Apr 08 2007
Iran Threatens More Kidnappings
Want to know why the Iranian hostage situation was a disaster for the UK and the West? Iran liked it so much (not to mention the likely coordinated killing of UK soldiers in tandem with the hostage release) that they are openly claiming they will do it again.
Hardliners in the Iranian regime have warned that the seizure of British naval personnel demonstrates that they can make trouble for the West whenever they want to and do so with impunity.
The bullish reaction from Teheran will reinforce the fears of western diplomats and military officials that more kidnap attempts may be planned.
The British handling of the crisis has been regarded with some concern in Washington, and a Pentagon defence official told The Sunday Telegraph: “The fear now is that this could be the first of many. If the Brits don’t change their rules of engagement, the Iranians could take more hostages almost at will.
Any other attempts should come with a very, very heavy price – like the sinking of the entire Iranian navy. If anyone doubts the response to appeasement, to negotiation, to settlement, here it is in spades. More violence.
why, over these last five yers, we have allowed the acknowledged terror leaders of iran, syria, sudan, hamas, hezzbollah, al sadr etc to live is one for the history books. if we are in a war on terror and the states (political leaders) that sponsor it why do they continue to live sipping their lattes planning tomorrow’s next victims?
more hostages? do all but a handful really care?
The Iranians have been doing this kind of thing since they took our embassy in 79, there is nothing new about it. I would be surprised if they did not keep threatening to do it.
But it should be remembered that they blinked, they did not keep the sailors or try the sailors, when push came to shove they let them go. They can pound their chests all they want, but in the end, they blinked.
I have the same problem, Patrick. I think it is pretty clear at this point that Pakistan and Iran are where the roots of most of the global terrorism lies. Getting rid of those two problems would go a long way toward making things easier in Afghanistan and Iraq and in untold other locations around the world.
But there is a problem. There is a group of people in Iran that believe they can precipitate the coming of the messiah by starting Armageddon and they believe that this is the year that it is supposed to happen. Iran is going to step up their provocations in order to create a battle. They don’t care if they die, they think they are fulfilling prophesy. That’s the problem with having a religious government, you can’t reason with faith. To make a compromise would be to compromise the foundations of their religion once the government is tied to the religion and so you end up with actions by a government that is inflexible.
Iran really wants to start a war. They feel they need to start a war. It is their destiny. Personally I think it is high time that China got involved in things like this in a more active role. China is reaping the fruits of our security efforts and doing nothing to help maintain that security. At some point things that are bad for us are bad for China as we are their biggest customer. It is in our mutual interest to get places like the Middle East settled down.
I don’t see how dissidents can change this government. Iran has a harsh way of dealing with these people. Iran has a harsh way of dealing with all their people. Look at the young girls that have tortured and destroyed for nothing: a girl is raped and lashed to death for being alone with a man, a girl is lashed to death for swimming in her pool which bothered the man next door, a girl is raped by four men because her brother dared to speak to a girl of another tribe. These are just a few of the horror stories coming out of these Islamic countries. And they want to bring sharia law to our countries. Whatever happened to assimulation? There will never be assimulation with these people. They take their religion and themselves too seriously.
The idea Iranians kidnap “because we can” bit has always rung a tad hollow for me. Point is, they know in the wake of Iraq that the int’l community would never sanction military action against Iran. They have no need to kidnap UK sailors, or anyone else, to prove non-military reaction from the west.
So what was the point? I believe we look at the Iranian kidnappings , and threats of more, with western logic and western reaction because… well… we’re westerners.
Another perspective of these kidnappings and possible Iranian strategy comes from Amir Taheri in a guest column he did for the UK Times. After reading Taheri’s views, as well as his suggestions for action, some things made more sense. And perhaps there is more options here to consider when assessing the hows and whys of the UK sailors, and the way to deal with Iran.
You will note that months ago, Taheri divulges , that Iran had plans to kidnap American troops… an attempt that failed.
Also note in the article that Bush changed the US rules of engagement – that US soldiers may engage Iranians in combat if threatened. The UK policy in Iraq is that cannot under any circumstances.
Also it is my understanding that the Cornwall was on UN mission business, and their rules of engagement also prohibit engaging in combat. Thus the Brits were not only sitting ducks, but hamstrung by their own military orders… from the UK commanders to the UN.