British sailor's 'letter' to family (BBC)

British sailor's 'letter' to family

This is an extract from a letter allegedly written by Leading Seaman Faye Turney while in Iranian custody.

It was addressed to her parents and was shown on Iranian television, alongside footage of her being interviewed.

There is no independent evidence that the letter is genuine or whether it was written willingly.

"Dear Mum and Dad,

I am writing to you from Iran where I am being held. I will try to explain to you the best what has happened.

We were out in the boats when we were arrested by Iranian forces as we had apparently gone into Iranian waters.

I wish we hadn't because then I'd be home with you all right now.

I am so sorry we did, because I know we wouldn't be here now if we hadn't. I want you all to know that I am well and safe. I am being well looked after.

I am fed three meals a day and have a constant supply of fluids.

The people are friendly and hospitable, very compassionate and warm.

I have written a letter to the Iranian people to apologise for us entering into their waters.

Please don't worry about me, I am staying strong."

MOD briefing shows Royal Navy personnel were in Iraqi waters ( Ministry of Defence of UK)

MOD briefing shows Royal Navy personnel were in Iraqi waters

28 Mar 07

The Ministry of Defence has presented evidence which shows that the fifteen personnel detained by Iranian authorities on Friday 23 March 2007 were operating in Iraqi waters when they were seized.

Picture shows GPS location of the incident, as seen from a Royal Navy helicopter over the merchant vessel after the event

The briefing, at defence headquarters in London, was given by Vice Admiral Charles Style, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments). Vice Admiral Style, who is responsible for providing strategic advice to operational commanders, explained in detail where the Royal Navy personnel were located when they were seized:

"The aim of this brief is to provide a factual account of the incident during which fifteen Royal Naval personnel were seized by the Iranians last Friday. By way of background, HMS CORNWALL was in charge of the coalition force, which - alongside the Iraqi Navy - is operating in the Northern Persian Gulf.

"This force maintains the sovereignty and integrity of Iraqi territorial waters under UN Security Council Resolution 1723, and with the approval of the Iraqi Government. The ship – and others in the coalition - maintain a presence patrolling there. They are also charged with protection of the Iraqi offshore oil infrastructure – economically very important - and the security of merchant vessels.

Picture shows position of HMS Cornwall on Friday 23 March 2007
[Picture: MOD]

"On 23 March a boarding team consisting of seven Royal Marines and eight sailors - who were embarked in two of HMS CORNWALL's boats - conducted a routine boarding of an Indian flagged Merchant Vessel which was cooperative throughout. They investigated this vessel after witnessing her unloading cars into two barges secured alongside. Since early March the force has conducted 66 routine boardings. So the one that I'm talking about was entirely routine business, and conducted in a particular area where four other boardings have been completed recently.

"As shown on the chart, the merchant vessel was 7.5 nautical miles south east of the Al Faw Peninsula and clearly in Iraqi territorial waters. Her master has confirmed that his vessel was anchored within Iraqi waters at the time of the arrest. The position was 29 degrees 50.36 minutes North 048 degrees 43.08 minutes East. This places her 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi territorial waters. This fact has been confirmed by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

Picture shows first Iranian reported position [1] and corrected Iranian position [2]
[Picture: MOD]

"The Iranian government has provided us with two different positions for the incident. The first we received on Saturday and the second on Monday. As this map shows, the first of these points still lies within Iraqi territorial waters. We pointed this out to them on Sunday in diplomatic contacts.

"After we did this, they then provided a second set of coordinates that places the incident in Iranian waters over two nautical miles from the position given by HMS CORNWALL and confirmed by the merchant vessel. The two Iranian positions are just under a nautical mile apart – 1800 yards or so. It is hard to understand a reason for this change of coordinates. We unambiguously contest both the positions provided by the Iranians.

"I should just explain at this point that the boats remained connected at this point. One of the seaboats was connected via data link, which communicated its position continually to the ship where it was displayed, superimposed on an electronic chart, on a purpose built console. During the boarding this console was constantly monitored and indicated, throughout, that the boats had remained well within Iraqi territorial waters.

"Our boarding started at 0739 local time and was completed at 0910 with the merchant vessel having been cleared to continue with her business. Communications were lost with the boarding team as the boarding was finishing … at 0910. HMS CORNWALL's Lynx helicopter, which had been covering the initial stages of the boarding, immediately returned to the scene to locate the boarding team.

"The helicopter reported that the two seaboats were being escorted by Iranian Islamic Republican Guard Navy vessels towards the Shatt 'Al Arab Waterway and were now inside Iranian territorial waters. Debriefing of the helicopter crew and a conversation with the master of the merchant ship both indicate that the boarding team were ambushed while disembarking from the merchant vessel. Both boats were equipped with a GPS chart plotter.

Vice Admiral Charles Style, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments)

[Picture: CPO Colin Burden]

"On Sunday morning, 25 March, HMS CORNWALL's Lynx conducted an overflight of the merchant vessel, which was still at anchor, and once again confirmed her location on Global Positioning System equipment. Her Master confirmed that his vessel had remained at anchor since Friday, and was in Iraqi territorial waters.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my primary message is clear. HMS CORNWALL with her boarding party was going about her legal business – in Iraqi Territorial waters, under a United Nations Security Council Resolution, with the explicit approval of the Iraqi government.

"The action by Iranian forces in arresting and detaining our people is unjustified and wrong. As such it is a matter of deep concern to us and the families of the people who have been taken. We continue not only to call for their safe, but for their safe and speedy, return, and we continue to seek immediate consular access to them as a prelude to their release."

