Britain Asks Allies for Help on Employees Held in Iran, page 1

privacy

Pages: << 1 2 3 4 >>
ATS Members have flagged this thread 13 times

Topic started on 3-7-2009 @ 01:35 AM by SLAYER69

Britain Asks Allies for Help on Employees Held in Iran

www.nytimes.com

STOCKHOLM — Britain continued to push other European countries on Thursday to take a tough stance against Iran for detaining at least one employee of the British Embassy in Tehran, but European Union diplomats meeting here were searching for other ways to resolve the standoff.

The Iranian authorities, who have taken to blaming foreigners for the recent unrest that followed the disputed presidential election, have directed much of their ire at Britain and arrested nine Iranian staff members of the British Embassy over the weekend. Several have since been released.

(visit the link for the full news article)

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 01:35 AM by SLAYER69

Man this just burns me up. The UK asks for help and they get the cold shoulder from the rest of the EU. If I was a Britt I'd feel pissed and betrayed.

GO UK!
We're with you.

This is total BS. The only reason Iran is doing this is to thumb it's nose at the west esp the UK. I say once it's done leave that rat hole. Don't grovel to them anymore.

Kowtowing is way out of style.

www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 01:59 AM by nenothtu

reply to post by SLAYER69

Wonder what the US is going to do with this? Have we even been asked to help? Maybe Obama can "negotiate" 'em out, like he thinks he can do with the Iranian Powers That Be.

Refresh my memory... did WE leave that rathole behind when the '79 crisis was over?

Who was it that helped us get OUR people out again? Maybe the Brits that flame America on the other threads around here can find those same helpers...

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 02:12 AM by AgentX09

I posted days ago the iranians would pull a stunt like this.Hostage taking is their form of diplomacy.

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 02:24 AM by munkey66

Yeah, it's not like the US or UK have ever done anything bad in Iran,
The Iranians are the bad guys, they must have staged their own 1953 coup d'état .

all staged for a photo shot of the bad guys releasing those innocent Britts who were doing what exactly????

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 02:31 AM by SLAYER69

reply to post by munkey66

Yeah they are as clean and pure as the driven snow.

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 03:48 AM by Haydn_17

Back in the good old days of the British Empire im sure Iran would of been completely conquerd in a matter of days.

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 03:50 AM by SLAYER69

reply to post by Haydn_17

Aint that the truth.
I would also be a bit peeved at the rest of the EUs lack of support.

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 03:58 AM by Haydn_17

reply to post by SLAYER69

I think Mr.Brown is more concerned about his second home.

Where has all the honour gone? Back in the day this would not of been tolerated.

But i guess back then Iran was scared of Britain.

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 04:43 AM by Mdv2

reply to post by SLAYER69

Perhaps they should turn to the US or Israel then. What do you expect the EU to do? Send in their armies? Don't you think they have condemned this issue? I don't see what else they could possibly do. Can you tell me what the US and Israel have done for the UK in relation to this matter?

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 04:49 AM by SLAYER69

reply to post by Mdv2

Well let me see?

Nope.

I didn't mentioned anything about Israel.

Who said anything about invading them either?

What about standing with them and speaking in unison?

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 05:02 AM by Foppezao

reply to post by SLAYER69

I think that is a typical American [journalist] stand on European things, the press here says the EU foreign ministers met in Korfu [Greece] to take a stand together and act "with force" and the EU will not let it be played out [and divided] by Iran..

www.elsevier.nl...

www.europa-nu.nl...

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 05:04 AM by mr-lizard

Slayer it's nice to see you care and nice to know the US still hold us high.

As for Brown, I can understand why people are snubbing his leadership, he's a spineless fool and not fit for leadership, especially in such harrowing times.

As for Iran, well it's not the first time they've mocked the Brits, but for now we can only hope things unwind peacefully..

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 05:07 AM by Foppezao

But i do think it depends on the rotating presidency of the EU, if France was Chairman they would take a lot more initiatives then Sweden right now...But all the hate towards UK has reason its called... Ajax.

