Free at Last...

I am delighted to see that common sense has prevailed and Ahmadinejad has released the British sailors held in Tehran. I am particularly pleased that this painful and embarrasing episode in British international relations hasn't damaged our reputation as much as was initially feared. I think, brace yourselves, that the INDEPENDENT summed the end of this situation best with its double front page...2 headlines...for 2 outcomes...depending on which way you choose to view it. On the one hand we see Ahmadinejad claiming victory in humiliating the British and playing the moral high ground card. On the other we see Blair celebrating his role in securing "a peaceful solution to the hostage crisis." However now fundamental questions must be asked...were they in Iranian territory? (In my view no) Why did we just let them take our sailors? and Why did the government appear so impotent in the situation? If we were that confident of our satillite position we should have chased them all over the Gulf if neccessary to get our sailors back! On a satarical note it was mentioned to me that if we were so sure of our position and the Iranians came to arrest our troops...we should have arrested the Iranians for trespassing with hostile intent in to Iraqi waters! I am glad to see the situation has been resolved but what really sticks like a sour lemon is the fact that Ahmadinejad has come off looking like the bigger man. I am still sickended by his and the Iranians actions during the crisis...parading our troops on TV...claiming that they were to release hostages and then changing their minds...speaking of possible charges...refusing the sailors consular aid and then suddenly claiming to release them as a gift to the British people in celebration of the prophet Mohammed and the festivities of Easter. Are we supposed to believe Ahmadinejad has had some kind of epiphany? Of course not he is still the West hating, Israeli bashing despot he always was and this whole episonde was designed to discredit Britain and the West and stir up political propaganda (as each confession letter became more and more political). All in all this was a clever P.R stunt intended to show the Iranians that they will stand up to the West and intended to show the West Iranians are decent, "peaceful" people. Either way Ahmadinejad played a blinder and that sticks like a dead badger in many Thatcherites throats! (pardon the expression)