skunk
Jun 30, 2004, 06:22 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3854921.stm
UK servicemen 'forced' into Iran
Eight British servicemen claim they were "forcibly escorted into Iranian territorial waters" before being taken captive, the defence secretary has said.
Geoff Hoon said the six Royal Marines and two Royal Navy sailors maintained they had been operating in Iraq's waters and had not strayed into Iran's.
The servicemen were held for three days sparking a stand-off with Britain.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Defence, Mr Hoon said the MoD was looking into the servicemen's claim.
Mr Hoon also expressed concern about "the blindfolding of the men" during their captivity and added the UK had made representations to ... Iran."
Tory foreign affairs spokesman Gary Streeter said the treatment of the men had been "intolerable" and he urged the government to make the "strongest possible representations" to Tehran.
"The revelation that our troops were forcibly escorted out of Iraqi waters into Iranian waters ratchets this already serious incident onto a different level," he said.
For the Lib Dems Paul Keetch said: "This is potentially a new twist to the story. The GPS [global positioning system] equipment has yet to be returned. When it is, it may well shed more light on the matter."
The men were captured after their patrol boats were said to have strayed by mistake into the Iranian side of the Shatt al-Arab waterway.
Iran said the vessels had entered its waters without prior permission.
But Mr Hoon said: "In a recent debriefing the crews have said that they were operating inside the Iraqi border and were forcibly escorted into Iranian territorial waters.
Hmmm. Could be interesting.
UK servicemen 'forced' into Iran
Eight British servicemen claim they were "forcibly escorted into Iranian territorial waters" before being taken captive, the defence secretary has said.
Geoff Hoon said the six Royal Marines and two Royal Navy sailors maintained they had been operating in Iraq's waters and had not strayed into Iran's.
The servicemen were held for three days sparking a stand-off with Britain.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Defence, Mr Hoon said the MoD was looking into the servicemen's claim.
Mr Hoon also expressed concern about "the blindfolding of the men" during their captivity and added the UK had made representations to ... Iran."
Tory foreign affairs spokesman Gary Streeter said the treatment of the men had been "intolerable" and he urged the government to make the "strongest possible representations" to Tehran.
"The revelation that our troops were forcibly escorted out of Iraqi waters into Iranian waters ratchets this already serious incident onto a different level," he said.
For the Lib Dems Paul Keetch said: "This is potentially a new twist to the story. The GPS [global positioning system] equipment has yet to be returned. When it is, it may well shed more light on the matter."
The men were captured after their patrol boats were said to have strayed by mistake into the Iranian side of the Shatt al-Arab waterway.
Iran said the vessels had entered its waters without prior permission.
But Mr Hoon said: "In a recent debriefing the crews have said that they were operating inside the Iraqi border and were forcibly escorted into Iranian territorial waters.
Hmmm. Could be interesting.
