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Post by fragerella on Apr 4, 2007 15:51:31 GMT -5
Does anyone else think that Iran's actions today are indicitive of anything other than an eventual "prisoner" exchange? For your convenience, I'm providing two sources so everyone feels that things are properly fair and balanced. leftright
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Post by fragerella on Apr 6, 2007 15:51:24 GMT -5
follow upSpeaking for the first time since their release and return to Britain Thursday, six members of the group described how they were put in solitary confinement in tiny stone cells, constantly interrogated and threatened with long prison terms. The captives were put up against the wall in prison, blindfolded with hands tied, hearing only the sound of cocking weapons, they reported. 'That was the worst moment. There was a lot of trickery and mind games being played,' said Lieutenant Felix Carman, the officer in charge of the crew. He spoke of 'quite diverse pressures,' but said most of the time the captives were subjected to 'psychological and emotional' pressure. Operator maintainer Arthur Batchelor, at 20 the youngest in the group, said the Iranian behaviour was 'humane.' 'It was just the fact that they made sure we were not talking at all times, we were not allowed to have a small word with our friends. It was always 'Shh shh, you're not allowed to speak',' he said. Several of the crew, including Turney, were shown during captivity making 'confessions' on Iranian television that they had been in Iranian waters in the Shatt-al-Arab when they were seized on March 23. At a news conference at their naval base in Chivenor, in the south-western county of Devon, the men said they were told by their captors that if they refused to admit they were in Iranian waters when captured they would face seven years in prison. 'We were interrogated most nights, and presented with two options. If we admitted we had strayed, we would be on a plane back to the UK soon. If we didn't we faced up to seven years in prison,' said Carman. Captain Air, 25, explained why the group had not fought back when they were seized. He said the Iranians had arrived with 'planned intent,' and had heavy machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and weapons on board their vessels. 'From the outset it was very apparent that fighting back was simply not an option. Had we chosen to do so many of us would not be standing here today. Of that I have no doubts,' said Air. The group also for the first time gave details of where they were taken by their captors, believed to have been Iranian Revolutionary Guards....
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