Captured British Marines

It is unfortunate that this is my first post on my brand new blog (courtesy of Steven Moses). I had something else in mind, but that will have to wait until next time.

More than a week ago, Iranian officials captured British marines who had allegedly trespassed into Iranian waters. Since then both countries have been flexing their muscles, Britain refusing to admit fault and Iran refusing to release those captured. Prime Minister Tony Blaire has denounced Iran publicly and internationally to absolutely no avail, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is attempting to bring Britain to her knees. In the meantime, Iran has been releasing video footage of the captured marines, who seem to be well-taken care of. The lone female captive has been allowed to write letters home to her family. In these letters she has admitted fault and blamed the Blaire and Bush governments for instigating violence and war mongering in the Middle East.

In effect, it is difficult to discern who is actually at fault, but more than likely the British marines were tresspassing. There is no obvious maritime boundary between Iran and Iraq, a fact that Craig Murray, a British maritime specialist, makes clear in his blog http://www.craigmurray.co.uk/. (check the March 27th post). Britain has produced a map showing the maritime boundary and the coordinates where the marines were captured, clearly in Iraqi waters, but the map is debatable (Iran shows her own maps and coordinates as well) and Murray claims the map is a fake.

After over a week of back and forth allegations, strong arming, video footages, letters, and debates over coordinates, who was originally at fault does not seem to matter much anymore. When and under what conditions the marines will be released is now the important issue. Today, British officials have gradually been conceding as Iran fails to give a clear release date.

Iranian officials allege they have seen British marines trespass into Iranian waters several times in the past, leading to one detainment about two years ago. They want this infringement on Iranian sovereignty to end and they are trying to make a point. Don’t mess with Iran. A point they are anxious to shout loud and clear especially after a Russian information leak that asserts the US plans on attacking Iran on April 6th—a date soon approaching. It is likely the marines will not be released until after this date has passed, hostages taken with ransom being Iranian security.

But more than anything, this incident is making Iran look like more of a security threat than ever before. And the shoddy video footage, photos, and letters do not look good internationally. Quotes taken from the female marine’s letters seem more like Ahmadinejad quotes that something an on duty marine would say about her Prime Minister. Although Iran claims to be the weaker party, it is regional power, a sovereign country and the second largest crude oil exporter in the world. However its actions are reminiscent of a desperate liberation group. Both sides are playing a game of politics that is likely to end badly for Iran, not Britain.

But the footage is Iran showing that she is more civilized than British and American soldiers who beat, torture and abuse their detainees—detainees who are rotting away in Guantanemo Bay and other camps not to be seen or heard of in years. These British marines are eating well, sending letters and have no signs of bruises or torture.

Here in Iran, the people I’ve talked to are eating it up. In the midst of even harsher sanctions from the UN against the Iranian nuclear program, people are linking the two issues together. Iran has the absolute right and sovereignty to detain illegal foreign trespassers and develop nuclear energy. True. If I ask someone about their opinion on the captured marines, he or she inevitably brings up Iran’s right to nuclear energy, the treatment of Iraqi prisons at Abu Ghraib, and US and Israeli warmongering. It is difficult to have a specific discussion about the subject at hand, because for many all these issues are (and should be) tied together. But many British and American citizens do not see it that way. For them detainment of these marines is tied to the hostage crisis in 79, Hizbollah, arms sales to Iraqi Shias, and the supposed future nuclear destruction of Israel.

For both sides, these marines are just pawns in a larger battle. War with Iran? War in the Middle East. Regional power. Civilization. But not in the Huntington sense. Who in the end is the more civilized country with the power to halt enemy aggression? More than likely it will end in a tie, but the rank will depend on how many lives will be lost to prove that point.

Hurray I'm starting my first blog, I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!

Yay I'm going to eat jujeh kebab!