Hostage Gambit : By Amir Taheri

When in doubt, take a few hostages: This axiom of Khomeinist diplomacy was, once again, manifested in the capture of 15 British sailors in the Persian Gulf last Friday. Tehran says the Brits had strayed into Iran's territorial waters. London says they were in Iraqi waters keeping an eye on smugglers in accordance with their U.N. mission. We may never know what actually happened. The area where the sailors were captured is at the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab, a border estuary that has caused two wars between Iran and Iraq since the 1970s. Iraq claims ownership of the entire estuary, while Iran wants it divided between the two neighbors. It is possible that the sailors thought they were in Iraqi waters while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's Marines believed them to be on the Iranian side. What is certain, however, is that the sailors would not have been captured without Tehran's approval at the highest level. The Brits based in Basra have often strayed into waters that Iran regards as its own; Iranians have also often passed into Iraqi waters. In other words, these are almost daily incidents. The standard procedure is to warn the trespassers and guide them back to their own side of the water. If that procedure was abandoned this time, the reason must be someone's desire to provoke an incident. If trespassing were the cause of the incident, one wonders why the Islamic Republic turns a blind eye to American vessels often straying into its so-called continental-shelf territorial waters. A casual boat ride in the Persian Gulf would offer the visitor countless examples of this on a daily basis. It is possible that the mullahs don't yet wish to provoke a direct clash with the United States, and have used the incident with the Brits as a means of testing the waters. They may also hope that they could force London to press Washington to release the Revolutionary Guard commanders held in Baghdad in exchange for the British hostages. The mullahs' move cannot be fortuitous: The Brits were captured on the eve of a new Security Council resolution, drafted by Britain, to impose harsher sanctions against the Islamic Republic. It also came after months in which the Western powers have been exerting what is known as "proximity pressure" on the Khomeinist regime. A former deputy defense minister of the Islamic Republic, Gen. Ali-Reza Askari (Asgari), was kidnapped or defected and is presumed to be in the United States. Five senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including its head of special operations, Gen. Mohammed Jafar Sahraroudi, remain under lock and key after having been arrested by U.S. forces in Baghdad. Tehran is full of rumors about supposed secret contacts established by the Americans with several senior political and military figures with a view toward a regime change. The contacts supposedly include a former prime minister and a former defense minister. Not surprisingly, the "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenei appears to have concluded that the best defense is to go on the offensive. In a tough speech last week, Khamenei in effect put the Islamic Republic on a war footing. He endorsed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's "no compromise" position on the nuclear issue and threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). Ever since it erupted on the scene, the Khomeinist revolution has always accompanied a hardening of its position by seizing hostages. In November 1979, just eight months after seizing power, the Khomeinist regime endorsed the seizure of American diplomats as hostages in Tehran. During the following quarter-century, the Islamic Republic was involved in seizing more than 1,000 hostages from more than 30 countries in Iran or through its Hezbollah agents in Lebanon. These included a French ambassador to Tehran, Guy Georgy, two German bankers and eight American and French journalists - plus dozens of businessmen, priests and tourists from countries as far apart as South Korea and Italy. Right now, in addition to the 15 Brits, the Islamic Republic is holding a German hostage. Western apologists for the Khomeinist regime have already started blaming the United States for having made the mullahs nervous. The argument of the apologists is simple: Don't do anything that makes the mullahs unhappy, or else they will do more mischief. The truth, however, is that making the mullahs nervous may be the only way of persuading them to end their defiance of the United Nations and stop trying to export Khomeinism to neighboring countries.

ALSO : Khamenei Threatens to 'Strike at Them with All Our Capabilities'

The Middle East Media Research Institute MEMRI
The following are excerpts from a public address delivered by Iranian Leader, Ali Khamenei, which aired on Khorasan TV on March 21, 2007. TO VIEW THIS CLIP: Ali Khamenei: "When the president of the Iranian people travels to countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, the peoples cry out slogans in his praise. They demonstrate in support of him. When the American president visits countries in South America, which is the backyard of the U.S.A, the peoples there welcome him by burning the American flag..." Crowd chanting: "Death to America. Death to America. Death to America. Death to America. Death to America. Death to America. Death to America" [...] Ali Khamenei: "This means the shaking of the foundations of liberal democracy, of which the West, and above all America, claim to be the standard bearer." [...] "They talk about democracy, about human rights, about global security, and about the war on terror, but their evil inner self reveals how warmongering they are, reveals how they trample the rights of the peoples, and reveals their great desire and insatiable appetite for the world's energy sources. The peoples see these things. Day by day, the reputation of liberal democracy and of America - the vanguard of liberal democracy in the world - is diminished in the eyes of the world. At the same time, the reputation of Islamic Iran grows. The peoples understand that the Americans are lying, when they claim to be defending human rights." "They threaten to impose sanctions on us. Sanctions cannot harm us. Haven't they imposed sanctions on us before? We achieved nuclear energy despite sanctions. We achieved scientific progress despite sanctions. We achieved the building of our country despite the sanctions. Under certain circumstances, sanctions can benefit us, because they intensify our will for effort and activity." [...] "Creating a fuss in order to pressure the Iranian people in this [nuclear] issue, using the U.N. Security Council as a tool, will only harm the forces confronting the Iranian people. I must say this. If they want to use the Security Council as a tool, thus ignoring this indisputable right... So far, we have done everything in accordance with international law, but if they want to violate these laws, we too can and will violate these laws." Crowd chanting: "Allah Akbar Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. Khamenei is the leader. Death to America. Oh noble leader, we are prepared. Oh noble leader, we are prepared. Oh noble leader, we are prepared. Oh noble leader, we are prepared." Ali Khamenei: "Pay attention. If they want to use threats, impose [their will], and act aggressively, they should have no doubt that the Iranian people and officials will confront the enemies that want to attack us, and will strike at them with all our capabilities."

