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Iran Frees British Captives
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Iranian President Ahmadinejad styles the release of the servicemen as a "gift"; Blair defends his country’s refusal to negotiate.
30 Second Summary
April 5, 2007––Iran ended 13 days of tension by releasing 15 British Royal Navy servicemen whose captivity had made international headlines.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the move on Iranian TV as a “gift” to Britain. British Prime Minister Tony Blair countered by insisting that the release occurred “without any deal, without any negotiation, without any side agreement of any nature.”
On March 23, the Royal Navy seamen were on the Iran–Iraq border, conducting a routine boat patrol, when they were seized by members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. For almost two weeks, British and Iranian officials disputed whether the British servicemen were detained in Iraqi or Iranian waters.
The incident occurs at a time of heightened tension between Iran and the West. Iran continues to flout international calls for the curtailment of its nuclear program, and the United States has accused Iran of aiding Iraqi insurgents.
Some commentators have suggested that the secret to Iranian foreign policy is to be found in its lucrative oil reserves. The price of crude tends to rise when Iran's relations with the West worsen.
The manner in which the detainees gained their freedom has divided pundits. Some detect a loss of face for Western leaders; others interpret Ahmadinejad's action as a sign of a new Iranian moderation.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the move on Iranian TV as a “gift” to Britain. British Prime Minister Tony Blair countered by insisting that the release occurred “without any deal, without any negotiation, without any side agreement of any nature.”
On March 23, the Royal Navy seamen were on the Iran–Iraq border, conducting a routine boat patrol, when they were seized by members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. For almost two weeks, British and Iranian officials disputed whether the British servicemen were detained in Iraqi or Iranian waters.
The incident occurs at a time of heightened tension between Iran and the West. Iran continues to flout international calls for the curtailment of its nuclear program, and the United States has accused Iran of aiding Iraqi insurgents.
Some commentators have suggested that the secret to Iranian foreign policy is to be found in its lucrative oil reserves. The price of crude tends to rise when Iran's relations with the West worsen.
The manner in which the detainees gained their freedom has divided pundits. Some detect a loss of face for Western leaders; others interpret Ahmadinejad's action as a sign of a new Iranian moderation.
Headline
Prime Minister Blair denied that Iran released the British detainees in return for an Iranian official whom Iran says U.S. forces arrested in Iraq.
Source: The BBC
Iranian President Ahmadinejad prefaced his announcement on TV with a “rambling monologue about religion and Britain’s history of meddling in his country’s affairs” that lasted two hours, according to the London Times.
Source: The London Times
Opinion (con)
Iran has made small but significant gains from the crisis, says Sally Buzbee of Associated Press. The detainment of British sailors distracted attention from Iran’s nuclear program. It also proved Iran was not cowed by the United Nations resolution that was passed the day after the sailors’ seizure.
Source: Find Articles
Adrian Hamilton of London’s Independent newspaper writes that “Iran has won this round on points.” Britain escaped the humiliation of admitting wrongdoing, but Iran didn’t make any concessions either.
Source: The Independent
Britain’s most popular tabloid newspaper, the Sun, expresses relief at the release of the detainees but is critical of the United Nations and Prime Minister Blair’s handling of the crisis. “In the end, Iran got what it wanted,” writes the Sun. “It found neither Britain nor its allies have the clout or confidence to take on a fanatical regime that today represents the biggest threat to world peace.”
Source: The Sun
The Economist concludes that the incident “emphasized the weakness of Britain and the West.”
Source: The Economist
The New York Post draws a link between the detainees’ release and Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Syria, suggesting that it looks like the West is going soft on state sponsors of terror. “Whatever happened, it’s important not to forget that Iran … precipitated the crisis by kidnapping British military personnel.”
Source: The New York Post
Opinion (pro)
The opinion at Britain’s Daily Telegraph is that “our Government’s tactics were vindicated by the result.”
Source: The Daily Telegraph
In Newsweek, Michael Hirsh anticipates that a thaw in the Iranian nuclear standoff will follow the detainees’ release. Soon after Ahmadinejad made his announcement, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, “returned a long-delayed phone call to the European Union’s foreign-policy chief, Javier Solana.”
Source: Newsweek
Iran has styled the release as a “gift” timed to coincide with Muslim, Christian, and Jewish festivals. Guardian writer Oliver Miles argues that Britain should respond with a gift of its own.
Source: The Guardian
The lesson America has to learn from the Iran–Britain crisis is that Iran will reciprocate when offered pragmatic concessions, according to this op-ed piece from the New York Times.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations
Opinion (undecided)
Time writer Scott Macleod writes that “the peaceful end to the naval dispute is a victory for diplomacy.” But as to who came out of the affair looking best, he is undecided: possibly Western pressure is “bearing fruit”; alternatively Iran may have achieved its goals––an Iranian official abducted in Iraq under mysterious circumstances was released a day before Iran let go of the British detainees.
Source: Time
Background
On March 29, the Iranian Foreign Ministry sent this statement to the British Embassy in Tehran: “The Islamic Republic of Iran severely protests against the violation of its territorial waters in Persian Gulf [sic], and while underlining the importance of international laws and respect for the sovereignty of nations cautions the London government of the consequences of such violations.”
Source: The Iranian News Agency
Recent History
The Iranian military detained eight British troops in similar circumstances in 2004. This earlier incident also occurred in Shatt al-Arab’s disputed waters.
Source: The BBC
Reference Material
Throughout the crisis, the British Royal Navy has insisted that its personnel were performing a routine patrol and acting under United Nations mandate when Iranian forces detained them. The navy cited UN Security Resolution 1723, which the UN passed in November 2006.
Source: The United Nations
Navigation rights on the Shatt al-Arab, a river that follows part of the Iran–Iraq border, have been in dispute since 1935. Tensions over the area have peaked recently because of suspicions that Iran is supplying arms across the border to Iraqi insurgents. The Guardian has put together a Q&A on the detainment covering this and other points of interest.
Source: The Guardian
Iran may have violated the Geneva Conventions by showing the detained Britons on national TV. Under the Third Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Article 13: “Prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity.”
Source: The International Committee of the Red Cross
Related Links
Earlier this March, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that it will have to reserve judgment on the nature and progress of the Iranian nuclear program unless Iran becomes more cooperative.
Source: The International Atomic Energy Agency
The detainment of British troops coincided with the tabling of a resolution at the United Nations that threatens Iran with sanctions if it refuses to stop its uranium enrichment program. The UN passed that resolution on Saturday.
Source: The New York Times (free registration required)
In December 2006, Iran’s permanent representative spoke before the United Nations to defend his country’s nuclear program. He declared that Iran had no interest in developing nuclear weapons, and that it was unfair of the West to condemn Iran when it had tacitly condoned Israel’s alleged possession of nuclear arms.
Source: Iranian.com
This winter, oil prices jumped 20 percent in just two weeks, providing a much-needed windfall for the Iranian economy. A New Yorker writer argues that Iran’s saber-rattling helps fill the coffers of this oil-dependent nation by raising the cost of crude.
Source: The New Yorker
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