Hostage Taking? That is so 1970’s
Drudge has a headline right now that is starting to tie together with an earlier thread;
REPORT: IRANIAN TV SHOWS CAPTURE OF BRITISH SEAMEN
In the comments of an earlier thread, I started to develop the following thesis;
Step back for a moment, what would have empowered the Iranian Radicals more? Had the UK, which has diplomatic relations with Iran, fired upon on an Iranian boat in “Iranian waters” it would have been a PRIZE for the radicals! Now I am wondering what the radical wanted more? Did they want hostages or did they want an Iranian boat shot up? What stokes the fire of radicals more? 15 “illegal immigrants” consisting of one woman in a burka or an Iranian Naval Boat fired upon? When you think of it in those terms, Iran has blown it big time, they look like fools. Putting that woman in a burka was plain stupid. If the UK woman asked for it, she was brilliant.
If the Drudge scoop hold up, that possibly indicates that this whole thing was “planned” but what was the “plan?” The knee jerk reaction was that they wanted hostages, but as the post title says, that is so 1970’s.
Really, how “valuable” is it for the radicals in Iran to detain a “girl in a burka” and parade her around? As I also wrote, if it was her idea at all, she deserves a medal as it subtly mocks the Iranians.
I dohope that the Iranian people got to see the following, or that they at least read about it:
“They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, nice people. They explained to us why we’ve been arrested. There was no harm, no aggression.”
Something tells me that radical Iranians wanted something that they could really use, like the United Kingdom sinking the ship of another nation that it has full diplomatic relations with. And better yet, to be ready to show it on television.
The “girl in the burka” and her 14 polite British Sailors/Marines friends does not stoke up Iranian nationalism which is exactly what the radicals need to maintain their slipping power.
The radicals have already lost. The question is how much. Every action they do now is damage mitigation.
UPDATE: Step back for a moment and compare/contrast the propaganda that Saddam had to this. Saddam’s regime was “first class” in creating internal images compared to this “two bit” production. I am sure that Saddam is looking up and laughing at his former Persian nemesis.
UPDATE 2: The link is up and it would be funny if it was not reality. First, there was only FIVE seconds that were fit for televised propaganda!!
In thefive-seconds long footage, gunshots were heard and a helicopter is shown hovering above inflatable boats in choppy seas. Iranian guard boats are shown cruising around while a couple of Iranian guardsmen shoot into the air. Then, some of the British sailors—including the captured British woman, Leading Seaman Faye Turney—appear seated in a boat with an Iranian flag, presumably after their capture.
The brief video did not show the actual moment when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard navy seized the 15 British soldiers last Friday.
When they are released I will be waiting to hear if they fired any weapons, if the television version gun shots were just added for effect. Don’t you “love” how they always have to fire weapons in the “air.” If I was an Iranian dissident, I would do my damn best to get a copy of the not shown capture scene.
– Oak Leaf