"It was deplorable," pronounced our Health Secretary,"that the woman hostage should be shown smoking

[CGowen]

The only wry smile to be derived from the humiliating circumstances in which our 15 sailors and Royal Marines were captured by just six Iranians came from the comment by Patricia Hewitt. "It was deplorable," pronounced our tight-lipped Health Secretary, "that the woman hostage should be shown smoking. This sends completely the wrong message to our young people."

Others might think that rather more deplorable was the fact that the Royal Navy should have been so careless as to allow its personnel to sail into such an absurd and predictable trap in the first place. As Ann Winterton MP asked in a letter to The Daily Telegraph, why on earth did the frigate HMS Cornwall, at a time of heightened tension with Iran, allow its boarding party to get out of "visual contact"?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/01/nbook01.xml

[REP]

1. I Get The Point of the Essay, But - Great Line!

Leaving aside everything else, that was a terrific line. Why aren't our politicos ever that clever?

[saracat]

2. The essay reads like Oscar Wilde!

[Cobalt-60]

3. I doubt it was careless They know Bushco* wants war with Iran

dangling a lightly defended group of Swabbies as bait in disputed waters was just another effort to get the War Party started.
I'm sure there's a line of verbal orders leading from Cheney to that ship Captain.

[Mojorabbit]

4. If there was ever a time to need a smoke

I think the stress of being captured by Iranians and held hostage might be on the list. Sheesh.

[LeftishBrit]

5. OMG, now that I know they're safe, this is just sending me into hysterics!

ROTFL!!!! Oh God, just like Patricia Hewitt to say that under the circumstances!

Yes, if you've just been released after days as a hostage, the FIRST thing you're going to think about is how to send the Right Message to Young People.

Sounds like something out of a black comedy.

[Canuckistanian]

6. And she didn't floss during her captivitiy

Absolutely shocking. Terrible example for the children.