HMS CORNWALL ROYAL NAVY(UK)

US Calls for British Sailors' Release

US Calls for British Sailors' Release
By Gary Thomas Washington 28 March 2007

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Listen to Thomas report

The United States is calling on Iran to immediately release the 15 sailors and marines seized in the waters of the Persian Gulf Friday. But, as VOA correspondent Gary Thomas reports, the United States is trying to stay out of the diplomatic spotlight on the issue.

Asked about the Iranian seizure of the British sailors, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino only said President Bush spoke with British Prime Minister Blair in a previously scheduled conference call.

"The president fully backs Tony Blair and our allies in Britain," she said.

State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the British sailors were operating legally in Iraqi waters and called on Iran to respond to Britain's call for their release.

"What's important to us is that the Iranians do the right thing here, that they heed Prime Minister Blair's call to release these sailors, and release them immediately and unconditionally," he said.

Britain says the two small Royal Navy patrol craft were in Iraqi waters when they were seized by sailors of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Iran disputes that, saying the craft had entered Iranian waters. The 15 were taken to Tehran for interrogation.

Prime Minister Blair told the House of Commons that it is now time to ratchet up the international and diplomatic pressure on Iran to secure the sailors' release.

The U.S. Navy is engaged in military exercises in Gulf waters, the largest such maneuvers since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. But State Department spokesman Casey said the exercises are normal and should not be read as a signal or message to Iran.

"The exercises that are ongoing certainly pose a threat to no nation, including Iran," he said. "And I don't believe anyone should draw a connection between those military exercises, which our naval forces do in various parts of the world all the time, and this particular situation with the British sailors that are being held."

Some analysts believe the Iranian action was actually aimed at the United States, perhaps in response to the U.S. military maneuvers. But Ken Katzman, an Iran analyst at the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, says the United States is clearly letting Britain take the lead on the seizure of their service members.

"The problem with that theory, though, is that they've seized British [citizens], and the U.S. doesn't seem to be making any threats on behalf of Britain. The U.S. seems to have left this to Prime Minister Blair to solve himself," he said. "So the linkage between the U.S. and Britain is perhaps not as firm, perhaps, as Iran thinks it is."

Spokesman Casey also dismissed as speculation any talk of a swap of the British sailors for several Iranian men detained by U.S. forces in Iraq earlier this year. Iran claims the men are diplomats.

Iran TV shows seized UK navy crew (BBC)

Iran TV shows seized UK navy crew

Iranian TV pictures

Iranian state television has broadcast an interview with captured British female sailor Faye Turney and footage of the 14 servicemen seized with her.

Leading Seaman Turney, 26, said they had been seized in the Gulf because "obviously we trespassed" in Iranian waters - something the UK disputes.

She said her captors had been friendly and the 15 personnel were unharmed.

Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said in a statement she was "very concerned" about the pictures.

'Hospitable'

Earlier Iran said it would release Leading Seaman Turney "very soon".

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said she would be released on Wednesday or Thursday.

UK VERSION OF EVENTS 1 Crew boards merchant ship 1.7NM inside Iraqi waters 2 HMS Cornwall was south-east of this, and inside Iraqi waters 3 Iran tells UK that merchant ship was at a different point, still within Iraqi waters 4 After UK points this out, Iran provides alternative position, now within Iranian waters UK version in more detail Sailor 'writes' to family

The circumstances of the filming are unknown.

The footage showed the eight Royal Navy sailors and seven Royal Marines, who were seized at gunpoint by Iranian Revolutionary Guards last Friday, in their uniforms sitting and eating a meal out of white trays.

There was separate footage of Leading Seaman Turney - wearing a black headscarf - smoking and speaking.

She said: "I was arrested on Friday March 23. Obviously we trespassed into their waters.

"They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, good people.

"They explained to us why we had been arrested. There was no aggression, no hurt, no harm. They were very, very compassionate."

'Unacceptable'

The video showed a letter, said to have been written by Leading Seaman Turney to her parents, in which she admitted that the navy personnel had "apparently" crossed into Iranian waters.

The captured personnel were shown eating in their uniforms

"I wish we hadn't because then I would be home with you right now," the letter said.

Mrs Beckett said she was concerned about "any indication of pressure on or coercion of our personnel" who she said were on a routine operation in accordance with international law.

She added: "I am particularly disappointed that a private letter has been used in a way which can only add to the distress of the families."

Defence Secretary Des Browne said it was "completely unacceptable to parade our people in this way".

'Pressure'

Earlier on Wednesday the UK said it was suspending bilateral contacts with Iran amid the dispute over the personnel.

They were taken after searching a merchant vessel in the northern Gulf.

Footage was shown of the British personnel being seized

Iran has insisted the group, based on HMS Cornwall, which has its home port in Plymouth, were in its waters when they were taken.

Earlier Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was time for the UK to "ratchet up" pressure on Iran.

The Ministry of Defence issued data it said proved the navy group had been 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters when they were seized.

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Charles Style, gave detailed co-ordinates which he said proved that.

'Ambush'

The co-ordinates were 29 degrees 50.36 minutes north, 048 degrees 43.08 minutes east.

The MoD also released a photograph of a handheld global positioning satellite device in HMS Cornwall's Lynx helicopter as it flew over the searched merchant vessel.

THE EDITORS' BLOG The pictures shown by Iranian TV obviously raised some issues... Kevin Bakhurst, Controller, BBC News 24 Kevin's comments in full Send us your comments

Vice Admiral Style said the sailors had been "ambushed" and their detention was "unjustified and wrong".

The UK government said the Iranians had initially said the merchant vessel had been at a point within Iraqi waters, before later providing a second, alternative position, within Iranian waters.

Iran's embassy in London issued a statement in response to the UK data, in which it said the sailors and marines had been 0.5 km inside Iranian waters at the time they were seized.

The statement, quoted by the official IRNA news agency, said "the governments of Iran and Britain have the ability to solve the incident through contacts and close co-operation".