Iran outlines conditions for release of UK sailors

Julian Borger and Ian Black
Tuesday April 3, 2007
The Guardian

Iran's most senior diplomat, Ali Larijani, called for a "delegation" to rule on whether a British naval patrol entered Iranian waters last month before his government would release the 15 marines and sailors it is holding captive.

Laying out what appeared to be a vague road map for the freeing of the British personnel, Mr Larijani said that, if it was found they had crossed into Iranian territory, there should be an apology and they would then be released.
He gave some conciliatory signals in an interview with Channel Four News, saying the Iranian government was not interested in putting the detainees on trial, but warned that might change if Britain attempted to impose more international pressure on Tehran. "We are not interested in this issue getting more complicated," said Mr Larijani, the secretary-general of Iran's national security council.

Iranian TV has shown previously unseen footage of four of the 15 British service personnel held captive. Photograph: Getty

"Our interest is in solving this problem as soon as possible. This issue can be resolved, and there is no need for any trial. There should be a delegation to review the case ... to clarify whether they have been in our territorial waters or not."

Mr Larijani did not specify whether the delegation he was requesting should be British or international, but he did say the issue should be solved "bilaterally". His remarks could be a response to an offer by Britain to send a team of naval experts and diplomats to discuss how to avoid a repetition of the crisis. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said last night: "We are still studying Dr Larijani's remarks.

"There remain some differences between us, but we can confirm we share his preference for early bilateral discussions to find a diplomatic solution to this problem. We will be following this up with the Iranian authorities tomorrow, given our shared desire to make early progress."

However, British officials are adamant that the team of experts would not be going to negotiate the captives' release, and would focus on the future rather than on the March 23 incident. They said proposed talks would ideally improve the current atmosphere, but would not include acceptance of Iranian claims that the British patrol had entered Iranian waters.

Earlier in the day, Iranian media noted "positive changes" in negotiations with Britain over the crisis. They said that was the reason they did not broadcast "confessions" of a territorial incursion by all 15 captives, which Iran says it has recorded. So far, four have been shown "admitting" that they had entered Iranian waters.

The head of Iran's parliamentary committee on foreign policy and national security, Allaeddin Broujerdi, seemed to echo the British suggestion for talks yesterday when he told state radio: "There is a need for a bilateral agreement to prevent such an event in the future."

In seeking the captives' release, Britain has been seeking help from Iran's allies. Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, has intervened, the Guardian has learned. Mr Assad raised the issue with the Iranian foreign minister, Manuchehr Mottaki, at the Arab summit conference in Riyadh last Wednesday. It came shortly before Mr Mottaki told an Iranian TV station that the captured sailor Leading Seaman Faye Turney would be released shortly. The move followed a direct appeal to Damascus by Sir Nigel Sheinwald, Tony Blair's chief foreign policy adviser.

It came only five months after Sir Nigel visited the Syrian capital in an attempt to persuade Mr Assad to distance himself from Iran. British officials have been impressed by Syria's readiness to help in the dispute with Iran, and have singled it out for praise in recent days.

John Bolton, the Bush administration's former ambassador to the UN, yesterday criticised the British government for its "weak" and "passive" response to Iran over the captives. "If I were sitting in Tehran, I would say, 'I played this card against the Brits and they did everything but plead with me to give these people back'," he told CNN. "I think that tells the Iranians quite a bit about European resolve."

Former FBI agent reported missing in Iran (cnn.com)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States is investigating a report of a former FBI agent missing in Iran, officials said Monday.

The U.S. citizen went missing more than a week ago and hasn't been in touch with his family or employer, the State Department said.

The missing man retired from the FBI about 10 years ago. As a former FBI agent, he followed organized crime in the United States, but was not involved in intelligence matters, said Paul Bresson, an FBI spokesman.

The American is believed to have been in Iran working for an independent author/producer, trying to set up an interview, according to several senior U.S. officials.

