Iran, Britain open talks over sailors

[bemildred]

Source: ABC.au

Iran has confirmed it is in direct talks with Britain over 15 British naval personnel captured off Iraq, saying contacts had never been cut.

Earlier a British Foreign Office spokeswoman had said that the foreign ministers of both nations had been in touch to discuss the crisis.

The spokeswoman was elaborating on comments by Britain's Defence Secretary Des Browne to BBC television, where he said that Britain was in "direct bilateral communication" with Iran.

The news came after Islamist students threw rocks and firecrackers at Britain's embassy during a demonstration in Tehran.

Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200704/s1886945.htm

[daleo]

1. This could be good news

I haven't seen anything on the BBC site yet. Let's hope they can work out a face saving measure.

[bemildred]

2. Maybe. Iran stays ahead in the PR game is what I see.

I don't know that it is actually anything new.
I saw it in 3 or 4 places, picked this one.

[Olney Blue]

3. They need to talk and this is good news.

The professional diplomats should be involved to find a face-saving solution. I can only hope.

[MrPrax]

4. Must suck being Phony bLair

How I know Blair faked Iran map

"...I am best known as the former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, but from 1989 to 1992 I headed the Foreign Office's maritime section. This included responsibility for territorial sea claims and for negotiating our own maritime boundaries. The expertise of the Royal Navy was invaluable.

For eight months I also worked with Royal Naval and Defence Intelligence Service personnel in the Embargo Surveillance Centre, a secret unit operating 24 hours a day from an underground command centre in Central London to prevent Iraqi attempts at weapons procurement.

We analysed information from intelligence and other sources, and could instruct Royal Naval craft in the Gulf to board and inspect individual ships. I was responsible for getting the political clearance for operations just like the one now in question, in this exact location. So I know what I'm talking about.

There is no agreed boundary in the Northern Gulf, either between Iran and Iraq or between Iraq and Kuwait. The Iran-Iraq border has been agreed inside the Shatt al-Arab waterway, because there it is also the land border. But that agreement does not extend beyond the low tide line of the coast.

...

I have news for you. Those boundaries are fake. They were drawn up by the MoD. They are not agreed or recognised by any international authority.

The Mail on Sunday