MoD Denies Rumour of Sailor Rescue Mission
March 28, 2007 Reuters uk.reuters.com
LONDON -- The Ministry of Defence denied on Wednesday a market rumour that Britain had sent troops to rescue 15 military personnel being held in Iran. A spokesman at the defence ministry in London said there was absolutely no truth in the rumour, which helped oil prices spike as much as $5 to more than $68 late on Tuesday and continued to support prices on Wednesday. Another rumour of a military clash between the United States and Iran was quickly dismissed by U.S. officials. U.S. crude oil was trading just below $64 a barrel at 5:00 a.m. The market nerves coincided with the arrival in the Gulf of a second U.S. aircraft carrier, marking the first time since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that a second U.S. carrier has entered Gulf waters. The U.S. ships will carry out anti-submarine manoeuvres and anti-mine exercises, and will practice operating against surface ships, said the captain of the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, Captain Dan Cloyd. Clowd said that repeated Iranian naval and air war games in the Gulf were a cause for concern, but that the U.S. deployment was not timed to exert pressure on Iran, and did not mean a military confrontation was looming. Iran has been under mounting pressure to abandon its nuclear programme, which the West fears could be used to build nuclear weapons. Tehran says the programme is peaceful.

Some more New Articles :

Posted 28/3/2007 @ 11:1:4 GMTBritain Offers Evidence Iran Detainees Were in Iraqi WatersFifteen Royal Navy personnel seized by Iran last Friday were 1.7 nautical miles within Iraqi territorial waters, the Ministry of Defence said today. After five days of fruitless diplomacy, the Government decided to go public with its case against what it sees as an illegal seizure, giving the exact coordinates of two patrol boats operating from the HMS Cornwall in the northern Gulf, backed up by nautical charts. Tehran says the two boats were in Iranian waters. more By The Times

Posted 28/3/2007 @ 10:50:20 GMTBlair to Increase Pressure on Iran to Free SailorsPrime Minister Tony Blair, having avoided arguing with Iran in public over its seizure of 15 British sailors and Marines, may ratchet up pressure to end the six-day-old crisis by getting the U.K.'s allies involved. more By Bloomberg

Posted 28/3/2007 @ 10:28:11 GMTTehran SeizureThe Iranian government's decision to take 15 British marines hostage is an act of war. The decision was both deliberate and central. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is not a rogue element. The regime created it to conducts the operations which the leading clerics did not trust the army to execute. more By National Review Online

Posted 28/3/2007 @ 9:14:46 GMTU.S. Navy Exercise Near Iran No CoincidenceThe U.S. Navy is offering a huge show of military might near the location where Iran seized 15 British sailors and marines five days ago, in what is seen as a clear effort to send a message to Iran, a senior military official told ABC News' Martha Raddatz in Bahrain. more By ABC News

Posted 28/3/2007 @ 9:11:11 GMTAttack Rumor Sends Oil Prices HigherDUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The U.S. military denied reports Tuesday that Iran fired a missile at a U.S. ship in the Persian Gulf. The rumors of an attack had sent oil prices soaring more than 8 percent in after-hours trading. Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown of the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet said all ships in the Gulf had been checked and the rumors were untrue. A Navy spokesman in Washington, Cmdr. Dave Werner, also said the Navy had no indication that any of its ships has been attacked. more By The Associated Press

Posted 28/3/2007 @ 9:4:52 GMTMaps and Photos Showing Marines Were Inside Iraqi WatersBritish government officials will release evidence today designed to prove that British marines seized by Iranians last week were patrolling well inside Iraqi waters and should never have been captured. more By The Guardian

Posted 28/3/2007 @ 8:42:53 GMTMoD Denies Rumour of Sailor Rescue MissionLONDON -- The Ministry of Defence denied on Wednesday a market rumour that Britain had sent troops to rescue 15 military personnel being held in Iran. more By Reuters

