With Friends Like This…
In an attempt to achieve the release of their personnel, the BBC reports that the UK is in ‘discreet talks’ with Iran. This called diplomacy and is what mature countries do to resolve their differences.
So while the Blair government is conducting sensitive negotiations with the Iranians, the US Navy starts war games in Gulf.
The US Navy has begun its most extensive manoeuvres in the Gulf region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but denies sabre-rattling aimed at Iran.
[snip]
The exercises follow Iran’s capture of 15 British navy personnel, and high tension over its nuclear programme.
The US Navy said the exercises were not meant to exert pressure on Iran.
US Navy Commander Kevin Aandahl, based with the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, across the Gulf from Iran, said: “What it should be seen as by Iran or anyone else is that it’s for regional stability and security.
“These ships are just another demonstration of that. If there’s a destabilising effect, it’s Iran’s behaviour.”
Sorry, Commander, but it’s called “gunboat diplomacy”, and the world knows a threat when it sees it. Given that the Iranians are claiming that the UK Naval people were conducting espionage in preparation for naval action against Iran, the sane people in the Iranian government have just had another defeat. Would it have killed you to wait until the UK people had been released before demonstrating that you are clueless about the world?
