Saturday, March 24, 2007

Fars News: "British Forces Admit Aggression against Iran's Territorial Waters"

The Iranian press has been staying away from this story, or at least they have been avoiding it in English. These items are the first I have seen from them:
Manager of the Cultural and Defensive propaganda division of the general staff of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran reported of the availability of evidence and documents concerning arrest of the British forces in Iran's territorial waters.

Alireza Afshar confirmed the arrest of 15 British marines by the naval force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps within the Iranian territorial waters on Friday and added that the said individuals are under prosecution and have confessed that they have aggressed against the waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He further stated that the Iranian armed forces are fully prepared to defend the country at all times.

Alireza Afshar concluded by saying that the US and its allies are aware that in case they make a mistake in their estimations and invade the Islamic Iran, they will not be able to control the dimensions and period of the war, in the same manner that the US expected the war imposed on Iran by the US-backed Saddam would achieve their expected results in 6 days, however, that war lasted 8 years and ended up in the failure of Saddam.
IRNA: "Arrested British sailors confess violating Iran's waters":
Deputy Commander in Chief of Armed Forces General Staff by confirming arrest of 15 British sailors by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval forces in Iran's territorial waters on Friday March 23, 2007, said the sailors were under interrogation and have confessed violating Iranian territorial waters.

According to Armed Forces Media Department report on Saturday, General Ali-Reza Afshar said," the arrest shows our forces' readiness to defend the country at all times."

Deputy in Cultural Affairs and Defence Advertisement said repeated threats of enemies have caused promotion and growth of country's defence abilities adding the US and its allies know if they make a mistake in their calculations over the issue of invasion of Iran, they would not be able to control the dimensions of that miscalculation.

He pointed out the US was hopeful to end imposed war against Iran (by Iraq) in six days, but it took 8 years and Iraq was finally defeated too.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini had already condemned illegal entrance of British forces into Iran's territorial waters and called it a suspicious act and against international law and regulations.

15 British sailors were arrested on Friday morning by Iran's naval force in Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf.

They were arrested in Arvandroud area in the northern coast of the Persian Gulf.
Drudge links to this article from the London Times.

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