[Dave]

Well it's been hard to miss the news on this subject & bit by bit we hear more of what really went on. So what's the view of others on how the Brits dealt with the situation, from the the navy personnel themselves , down to the Politicians ?

Some people are calling the Brits cowards & a disgrace, whilst others praise the way it was handled

[fionaB]

dont really have any views, but cant see any other way they could have handled it.
i wouldnt call the personel involved heroes or cowards, that is a risk they take when they do the job and im sure they had been given all appropriate training that could be given.

Fi

[Dave]

The only thing I've ever read on soldier training for this scenario, was in Andy McNabbs "Bravo Two Zero" , where the guidance they were given was to act as pathetic as possible in front of the agressor, so they felt you were of no use to them or too lowly ranked to know anything

[fionaB]

not bad advise i would imagine! lol

fi

[Hacker]

15 sailors captured for straying into Iranian waters...

14 men and 1 woman.

Doesn't take a genius to work out who was reading the map, does it!

[sejanus]

Oohhh - you'll fry for that, Hacker!!!

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Hacker

15 sailors captured for straying into Iranian waters...

14 men and 1 woman.

Doesn't take a genius to work out who was reading the map, does it!

[Dave]

I was discussing this in the pub last night with my father in law & he raised the valid point that with todays technology , the Navy would be able to pick up any incoming ships from rader etc. If so , they would have seen this coming & have been able to avoid the confrontation. Add in to the equation they didn't bother providing backup support , even though in volatile waters ...... mmm

[Liam O'Neill]

I've been a bit disconnected this past week, so I may have missed something important...

The person-in-charge on the ground got caught out. The Navy ship that would have ordinarily have prevented the capture was far too far away from the patrol that were taken.
The Navy and government are convinced they ship they boarded to inspect was in Iraqi waters, but they couldn't convince other countries of that fact at the UN, which has to ring some alarm bells. The Iranians did well. I believe they had the whole thing planned before it happened, and were able to expoit a weakness in the patrols to capture them.

Is it not widely known, if publically denied by everyone to save face, that the British personell were taken in response to Iranian personell the American's are currently holding (in typical American fashion, without charge, trial, or access) in Iraq? The British were released the day the American's kindly let Iranian representatives in Iraq see their people. Coincidence, apparantly.

[stretch]

have no idea the politics behind all this - none of us regular folks ,in all probability ever will. I am just happy the 15 are all home and apparently not physically injured. Anyone that would call them cowards - just are weak - they should have to walk a mile in those 15 soldiers shoes - I applaud them for surviving. I applaud them for serving their country - I dont know if they are heroes or not - but I m convinced they are not cowards. Not too many have the courage to do their jobs -jobs that pay very little in money or thanks - I thank them and all .