rights and obligations like the UK - so I think it is fair to imagine the same with switched roles....the UK imprisioning Iranian people as they were walking around Brighton with machine guns...or the same on the sea instead of on the mainland.

Drugs were just an example of something illegal.

I think this is just a feable excuse - I don't think an army is stupid enough to believe in emergency calls of potential enemies.

You always need to be cautious and maybe check out the situation before going there with the whole ship. There are enough planes around that could fly there within seconds and see whats going on....the Royal Navy could have asked their friends from the USA.


And even if there is an emergency, you should think twice about breaking a law in order to help someone especially in such a situation. If they wanted to safe people's lifes they should disarm the US army instead of rescueing people from ships that have engine problems or whatever.

I also think it is ridiculous the female soldier is veiled - as if all females in Iraq were veiled......

An Iranian minister today when being interviewed, admitted they were in the disputed zone..so its not the same as Russians walking around Manchester.

I suspect the Iranians know they have to let them go eventually.

To be honest I was just guessing and I have not followed any of the discussions on tv or the newspapers....only seen a headline and a picture.
So mabye I should just be quiet lol :-p

If the Irish vessel had rockets, bombs, guns.....and supported the USA to bomb Scotland or something....

Not sure what the 'whatever' was pertaining to Kev, but if it was the comment about service personnel, Jeggea is right. Our forces services are there to do our governments bidding. They are mearly pawns in a very big game played by governments across the world.

Many join the forces with dillusions of standing by their country and doing 'the right thing', but many learn fairly quick that their ideals are not those of our governments.[/quote]


He wasnt referring to 'service personnel' Red ... P.m Kev