Article

2007-04-08 Britain

Anger as hostages sell stories to highest bidders

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve White 2007-04-08 00:33|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Rot in Hell you lousy sniveling little Pommy bastard shits! Churchill would have had your heads on a platter. FOR TEA!

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-04-08 00:41|| 2007-04-08 00:41|| Front Page Top

#2 Incidentally, the British Ministry of Defense should confiscate all items sent back with the soldiers, including their own uniforms, as war crime evidence or enemy artifacts. Also, all information regarding their captivity and any accounts thereof should be declared state secrets and subject to publication only with prior ministry approval, which should be forthcoming, NEVER.

These little turds should all be drummed out of the ranks as a disgrace to the service. Every effort must be made to thwart the least attempt to profit from this most shameful episode.

Barring any of the above, the families of those four British soldiers who died yesterday should be invited to visit the fifteen released hostages. Cricket bats to be distributed to all family members prior.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-04-08 00:53|| 2007-04-08 00:53|| Front Page Top

#3 In an era where the word has become devalued - unbelievable.

Seems that the gut instinct of many about this whole thing (from initial incident to behavior in captivity), WRT both the leadership and the 15, was a reliable guide. The actions of all concerned have been both incompetent and shameful, without exception.

The only silver lining (about a micron thick) is that at least SOMEONE in the UK is outraged by this whole mess. But the pessimist in me says that's just the death-ratttle of the small minority with a bit of sense and self-respect. Heard Blair on the radio today snivelling and debasing himself, apologizing if any Iranian had taken offense at British reaction to the situation, stressing that Brits respected Iran's great historic civilization, blah blah blah. Nearly drove off the road. Good thing I hadn't heard about this latest incredible disaster.

Posted by Verlaine 2007-04-08 01:32|| 2007-04-08 01:32|| Front Page Top

#4 OK, that's it. I've not commented before about this, but this is totally over the line. Those British sailors are a total DISGRACE!!

Posted by DMFD 2007-04-08 01:38|| 2007-04-08 01:38|| Front Page Top

#5 Think of it as a round of Big Brother - in Iran.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2007-04-08 01:46|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2007-04-08 01:46|| Front Page Top

#6 Makes me sick to see this. But there is one thing notable here. The story simply assumes that all 15 want to sell their story. I think that is not the case at all, and that the ones who appeared in the propoganda videos in Iran are the looking for some money. The others may very well want to keep quiet. Remember that it was pointed out one of the sailors wasn't smiling while coming back at all? Don't jump to judgement on all of them.

I also say this by looking at the numbers presented. Faye Turner, the Seawoman, is said to have made 150,000 euro. Another sailor is said to have asked for 70,000 euro. The estimated amount for all of them is around 250,000 euro. If the story is to be believed then 13 of the sailors are selling their story extremely cheap, or only a handful are actually a party to the sell-out. I'm more inclined to believe the latter.

Posted by Charles 2007-04-08 01:47|| 2007-04-08 01:47|| Front Page Top

#7 I am reminded of the words of Winston Churchill, one of the greatest men of the twentieth century: "We shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender".

He would have been appalled.

Posted by DMFD 2007-04-08 01:49|| 2007-04-08 01:49|| Front Page Top

#8 The father of one of the hostages said the MoD had suggested the servicemen 'Go out there, tell the truth and make the money.'

The moral of that story to the rest of the British Armed Forces: Surrender as soon as possible to a vicious Islamic terrorist state, sell-out your brothers and sisters and your country, and make a bundle selling your sad, sad, story to the tabs.

Posted by mrp 2007-04-08 06:53|| 2007-04-08 06:53|| Front Page Top

#9 You got to think about it though. In their situation, would you actually believe your own government was that concerned about you or about its image? Guess what played out. They knew their own government would sell them out and they were right. So if a government operates in its own petty interests, why would anyone expect that they shouldn't do so as well? Sic transit gloria. Once again the Romans have left the island.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-04-08 07:38|| 2007-04-08 07:38|| Front Page Top

#10 From another story, this one in The Times:

One of the hostages, Dean Harris, 30, an acting sergeant in the Royal Marines, told a Sunday Times reporter yesterday: I want £70,000. That is based on what the others have told me they have been offered. I know Faye has been offered a heck more than that. I am worth it because I was one of only two who didnt crack.

Dear God... Britain is dead.

Posted by Dave D.">Dave D. 2007-04-08 07:53|| 2007-04-08 07:53|| Front Page Top

#11 Words fail. . . .

Posted by GORT 2007-04-08 08:47|| 2007-04-08 08:47|| Front Page Top

#12 Good questions from a comment in the Sunday Times.

Are the so called hostages being hung out to dry by the MOD? By encouraging them to sell their stories are the MOD creating hate figures? And in so doing, where does the public look?

Are the MOD simply trying to focus attention away from the real culprits - the people in charge of the operation say? Are they simply trying to create scape goats? Are they simply trying to deflect attention away from the farce that happened in Iran/Iraq?

