Iran Returns British Hostages Wins Battle
The Iran British sailor hostage drama played out on the world stage like a soap opera with an unlikely plot and a surprise quick ending.
The sight of British military personnel who were being held as hostages appearing on Iranian TV eating decent looking meals, opening goodie bags of gifts, telling the world how well they are being treated as Iranian prisoners, showing off their new suits, and apologizing again and again for trespassing into Iranian waters was more than bizarre. It was really unbelievable.
Tony Blair and the top British military brass must have had a case of acute frustration at the way this drama played out. It was clear from the outset that the Iranians controlled the agenda. The British response looked to be weak.
Other than insisting over and over that the British sailors never violated Iranian waters and therefore must be released immediately about all the British authorities could do is comment on how improper it was for the Iranians to display their people on TV broadcasts in what was far from an Abu Ghraib or Guantánamo setting.
Which shows that the British and probably 99% of all Westerners missed the sophistication and brilliance of the Iranian handling of the matter. The fact that the Iranians broadcast the hostages on their Arabic speaking TV station shows that the intention of the entire exercise was to score points within Arab nations within the region.
Here from the Iranian’s point of view was proof that the Iranians are more civilized then the hated British and Americans who have dared to invade the region. While the Americans hold Arab prisoners in harsh, really criminal conditions, at Abu Ghraib or Guantánamo, the Iranians treat their prisoners more like honored if uninvited guests than hostile hostages. No doubt in the Arab world this contrast in the treatment of prisoners will be quickly commented on and score points for the Iranians.
Score the British and their American friends zero and the Iranians a Big One as far as the propaganda war is concerned.
One matter the British will have to sort out rather quickly is how did the Iranians manage to get such relaxed looking British military personnel appearing on Iranian TV apologizing again and again for trespassing into Iranian waters and commenting about how well they were being treated? While some form of coercion must have been used by the Iranians to get such statements from the British sailors the appearance was one of appreciation that they were being treated quite well.
And in the world of propaganda appearances are everything. Score another point for the Iranians on this issue.
Another matter that the British and Americans will have to sort out is how in the world did the Iranians get away with taking hostages so easily? The Persian Gulf is bristling with British and American warships. Why weren’t the British sailors more protected as they attempted to carry out their mission in what are known to be hostile waters?
What’s that? The Iranians score again? It certainly looks that way.
The bottom line on this entire episode is that the Iranians consider themselves a major player in their part of the world. They would like to be treated with some respect. They also want to show that they are a civilized nation, worthy of taking a leadership role in their Gulf region.
As bizarre as the 15 sailor hostage situation seemed to be to most observers in the West the Persians achieved their objectives quite well. The message to the Arab nations in the region was one of choice.
You can choose to support the British and American infidels with their ongoing war efforts in the region and their record of holding prisoners indefinitely without a trial or even charges being filed. Or you can choose to support a more civilized nation that shares many of your religious and cultural views and that treats prisoners as guests rather than as people deserving to be tortured.
Iran is a proud and ancient nation. It is also a very complex nation to understand. The relationship and interaction between it’s various leaders, like President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and top national security official, Ali Larijani, is not clear to outside observers.
If there is anything to be learned by the West from this incident it is that the Iranians are not push overs and are not exactly predictable. Continuing to ratchet up the pressure on Iran over the nuclear issue and their alleged involvement in supplying weapons to Iraqi insurgents may produce some unintended consequences that would be disastrous for all.
It seems to me that direct talks and negotiations with the Iranians are a far safer way to proceed than by issuing constant threats of war. Let’s all hope that the voice of reason prevails in British and American dealings with Iran.
