Any chance that the british sailors confessions actually prevented a war?
ByI’ve heard alot of criticism aimed toward the brits and their confessions.
But look at it this way,
If Iran offered the sailors a deal, like a plea bargain, and agreed to release the sailors without standing trial as long as they admitted their guilt. Then wouldn’t it be smart cooperate?
In Iran the penalty for what they would have been tried for is death, and i think it’s safe to assume they would have been found guilty.
There’s no way Britain would allow it’s sailors to be excecuted.
So not only did the sailors save their own lives by confessing, whether they were guilty or not, but in a very real way, didn’t they also prevent a large scale violent conflict? If not a declaration of war?
I think this is a likely scenario and if it is the case, I think the brits made a damned good decision, not only for themselves but for their country.
1) Iran did actually make a statement claiming that the sailors could be charged and tried in Iran for espionage, the penalty for which is death. I wouldn’t have said it unless I read it.
2) Name, rank, and age is the rule for POW’s these were not POW’s they were prisoners accused of a severe crime, who just happened to be in the British military.
3) to all those who call them cowards or traitors, In their position, would you allow the situation to escalate, or say what they tell you to say and protect the lives of not only yourself, but also an unforseeable number of your brothers in arms?
9 Comments
December 11th, 2009 at 3:44 am
It did not matter what happened; the Iranians are flat out scared of being attacked so they weren’t going to hang on to them too long. It was just a ploy to act powerful but they knew it has limits. After the US attacked Iraq, Libya publicly denounced terror and sided with America because they became scared of what the US does to tyrants. Iran and much of they tryant world shudders as well.
December 11th, 2009 at 4:42 am
Why do you assume the penalty would be death?
It’s not a crime under Islamic law and they’re not Iranian citizens, they’re foreign military personnel. I’m pretty sure Iran is signed to the Geneva conventions and as a matter of course would not execute them, knowing the trouble it wouild cause them. You can’t summarily execute prisoners of war even in wartime, in peace it would be even worse.
What the Britons are charged with is more or less trespass, not espionage. If they’d been disguised as civilians it may have been different.
Are they guilty? Considering British and Americaqn attitudes toward the Middle East, I think it’s likely. Maybe not intentional, but they could easily have strayed into Iranian waters through negligence.
December 11th, 2009 at 5:41 am
One can never say if the Brits did go in the Iranian waters or not. But to make it simple Iranians did the right thing. At some point the tensions were high, but both countries were very smart to make the right decision. Brits propably did make a mistake, but we are all human beings, we all make mistakes. I think the outcome will make both countries more politically friendly. Peace to the World.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:38 am
To save your alone life or receive favorable treatment is called collaboration with the enemy. In POW camps that would at least get you ostracized by your fellow prisoners or worst having your throat cut as a traitor. While I am not judging the British sailors’ conduct as the true story is only now coming out but given the information that you provided I would say they are potentially collaborators. Nowadays nobody in the US and no-doubt UK are prosecuted but usually quietly forced out of the military. I expect this will be the case (if true) for these sailors.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:47 am
You might be right.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:54 am
I don’t think the ‘confessions’ prevented a military escalation – it was more the on-the-spot decision of the (very young) senior officer on the spot who, realising that an armed response would have meant the death of most of the British personnel, ordered his team not to fire. He also foresaw that had an exchange of fire taken place and British casualties had occurred, then there was a high probabilty of conflict breaking out betweeen Iran and the Western Allies. He made a brilliant and, as it turned out, totally correct decision. As a result, the Brits are back home after 14 days, the West is not at war with Iran, and Iran knows that even its Muslim neighbours were not happy with its action. So I agree with you that the young officer made the right decision.
December 11th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Yes, and then the negotiations with Britain. Iran also knew they had better not push buttons. The UN, would come in from all directions and wipe the slate clean.
December 11th, 2009 at 8:03 am
stop protecting those yellow bellys
December 11th, 2009 at 8:57 am
What is the square root of orange?