John, Luton,

Posted by SwissTex 2007-04-08 09:12|| 2007-04-08 09:12|| Front Page Top

#13 The only positive spin I can think to put on this is that the MoD (or Tony Blair) made the cynical calculation that if they told what had happened it would automatically be assumed to be untrue or propaganda. Whereas if the troops involved told their stories directly to the press, enough would believe what they read... and the more the press paid, the more the stories would be valued in the current climate. I do agree that the math doesn't add up to very many choosing to talk at all.

Does that sound at all likely?

Posted by trailing wife 2007-04-08 09:16|| 2007-04-08 09:16|| Front Page Top

#14 Will the Irantians sue for royalties?

This is like a reality TV program

Posted by Captain America 2007-04-08 09:32|| 2007-04-08 09:32|| Front Page Top

#15 Triple Play:
1. Surrender w/out a fight
2. Betray country
3. Sign book deal

Oh yeah -- validate everything the Muzzies say about the weak and decadent West (bonus).

Wonder who will buy "Profiles in Cowardice?"

Posted by regular joe 2007-04-08 10:30|| 2007-04-08 10:30|| Front Page Top

#16 You forgot that soon-to-be-immortal phrase: "Fighting back was not an option."

Posted by Dave D.">Dave D. 2007-04-08 10:37|| 2007-04-08 10:37|| Front Page Top

#17 Dave D., I can't even look at that sentence w/out blood shooting out of my eyes.

Posted by regular joe 2007-04-08 10:44|| 2007-04-08 10:44|| Front Page Top

#18 Nice to hear I'm not the only one...

Question: d'ya think the Mullahs had any idea their little stunt would end up paying off like this? I'm sure that they were patting themselves on the back as the hostage's plane took off on their way home-- but I really doubt the MMs could have imagined that the entire British nation would erupt in such a pathetic orgy of abject self-humiliation.

Posted by Dave D.">Dave D. 2007-04-08 10:50|| 2007-04-08 10:50|| Front Page Top

#19 Churchill keeps coming to mind in this affair. What he said about Munich and Chamberlain's government is spot on. "They faced a choice between war and dishonor. They chose dishonor. They shall have both."

Posted by Mac 2007-04-08 10:53|| 2007-04-08 10:53|| Front Page Top

#20 The Mullahs could not have dreamed this outcome. Doubtless they're calculating what the response would be from a wounded US president, the fecklessness of the Brits has really changed the odds.

Posted by regular joe 2007-04-08 11:03|| 2007-04-08 11:03|| Front Page Top

#21 To me, the bottom line in this war, the ultimate goal, was to convince the Islamic world to GTF outta our faces. Everything else is subordinate to that.

And the British have just made it a LOT harder to achieve that goal.

Posted by Dave D.">Dave D. 2007-04-08 11:11|| 2007-04-08 11:11|| Front Page Top

#22 "They faced a choice between war and dishonor. They chose dishonor. They shall have both."

What has enabled such a stunning reversal of Western resolve since Churchill's time will be a matter of much speculation for historians of the future. We shall all have to consider ourselves extremely fortunate if those historians are not Islamic.

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin

To these two memorable and very timely quotes I can only add: Give them both of the former and neither of the latter.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-04-08 12:37|| 2007-04-08 12:37|| Front Page Top

#23 If I recall correcly, a couple of months back, British Royal Marines were attcking some fortress in Afghanistan. After they pulled out, they realized that one of their fallen mates had been left behind. They were a good distance away, with no transportation back - and just a couple of Apache attack helicopters in support (with no passenger compartment). So - a nadful of the Marines had themselves strapped externally to the flight stabilizers/struts protruding from the sides of the aircraft - and rode this way back to the fort. I think they were under fire - I'm not sure about that part - but they went back into hostile territory to find their mate. He was already dead - but they recovered his body.

I wonder what those Marines think about all of this? I wonder what sort of deals they got for their story.

The current incident - and its aftermath - is a ludicrous farce. The only thing that could have made it any more absurd would have been if the Iranians had dressed the hostages up as bunny rabbits.

There are innumerable great, brave, dedicated soldiers in the British Armed Forces - and they just got themselves painted as witless pansies by the 15 surrender monkeys. A painful injustice.

If I understand correctly, Britain has suspended it maritime inspection operations in the Gulf. Point, set, game, match to the Iranian thugs.

Bleak.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2007-04-08 12:52|| 2007-04-08 12:52|| Front Page Top

#24 "The only thing that could have made it any more absurd would have been if the Iranians had dressed the hostages up as bunny rabbits."

Right now, watching the pathetic, self-pitying spectacle being put on by the Brits, the MMs are no doubt kicking themselves for not having done precisely that.

Next time, they probably will.

Posted by Dave D.">Dave D. 2007-04-08 13:11|| 2007-04-08 13:11|| Front Page Top

#25 Sad news, but I'm sure there's some fight over there, somewhere. Perhaps the MOD should open temporary recruitment offices in the UK's football stadiums. Sergeants can promise the yobs booze, prize money, and grateful wimmen, just like the good ol' days.

For Auld Lang Syne

Posted by mrp 2007-04-08 14:30|| 2007-04-08 14:30|| Front Page Top

#26 To paraphrase Sir Winston: "Never in the field of human conflict did so few earn so much and embarrass so many".

