“TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has met with some of the 15 British military personnel held in Iranian custody for almost two weeks, shortly after pardoning the group and vowing to set them free.
Iranian state television showed footage of Ahmadinejad shaking hands, smiling and chatting with the detainees. One of the 15 was heard to comment in English: “We are grateful for your forgiveness.”
Ahmadinejad announced the amnesty at the end of a lengthy news conference on Wednesday in which he said the 15 detainees had violated Iran’s territorial waters, calling their release “a gift to the British people.”
“I declare that the people of Iran and the government of Iran — in full power to place on trial the military people — to give amnesty and pardon to these 15 people and I announce their freedom and their return to the people of Britain,” Ahmadinejad told a news conference.
The action was a goodwill gesture for the Iranian new year, he said, adding that Iran had received a letter from Britain promising not to intrude into Iranian waters.
“The British government sent a letter to our Foreign Ministry and said it would not happen again. Of course, our decision had nothing to do with the letter. It’s a decision made by our government to give a gift to the people of Britain,” Ahmadinejad said in answer to a reporter’s question.
An Iranian diplomat in London told The Associated Press that the 15 would be handed over to the British Embassy in Tehran. Iranian state television said they would leave Iran by plane on Thursday, AP reported.
“They will go through some brief formalities and then they will go to the embassy,” he said. “They can go on a British Airways flight to Heathrow, they can go through the UAE, it is up to the British Embassy in Tehran in coordination with the Foreign Office here.”
No doubt this will make Mahmoud Ahmadine-thug a hero in the eyes of the media as well as the terrorists loving left, but the fact remains:
HE KIDNAPPED THEM!
This is like someone stole your car and then gives it back to you for a Christmas present.
After he exploited the Brits in the News he’s going back for seconds by stagging this BS. Unbelievable. We’re glad he released the sailors of course.
More disturbing is the apparent “deal” that took place for this release. If true - I’m pissed!
All I can say is we don’t stop this pussy-footing around with this thug there are going to be serious repercussions down the road.
No Response
Cornhusker
April 4th, 2007 at 9:51 am
1And with people like this in charge, pussyfooting is about all we can expect…
[Harry] Reid is a sleazy little piece of political garbage unfit to lead the majority he now represents. Thank goodness the way he is taking them, they won’t be in the majority very long.
via Riehl World View
Ouch!
jrooney
April 4th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
2Mac,
I justed emailed Mario Loyola at the corner. Mario does not know what occurred. He was just speculating and by his post, doing the same type of reporting Kos does.
Here is my email:
Do you know this occurred for sure or are you just speculating? Unless you know for sure this occurred -
“Getting the British to agree to back down from the nuclear standoff‚Äîand getting them to promise not to allow the U.S. to use the airbase at Diego Garcia‚Äîwould be an enormous victory for the Mullahs. And it shouldn’t be long before they start bragging about it. ”
You should not be posing it. If it did not occur, I would be willing to bet it did not, you are no better at posting propaganda than Kos.
Here is his response -
I’m speculating — but I’m fairly certain that the hostage taking was motivated by a desire to get the British to back off on the nuclear issue somehow — US and UK naval assets have been leaning forward pretty aggressively in the Gulf, so the connection makes eminent sense.
My use of the conditional “would be” should have left no doubts that I’m speculating, and indeed my post was meant precisely to get folks to ask what the quid pro quo might have been. I cannot believe there was none.
And as to propaganda, I’m not sure I understand your point, if indeed you have one.
Thanks for your note,
Mario
I have the email as proof. This type of unnecessary speculating hurts more than helps. Of course, Mario should have made it dam nclear he did not know what had occurred, of course which he did not. One mre reason I do not trust much from the corner.
crosspatch
April 4th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
3So … if Iran fears an attack by the west, you take a few hostages … hold them for a while … then release them to show you are a “good guy” in order to undercut any world opinion for an attack on them. How could something be so brilliant? It relies on the rest of the world being so stupid.
Cornhusker
April 4th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
4Well…this is what I get for visiting Drudge, but Syria and, by extension, Pelosi are taking credit for the diplomacy to get the British hostages released.
Jeez do these people EVER get tired of being TOOLS!! Wise up Drudge! You should know better than to reprint this fantasy!
Bull-crud indeed!
Paul
April 4th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
5There was no deal, the British Government were as shocked as anyone about this. Their negotiating team hadn’t even arrived in Tehran at that point.
A great coup by Ahmadinejad, he certainly seems a lot more cunning that I had previously thought.
shield
April 4th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
6A great coup by Ahmadinejad, he certainly seems a lot more cunning that I had previously thought.
Oh come on…he’s being led by others…this is not from him…
And who the hell cares anyway…the clock is ticking away…hide and watch…
shield
April 4th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
7USS Nimitz Forced Iran’s Decision
crosspatch
April 5th, 2007 at 1:54 am
8Is it just me or does Ahmadinejad look (and act) like a Ferengi?
Cornhusker
April 5th, 2007 at 6:48 am
9USS Nimitz Forced Iran’s Decision
Left by shield on April 4th, 2007
…..
Ah…..don’t you just LOVE shuttle diplomacy? Bravo Zulu Nimitz!!!
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