Brits in the Gulf: Playing with Fire
The seizure of 15 British naval troops in the Persian Gulf by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy has Washington hawks all aflutter. Anything these days could be a pretext to launch their much sought after attack on Iran. The Ahmadinejad government may also be eager to bolster its own internal political position by keeping tensions ratcheted up with the U.S. and Britain.
But let's look at this incident as many Iranians probably view it.
First of all, though the British steadfastly maintain they were in Iraqi waters at the time, the fact is that sovereignty over the narrow straights nearby where the British were operating has been disputed for centuries. The latest chapter began when Saddam Hussein ripped up a treaty he had signed under duress with the Shah in 1975. According to international legal experts, the issue has still not been settled and the Iranians have frequently acted to maintain their claims.
In June 2004, six British marines and two sailors were similarly seized by Iran They were presented blindfolded on Iranian television and admitted entering Iranian waters illegally, then released unharmed after three days.
Secondly, it's difficult to blame the Iranians for being suspicious of the British naval presence. Reportedly, for months now George W. Bush has authorized clandestine American military missions into Iran. Those actions range from preparing targeted strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, to carrying out joint operations with opposition groups in Iran--the kind of operations that, if the shoe were on the other foot, George W. Bush would brand as "cowardly acts of terrorism."
Also, as I pointed out in an earlier post, during the end of the Iran --Iraq war, the U.S. carried out many secret raids against Iranian forces. Any wonder that today the Iranians are not a trifle sensitive about British warships, helicopters and marines operating just a few miles off their coast.
The Brits are steadfast allies of the Americans in Iraq. Would it not be natural to suspect that elite British troops--from the SAS, for instance--are engaged with the Americans in those current clandestine missions?
The Royal Navy may be helping Iraq prevent smuggling along its coast, but by cruising around in those disputed waters, the British warships and marines are also asking for trouble.
Barry M. Lando writes barrylando.com, a blog about Iraq, the Middle East and his new book, Web of Deceit.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
The seizure of 15 British naval troops in the Persian Gulf by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy has Washington hawks all aflutter. Anything these days could be a pretext to launch their much sought after attack on Iran. The Ahmadinejad government may also be eager to bolster its own internal political position by keeping tensions ratcheted up with the U.S. and Britain.
But let's look at this incident as many Iranians probably view it.
First of all, though the British steadfastly maintain they were in Iraqi waters at the time, the fact is that sovereignty over the narrow straights nearby where the British were operating has been disputed for centuries. The latest chapter began when Saddam Hussein ripped up a treaty he had signed under duress with the Shah in 1975. According to international legal experts, the issue has still not been settled and the Iranians have frequently acted to maintain their claims.
In June 2004, six British marines and two sailors were similarly seized by Iran They were presented blindfolded on Iranian television and admitted entering Iranian waters illegally, then released unharmed after three days.
Secondly, it's difficult to blame the Iranians for being suspicious of the British naval presence. Reportedly, for months now George W. Bush has authorized clandestine American military missions into Iran. Those actions range from preparing targeted strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, to carrying out joint operations with opposition groups in Iran--the kind of operations that, if the shoe were on the other foot, George W. Bush would brand as "cowardly acts of terrorism."
Also, as I pointed out in an earlier post, during the end of the Iran --Iraq war, the U.S. carried out many secret raids against Iranian forces. Any wonder that today the Iranians are not a trifle sensitive about British warships, helicopters and marines operating just a few miles off their coast.
The Brits are steadfast allies of the Americans in Iraq. Would it not be natural to suspect that elite British troops--from the SAS, for instance--are engaged with the Americans in those current clandestine missions?
The Royal Navy may be helping Iraq prevent smuggling along its coast, but by cruising around in those disputed waters, the British warships and marines are also asking for trouble.
Barry M. Lando writes barrylando.com, a blog about Iraq, the Middle East and his new book, Web of Deceit.
The seizure of 15 British naval troops in the Persian Gulf by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy has Washington hawks all aflutter. Anything these days could be a pretext to launch their much sought after attack on Iran. The Ahmadinejad government may also be eager to bolster its own internal political position by keeping tensions ratcheted up with the U.S. and Britain.
But let's look at this incident as many Iranians probably view it.
First of all, though the British steadfastly maintain they were in Iraqi waters at the time, the fact is that sovereignty over the narrow straights nearby where the British were operating has been disputed for centuries. The latest chapter began when Saddam Hussein ripped up a treaty he had signed under duress with the Shah in 1975. According to international legal experts, the issue has still not been settled and the Iranians have frequently acted to maintain their claims.
In June 2004, six British marines and two sailors were similarly seized by Iran They were presented blindfolded on Iranian television and admitted entering Iranian waters illegally, then released unharmed after three days.
Secondly, it's difficult to blame the Iranians for being suspicious of the British naval presence. Reportedly, for months now George W. Bush has authorized clandestine American military missions into Iran. Those actions range from preparing targeted strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, to carrying out joint operations with opposition groups in Iran--the kind of operations that, if the shoe were on the other foot, George W. Bush would brand as "cowardly acts of terrorism."
Also, as I pointed out in an earlier post, during the end of the Iran --Iraq war, the U.S. carried out many secret raids against Iranian forces. Any wonder that today the Iranians are not a trifle sensitive about British warships, helicopters and marines operating just a few miles off their coast.
The Brits are steadfast allies of the Americans in Iraq. Would it not be natural to suspect that elite British troops--from the SAS, for instance--are engaged with the Americans in those current clandestine missions?
The Royal Navy may be helping Iraq prevent smuggling along its coast, but by cruising around in those disputed waters, the British warships and marines are also asking for trouble.
Barry M. Lando writes barrylando.com, a blog about Iraq, the Middle East and his new book, Web of Deceit.