[edit on 3-7-2009 by Foppezao]

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 05:14 AM by Mdv2

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by Mdv2

Well let me see?

Nope.

I didn't mentioned anything about Israel.

Who said anything about invading them either?

What about standing with them and speaking in unison?

And since when do you have inside knowledge? You seriously believe that the EU is not negotiating with Iran behind closed doors? I mentioned the US and Israel because the UK is always there to back them up in difficult situations, so you might expect them now to do the same for the UK. This merely sounds like EU bashing.

edit: Google is your friend

STOCKHOLM (AFP)--The European Union is "ready to take action" if Iran doesn't free the remaining U.K. embassy staff held in Tehran, the Swedish E.U. presidency warned Thursday.

European nations have been considering a proposal from the U.K. to recall all their ambassadors from Iran in protest of the detention of the embassy employees.

"We are ready to take action if we don't get a reaction" from the Iranian government, a spokeswoman for Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told AFP.

According to the U.K., seven of the nine local staff originally detained have been released. The U.K. is also investigating reports that one of the two remaining detainees had also been freed. The nine employees were arrested by Iranian authorities June 28.

Iran accuses the U.K. of having orchestrated the protests against the result of the country's recent presidential vote. According to Iran's chief of police, at least 20 people have died in the unrest.

The Iranian authorities allege the U.K. embassy sent its staff into the opposition demonstrations to stir up trouble after Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared re-elected. The U.K. has denied the charge.

Bildt's spokesman Irena Busic voiced the hope that it would not be necessary to freeze diplomatic ties with Tehran.

"We are interested in maintaining relations with Iran. We are expecting further contacts with them regarding the British personnel," she said. "We take things step-by-step and wait for the Iranian reaction."

While many E.U. nations are reluctant to pull their ambassadors out of Tehran, they hope diplomatic pressure will secure the release of all U.K. embassy employees.

One idea being circulated is to recall ambassadors for a few days as a sign of protest, according to one European source.

Bye bye EU bashing

[edit on 3-7-2009 by Mdv2]

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 05:28 AM by Laurauk

UK Embassy staff who were arrested in Iran are tobe put on trial, this has just broke on the bbc news website:

Some UK embassy staff detained in Tehran and accused of inciting protests will face trial, says the head of Iran's top legislative body.

The British foreign office said it was urgently seeking confirmation from Iran on the matter.

Nine embassy staff were held in Tehran last weekend. The UK government says all except two have now been released.

EU governments are considering temporarily withdrawing ambassadors to Iran in protest at the detentions.

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 05:31 AM by The Last Man on Earth

Well, were they involved in such activities? I don't think it would be the first time, would it?

Mdv2 - I have to say, you have quite a scary quote in your signature. Could you PM me some more info about the person who said it?

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 05:54 AM by Mdv2

reply to post by The Last Man on Earth

I've added a youtube video to my signature. Have a look at it

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 06:00 AM by vox2442

What grounds does the UK have for putting any kind of pressure here?

They are Iranians, living in Iran, and working for the Embassy. They have no diplomatic immunity, and the laws of the UK do not trump the laws of Iran in this case.

If they were UK citizens, that would make a difference. But they're not. They're Iranian. They're subject to Iranian laws, and unless the UK wants to start handing out citizenship papers with employee timecards, they're going to have to accept that.

reply posted on 3-7-2009 @ 06:12 AM by Jakes51

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by Mdv2

Well let me see?

Nope.

I didn't mentioned anything about Israel.

Who said anything about invading them either?

What about standing with them and speaking in unison?

I agree with this approach. The US should stand firm with their trusted ally the UK and condemn this outrageous act. The UK and US should make it clear that this is not an acceptable action on their part. If they want to start communications through diplomatic channels they must release this prison immediately!!! This is just a ploy by the Iranians nothing more nothing less. It is like the "wag the dog scenario." The US should give the UK its' support on this matter!!

[edit on 3-7-2009 by Jakes51]

Pages: << 1 2 3 4 >> ^^TOP^^