Posted by DMFD 2007-04-08 14:35|| 2007-04-08 14:35|| Front Page Top

#27 Surrender Monkeys and "Fighting back was not an option" paint all the sad picture I want to see about this. In parallel, I was watching the Fox News show this Easter Sunday and the talking head was Steve Centanni. I looked really hard for the prayer callous on his forehead, but maybe it hadn't former yet. The sense of integrity and honor that was instilled in previous generations of the West seems to have vaporized for this latest generation. Pockets remain here for sure, if you could just cut Minnesota and parts of each coast away, but the rot is much, much deeper in the UK and Europe.
islam is on the march, and even the most openly moderate are contributing to the madrassahs and the movements. Violence is coming, in Europe and here. Ugly retribution will follow and the nature of who we are as a people will change, in some ways for the worse. This is all brought to you by the sloth of the good people who should have been paying attention to the cultures slide, and liberal idiots who thought everything could be improved with "progressive ideas".
We will win in the end, but the bill keeps getting higher....

Posted by JustAboutEnough">JustAboutEnough 2007-04-08 14:42|| 2007-04-08 14:42|| Front Page Top

#28 It looks frightful on the surface, but me thinks there may be more to this story. I'd not go pommie bashing just yet.

Posted by Besoeker 2007-04-08 14:44|| 2007-04-08 14:44|| Front Page Top

#29 Heard Blair on the radio today snivelling and debasing himself, apologizing if any Iranian had taken offense at British reaction to the situation, stressing that Brits respected Iran's great historic civilization, blah blah blah. Nearly drove off the road. Good thing I hadn't heard about this latest incredible disaster. per Verlaine
unf***ingbelievable they care more about hurting Iran's feelings than what actually happened. To actually apologize.
If any of these paid for stories get out and have an impact on future POW's what a crime that will be.

Posted by Jan from work 2007-04-08 14:47|| 2007-04-08 14:47|| Front Page Top

#30 Dammit, I love that screwy country.

Rule The Waves, Britannia

Posted by mrp 2007-04-08 16:05|| 2007-04-08 16:05|| Front Page Top

#31 According to The Guardian, the US offered to mount aggressive air patrols over Revolutionary Guards bases in Iran, but Britain told them to keep out of the affair and instead tone down armed forces activity in the Gulf. A senior Iranian source close to the Revolutionary Guards told The Guardian: "If this had been between Iranian and American soldiers it could have been the beginning of an accidental war." link

Separately, to the honour of some of the captives, Lieutenant Felix Carman and Royal Marine Captain Chris Air insist they do not want to profit financially from the experience. Lt Carman would only accept money for donation to charity, and Capt Air said the incident "didn't seem that traumatic to him" link

Posted by trailing wife 2007-04-08 16:38|| 2007-04-08 16:38|| Front Page Top

#32 tw, thank you for bringing a ray of consolation to this revolting spectacle. It's nice to know that some amongst them retained a modicum of integrity.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-04-08 16:45|| 2007-04-08 16:45|| Front Page Top

#33 It looks frightful on the surface, but me thinks there may be more to this story. I'd not go pommie bashing just yet.

What Bzerkr said.

Posted by Shipman">Shipman 2007-04-08 16:53|| 2007-04-08 16:53|| Front Page Top

#34 I do not even know where to begin. I expect even after this degrading spectacle Rosie will still believe these cowards and traitors were somehow meant to provoke a war. It seems no grovelling is sufficient to the lust of the Moon Cult and no self-aggrandizing self-abasement too degrading for the Moonbats.

Never before have I felt ashamed to be English.

Posted by Excalibur 2007-04-08 17:01|| 2007-04-08 17:01|| Front Page Top

#35 "Never before have I felt ashamed to be English."

If it's any consolation it doesn't feel a whole lot better to be American right now, knowing there were enough flatheaded, drooling, microcephalic submorons voting last Fall to get us a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress.

Posted by Dave D.">Dave D. 2007-04-08 17:11|| 2007-04-08 17:11|| Front Page Top

#36 Don't feel bad Excalibur, we have Nancy and Hoyner and Richarson. Wheeeee

Posted by djohn66 2007-04-08 18:09|| 2007-04-08 18:09|| Front Page Top

#37 If it's any consolation it doesn't feel a whole lot better to be American right now ...

I'd Damn you right now, David D., if I could. I cannot and shall not. Damn me if I can.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-04-08 23:03|| 2007-04-08 23:03|| Front Page Top

23:05 Cromert
23:03 Zenster
22:57 Lone Ranger
22:44 Sheba Slavimp5283
22:44 gorb
22:39 Sheba Slavimp5283
22:35 xbalanke
22:31 xbalanke
22:27 Frank G
22:21 Barbara Skolaut
22:19 trailing wife
22:16 DMFD
22:12 Bunyip
22:12 Frank G
22:11 Frank G
22:05 trailing wife
21:40 Ebbolurt the Bald5358
21:36 Crairt McCoy6887
21:36 Redneck Jim
21:27 Redneck Jim
21:24 Mullah Richard
21:19 Sherry
21:17 Eric Jablow
21:15 Eric Jablow