Iranian state television aired new video Sunday showing two of the 15 captured British sailors pointing to a spot on a map of the Persian Gulf where they were seized and acknowledging it was in Iranian territorial waters.
Britain's Foreign Office immediately denounced the video, saying it was "completely unacceptable for these pictures to be shown on TV."
Adding to tensions between the two countries, about 200 angry Iranian youths chanting "Death to Britain" and "Death to America" threw rocks and firecrackers at the British Embassy and tried to rush the compound but were held back by police.
Captives forced to make statements and those inspirational "youths" that hitherto only seemed to exist in France to torch cars. This could go on a while. British protests that they are unacceptable notwithstanding.
I don't know why the Iranians seized these Marines and sailors, but by now the Iranians are rather enjoying themselves. No bombs have fallen and the entire civilized world is starting to feel those uncomfortable thoughts that it sure would be nice if the Iranians would just get it over with and kill their hostages so the West wouldn't be reminded of the savages in Tehran and the West's unwillingness to confront monsters.
The United Nations is gravely concerned with the situation. Not gravely concerned over the fate of the British hostages or the fact that one of the members of the international community is holding those hostages and is run by nutjobs. Oh no, the UN is gravely concerned that people will notice that the UN can't compel Iran to release the hostages.
The European Union is too busy celebrating fifty years of ... what is it they are celebrating again? The third revision of their cheeses compact or something? Perhaps when they finally get that common defense policy all hammered out and translated into their dozen official languages, they might get to actually defending Europeans. But until they have their common surrendering protocols worked out, individual member states like Britain are on their own to figure out how to surrender to the Iranians on their own--just make sure it is translated into French so it will be official.
And even the British are hardly worked up. Few are even thinking of military action. I noted that since the Brits were captured near Iraq, perhaps they are considered de facto Americans so they can bugger off as far as the British public is concerned. Which is just as well since the British are selling off the Royal Navy, and so have few options between nuking Tehran and declaring Iran's actions unacceptable.
America might do something, but the UN, EU, and the British public have been so successful at blaming us for the world's problems that they wouldn't ask us to help. We are the greater threat, remember?
And our Congress won't let us get all unilateral over Iran. Nukes or hostages? Really, how sure are we they want nukes or have hostages. Until Rosie O'Donnell says either is true how can we even think of acting?
Iran may yet choose to release these hostages. But the point is that the international community, the European Union, the British, and America are incapable of rousing themselves to action over any insult that the Iranians mullahs dream up. Unwilling to resist Iran's nuclear drive, we are now supposed to get worked up over fifteen sailors and Marines? How simplisme!
So those British military personnel best get used to their accomodations. The Iranians may find they like the attention they are getting for this episode.
And if this is going on four months from now, explain to me again how it would have been a bad idea within thirty minutes of figuring out Iran's game to start destroying Pasdaran military assets in around-the-clock attacks until the fifteen were released.
Explain why it would have been rash for the British to declare to the Iranians that they want Tulley alive or Ahmadinejad dead.
With Britain unwilling to confront Iran over these hostages, we are indeed witnessing the end of an era. And if Iran get nukes, we will witness the beginning of another.
