Blair Warns Iran Over Captured Sailors
Tony Blair has warned of a "different phase" if diplomatic efforts fail to secure the release of the 15 British service personnel held captive in Iran.
"I hope we manage to get [Iran] to realise they have to release them," Mr Blair said today in an interview with GMTV.
"If not, then this will move into a different phase."
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Asked about what he meant by a "different phase", Mr Blair said: "Well, we will just have to see, but what they should understand is that we cannot have a situation where our servicemen and women are seized when actually they are in Iraqi waters under a UN mandate, patrolling perfectly rightly and in accordance with that mandate, and then effectively captured and taken to Iran."
I was hoping to hear something like this from PM Tony Blair. If Iran only has to fear U.N. sanctions and diplomatic efforts, there is nothing to fear by holding the British sailors. The first step should an embargo. When they run out of fuel and start to starve, give them a chance to release the sailors. If they fail to cooperate, then an attack should be much easier when their vehicles don't have gas and the soldiers don't have food.