"We don't see any linkage whatsoever between this case and any other ongoing cases that may have been in the news recently," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, apparently referring to the 15 British sailors and marines who were seized by Iran more than a week ago. (Full story)

Officials said the man went missing on Kish Island off the southern coast of Iran. The island is part of a free-trade zone under Iranian authority. Under most circumstances, non-Iranian nationals do not need a visa to visit Kish.

The State Department is in touch with the man's family and is in the process of sending a message to the Iranians through the Swiss government, the officials said. The message is a "welfare and whereabouts inquiry," which is a request for information about a missing American citizen.

At this point, McCormack said, U.S. officials have no indication the man is being held by any Iranian entity.

Protesters Mob British Embassy in Tehran (NPR)

April 1, 2007 ·

Iranian protesters mob Britain's embassy in Tehran, urging the government to try the 15 British sailors and marines Iran holds. Britain's defense secretary says the nations are in communication on the matter of the sailors. Ken Pollack, an analyst with the Brookings Institution, offers his insights in a conversation with Debbie Elliott.

Impasse with Britain Stirs Angst in Iran

President Bush added his voice to the chorus demanding the immediate release of 15 British sailors and marines who are in Iranian custody. Those members of the British Royal Navy have been held for more than a week. Iran accuses them of straying into its sovereign waters.

British officials have vehemently denied this, though British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said Saturday the nation "regrets" the impasse. But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called the British response "arrogant" and insists on an apology.

How is the British statement of regret being received?

Iran's foreign minister has said that his country is waiting for a "change in behavior" by Britain although he didn't give a lot of details about what he meant. He also said that his country is studying a written message that it has received, by the British foreign secretary. He said that there are "many points" in the note that [Iran] will look into.

How are ordinary Iranians responding to this crisis?

There has been a mix of reactions. Hundreds of hardline students have been protesting in front of the British embassy in Tehran, shouting "death to Britain." They've thrown a few small firebombs, which are pretty harmless, at the British embassy. Many Iranians do believe that the Britons trespassed into Iranian waters, as their government says. Some of them say that their country had the right to capture the marines and sailors and should not free them until London apologizes. But others say even if the capture was legitimate, holding onto the Britons for this many days is only going to increase international pressure on their country. And still others don't believe the Britons were in Iranian waters, and that Iran is just playing political games.

There have been conflicting messages coming out of Iran about who has real influence over the fate of these British sailors. Who does? How about President Ahmadinejad?

Well, I think the president is one important voice, but he's not the most important. And one reason is that he was pretty silent the first few days after this incident happened. It's interesting too, that the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council spoke out first on the subject. The president waited until just a couple of days ago. He may have wanted to show that he didn't orchestrate the capture of these British sailors, but that the whole nation was behind it. I think Ahmadinejad is one important voice among many, but of course the final decision maker will be the Supreme Leader.

Earlier in the week officials suggested that the sole woman among the captives would be released. Is that still a possibility?

The foreign minister has said that the sole woman — her name is Faye Turney — would be released soon. Then another top official said shortly afterwards that because of London's harsh rhetoric, her release could be suspended or delayed. I think Iran had wanted to show that it holds a special respect for women and it's still possible that she could be released before the others. But as this dispute continues, I think it's more likely they'll all be released together.

Is the prospect of a trial likely? At least one Iranian leader has said that they could face a trial for their actions.

Iran's ambassador to Moscow did say — was reported as saying — that the Britons could face trial if there's enough "evidence of guilt." Then later he was reported as denying that he had made those remarks and he said that his comments had been incorrectly translated. I think it's pretty doubtful that the Britons will be put on trial. Likely, Iran wants to resolve this through diplomacy.

I think Tehran wants an apology and probably in the end, their main decision makers will decide that it's better to finish this sooner rather than later. Also, they've sent a message to the international community that Iran is strong, and that if pressure on Iran increases, Tehran will not step down.