Posted 28/3/2007 @ 8:37:55 GMTIran in Too DeepLONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair warned yesterday that his government could make public the evidence that a British navy crew was in Iraqi waters when it was captured by Iran, saying he was prepared to take the standoff to a "different phase" if diplomacy fails to win their release. more By The Associated Press

Posted 28/3/2007 @ 8:33:24 GMTU.S. Is Open to a Deeper Iran Dialogue, Gates SaysDefense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday that the U.S. government is open to higher-level exchanges with Iran, and he called talks this month in Baghdad that included Iranian, Syrian and U.S. officials "a good start." more By The Washington Post

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 17:37:18 GMTBlair Strengthens Message to Iran Over BritonsPrime Minister Tony Blair said today that Britain was prepared to move into a “different phase” if diplomacy failed to persuade Iran to release 15 British naval personnel seized last week. more By The New York Times

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 12:26:31 GMTAnother Step in the U.S.-Iranian Covert WarThe diplomatic row over the Iranian seizure of 15 British servicemen and marines entered its fourth day Monday, with Iran saying the Britons are "fit and well" and being held at a secret location until the Iranians can determine through interrogation whether their alleged entry into Iranian waters was intentional. more By Stratfor

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 16:34:52 GMTPentagon Denies US Naval Exercise in Gulf Aimed at Confrontation with IranWASHINGTON -- An unusual military exercise involving two US aircraft carrier strike groups in the Arab Gulf is aimed at reassuring friends and allies, not further raising tensions with Iran, a Pentagon spokesman said today. more By AFX News

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 16:20:55 GMTJust Like the MullahsThe deep thinkers now torturing themselves for an explanation of the Iranian seizure of 15 British hostages should reread the ancient wisdom contained in the fable of the scorpion and the crocodile. The scorpion is desperate to cross the river, but can’t swim, so he begs the croc to give him a ride. The croc is afraid the scorpion will sting him. The scorpion promises he won’t. The croc gives him the ride. As they get to the far bank, the scorpion stings. The croc is disgusted and cries out “why did you do that? You promised...” And the scorpion says, “but I’m a scorpion.” more By National Review Online

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 16:17:10 GMTNuclear StakesIran has thrown down the gauntlet by hijacking 15 British sailors and marines in the Persian Gulf. Operating under a U.N. Security Council resolution, they were carrying out the inspection of an Iraqi ship suspected of smuggling oil. According to the British authorities, the 15 were in Iraqi waters, but in any case Iranian naval craft had evidently been prepared to strike whenever and wherever there was an opportunity. The rightful description of what occurred is piracy. more By National Review Online

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 16:13:4 GMTDid Iran Miscalculate?Editor’s note: In light of Iran’s taking 15 British soldiers to Iran National Review Online asked a group of experts: Is this an act of war? What can be done? What can be done about Iran generally? What can the U.S. do? more By National Review Online

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 12:38:17 GMTStand-off in the Persian GulfAt first blush it looks like a re-run. In 2004 Iranian forces, without provocation, snatched British sailors in the Persian Gulf. Last week Iranian forces, probably the Revolutionary Guard, did so again, detaining 15 sailors on patrol in small boats. But the later incident is proving to be the more worrying. In 2004, Iran’s government held the British sailors for a while, made them confess to crossing into Iranian waters, and let them go. This time, Iran evidently wants more. more By The Economist

posted 27/3/2007 @ 12:5:41 GMTBlair Spokesman Downplays Iran 'Different Phase' CommentsBritain does not wish to escalate a standoff with Iran over 15 detained sailors, Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman said Tuesday, seeking to clarify a warning of the row entering a "different phase." The spokesman denied that Blair's warning -- made in a television interview -- indicated the possibility of, for example, throwing out Iran's ambassador or military action. more By Agence France Presse

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 11:48:46 GMTU.S. Long Worried That Iran Supplied Weapons in Iraq WASHINGTON -- More than 20 months ago, the United States secretly sent Iran a diplomatic protest charging that Tehran was supplying lethal roadside explosive devices to Shiite extremists in Iraq, according to American officials familiar with the message. more By The New York Times

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 11:36:52 GMTIran, the Clash of AmbitionsFrontpage Interview’s guest today is Houchang Nahavandi, former Minister of the last Shah of Iran. From 1974 to the time of the Revolution, he served as President of the “Iranian Problems Study Group.” He was described by Pierre Salinger as “His Majesty’s Opposition Group.” Together with a certain number of personalities, such as Amir Aslan Afshar and Adeshir Zahedi, Mr. Nahavandi opposed the departure of the Shah -- favouring instead a backing up of the army as a last and only viable resort to restoring a balance and social peace. more By Frontpagemag.com

Posted 27/3/2007 @ 11:26:44 GMTMayor Makes HistoryBEVERLY HILLS -- Persians who celebrated their new year last week will mark an even bigger occasion tonight, when Jimmy Jamshid Delshad is sworn in as Beverly Hills mayor, becoming America's highest elected Iranian-American official. more By Los Angeles Times