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Lying For Iran

David Johnson - 4/27/2007

When 15 British Sailors and Marines were taken hostage by the Iranian Government last month, few could have anticipated the rewards Iran would receive for its crime. What could have been and should have been a major international incident has been brushed under a Persian carpet in Tehran.

Since then, the Iranian government has resumed business as usual. The U.S. State Department is reported to have softened its tone. Nuclear Contracts with Russia are back on track. New $30 Billion natural gas deals with Austria's OMV are in the works. The European Union plans to join nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani in Turkey. The only semblance of a spine appears to be coming from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which has just passed another round of ineffectual sanctions.

So what happened? Before the 15 sailors and marines were abducted, Iran appeared to be on the ropes. Iranian agents were rounded up in Iraq. Iranian made, explosively formed projectiles, AKA, EFPs were used to target American forces in Iraq, and still are. Austrian sniper rifles were making their way to the battlefield in Iraq, through Iran. Clear and indisputable evidence of Iran's involvement in Iraq was mounting.


ALONG CAME THE KIDNAPPERS

According to all available evidence, Britain's sailors and marines, under the auspices of UNSC resolution 1723, were conducting routine operations in Iraqi waters. Did those sailors and marines maintain that truth under interrogation? No, they certainly did not. They lied for Iran and said that they had crossed into Iranian waters. Had they not lied, they expected to spend seven years in an Iranian prison.

Regardless, the Iranian Navy had no authority to take 15 British sailors and marines hostage, even if they had strayed into Iranian waters. British anti-smuggling naval operations in that area of the Shat Al-Arab were well known occurrences.

Indeed, UNSC 1723 dictates Iraq's neighbors should assist in the effort to stabilize Iraq. By taking British hostages without sufficient warnings, Iran defied UNSC 1723. Unfortunately, Iran's coercive behavior is both tolerated and rewarded if for no other reason than it is familiar.

The most visible hostage was a female sailor, Leading Seaman Turney. Fitted with a traditional Iranian headscarf, Turney composed three letters, released in succession. These coordinated releases appeared scripted by the Iranian Government to maximize affect on a global audience of this potential crisis. The letters were of a personal and political nature. Each fell in line with the strategy and tactics of Iran's propaganda offensive against the West.


POLICY OF TRUTH

Had the 15 British sailors and marines remained faithful to their version of the truth, established by all of the evidence available to them, they may have been incarcerated for seven years. If they were aware of their history, that was an unlikely scenario, nevertheless they claim that they believed the threats of their Iranian captors. It apparently made no difference to them that they were abducted while conducting a legitimate mission, for a legitimate cause in a legitimate location.

By forcing 15 British sailors to lie on public television, in violation of several international laws, and subsequently releasing them out of the kindness of their hearts, Iran has been handsomely rewarded. To what end? Was Iran rewarded to foster an international kidnapping industry? Was Iran rewarded to delegitimize the policy of truth?

Nothing the 15 British sailors and marines could have done compares to the level of damage done by the response of the international community. Rewarding Iran for its crime only guarantees future Iranian crimes. At the outset of this crisis, it was only 15 British sailors and marines who defiled the truth. Now the international community is following their infidelity by perpetuating Iran's big lie.

The cost of such irresponsibility has been recorded in the annals of history. Perpetuating big lies inevitably leads to even bigger wars.