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Britain Plans Inquiries in Sailor
Crisis
JENNIFER QUINN
AP
Monday April 16, 2007
Britain will conduct an inquiry into the capture of 15 British
sailors and marines by Iran last month and a separate review into
the military's decision to allow the crew to sell their stories
to the media, the defense secretary said Monday.
The review into the crisis itself, expected to last six weeks,
will look into the sailors' operation in the Persian Gulf and how
the situation was handled, said Defense Secretary Des Browne. He
called the crew's capture "an unusual situation with wide and
far-reaching consequences."
It will be led by Royal Marines Lt. Gen. Sir Rob Fulton, who is
the governor general of the British territory of Gibraltar.
"I am committed to ensuring Parliament and the public has
the full facts," Browne said, "but just as important to
ensure that the (Defense Ministry) and services learn from these
events and do not let them happen again."
Despite pressure from Opposition lawmakers, Browne has said he
has no intention of resigning over the standoff. Earlier, Prime
Minister Tony Blair's spokesman said the British leader had full
confidence in his defense secretary.
Iranian revolutionary guards detained the British sailors and marines
after seizing their ship on March 23 in what Tehran claimed was
Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf. Britain insisted the crew was
in Iraqi waters at the time.
The 15 were released after nearly two weeks in captivity.
The second inquiry, to be overseen by an independent figure with
media experience, will examine the Defense Ministry decision to
allow the captured sailors to sell their stories to the media after
their release -- a departure from normal military policy. It is
also expected to be completed within six weeks.
Though Browne reversed the decision after two days, the outcry
was fierce. Two of the crew members -- including the sole woman,
Faye Turney -- made deals to sell their stories.
Blair has said that permitting the crew to negotiate with media
organizations was not a good idea. Critics said allowing the sailors
to sell their stories was undignified and inappropriate.
"I take responsibility for what happened," Browne said.
"I have acted to make sure we learn the lessons of the whole
episode in a manner that allows for full parliamentary scrutiny."
"But as we go through this process, we should remember the
most important point in all this, which is that we got our people
back -- safe and on our terms," he added.
Crew members have also been criticized at home for making statements
while in captivity saying they had strayed into Iranian waters,
and for apologizing.
Former Conservative defense secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind asked
Browne if the sailors and marines were given training about what
to do if taken captive. Such training, he said, would ensure that
British service personnel would not give "unjustified apologies
that merely embarrass not only the government but their country."
Brown shot back that he did not intend to criticize the captive
sailors' behavior while in Iranian custody and that they had behaved
"well within the bounds" of suitable conduct.
He said all but one of the sailors and marines had the appropriate
training.
Nick Harvey, defense spokesman for the opposition Liberal Democrats,
said the coverage of the crisis was "a national embarrassment."
"The judgment that it would be right to allow them to tell
their stories had hardly been vindicated by the sort of reports
we have seen," Harvey said.
He referred to an interview given by Arthur Batchelor, 20, who
sold his story to the Daily Mirror. He said Batchelor had complained
that he had his iPod taken away and that his captors called him
Mr. Bean, referring to a comic character.
"This is not something that has covered the nation in glory,"
Harvey said.
INFOWARS:
BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND
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