Britain Asks Allies for Help on Employees Held in Iran

Not getting involved in matters that don't concern you hardly equates to any sort of cowardice. The real cowards are the politicians who create these situations in the first place, then expect other poor buggers to go fight their new enemy. Having a few troops killed or maimed also provides a great photo-op with the grieving families and solemn soundbites about the evil enemy on the evening news.

This is just another manufactured event and we should just keep the hell out of it. Sorry, but it's an Iranian citizen that was arrested and is being held, not a citizen of the UK. There are plenty of other people held for years without charge and abused, where is the outrage and tough talk about freeing them?
Honestly, I get the impression some people just like to puff their chests out and talk tough, especially on these boards.

ISAF contribution as of 2009
United States - 26,215 United Kingdom - 8,300 Germany - 3,465
Canada - 2,830 France - 3,300 Italy - 2,350
Poland - 2,000 Netherlands - 1,770 Turkey - 1,300
Australia - 1,090 Romania - 860 Bulgaria - 820
Spain - 780 Denmark - 700 Czech Republic - 580
Norway - 490 Belgium - 650 Hungary - 370
Sweden - 290 Croatia - 280 Slovakia - 230
Lithuania - 200 Macedonia - 170 Latvia - 160
New Zealand - 150 Albania - 140 Estonia - 140
Greece - 140 Finland - 110 Azerbaijan - 90
Slovenia - 70 Portugal - 180 United Arab Emirates - 25
Singapore - 20 Ukraine - 10 Luxembourg - 9
Iceland - 8 Ireland - 7 Jordan - 7
Austria - 2 Bosnia and Herzegovina - 2 Georgia - 1
Philippines - [6]

reply to post by Foppezao

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And how many of those German or French troops have been killed since deployed to afghanistan??

I await your resoponce to this question.

Oh this is just silly since when did 007 need anyone's help linging up anything for him but a flight or a rental car...

James Bond would be furious if diplomats and politicians got involved in his rescue.

Right now I am sure while it appears he is captivity to the rest of the world he is right on the verge of stopping some diablolical Iranian evil genious take over the world and is probably having a torid love affair with some beautiful Chinese or Russian woman spy is apprears to be working for the Iranian evil genious but really isn't, not to mention the evil genious's secretary, mistress, and maid.

The EU knows better than to upset Mr. Bond and cut his fun short.

He will be around when he has it all wrapped and has had his fun...

Doesn't anyone on ATS no the true history of England as told in the Movies and History Books?

He's fine!

The irony is, if Britain detained Iranian embassy staff many on ATS would be demanding action and the expulsion of Britain from the United Nations

Iran is weak and worried about internal problems - possible revolution - and decided to blame an external source.

EU has changed its stance, after the French have passionately aligned themselves with us. Iran will listen, the European Union is their biggest trading partner after all.

reply to post by infinite

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I do have the feeling Iran is not going to listen Infinite, nor take the threat, with having all the EU ambassadors recalled to thier EU Countries Serious.

Afterall they have already told the EU that they are no longer welcome at the talks over the Nuclear ambitions. Also the EU might have trade links, But Italy and Germany have the srongest trading links with Iran.


[edit on 3-7-2009 by Laurauk]

What a ridiculous question! As if the numbers of bodybags represents the good effort countries put in a war? It can also show how reckless or unprofessional those soldiers are... and what if France only supplied medical staff, would that be not good enough for you?
In the beginning of the ISAF operations the Netherlands for example had very few casualties although we participated in many fire exchanges and helped other troops with air/ground support, we were also busy winning the minds and hearts of the population and got lots of critique for that from aussies and yanks! yeah your welcome..

reply to post by Foppezao

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About as as a stupid statment regarding countries or people being cowards eh. You know the old saying, put your money where your mouth is.

Who said anything about the Netherlands????

Show me where I even targeted the Netherlands!!!

[edit on 3-7-2009 by Laurauk]

And i didnt say you did, put you made a correlation between number of bodybags and the effort in supporting a war..
Germany lost 35 in total, thats pretty sad for them since lost of Americans and British still think they're part of the "old Europe"[quote from Rumsfeld] and oppose such a war...

[edit on 3-7-2009 by Foppezao]

Apparently Sky News has just reported that the French, yes, you heard me right, the French have come forward to support Britain!!! Wonders will never cease. . .
Its thought that the Iranians in question were photographed by police monitoring the demonstrations. How can you blame the British if its embassy staff decide to join in a demonstration?

reply to post by SLAYER69

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OP and more love to buy the western propaganda - Iran are probably arresting people suspected of crimes, and questioning them - you may have noticed some have been released.

You run around like chickens with their heads cut off over one or two people held.

The CIA and MI6 have been running all over Iran spreading lies and trying to stir unrest - most likely it was a UK agent who shot Neda, and made such a big story out of it.

Wake up to the propaganda people.

Every single one on this list should be ashamed of sending troops to kill innocent people.

Afghanistan is purely about controlling the opium trade for the Rothchilds - go and do some research and stop eating up all the propaganda - the ignorance is sickening.

Everything you have ever been told on the MSM is a lie - it is a lie - the MSM is pure propaganda - it is a lie.

Makes me ill, all the innocent people killed for the profit of the scum - and all the bluster of idiots who can't wait to go and kill some innocent people, even competing over who sent most troops - who killed more.

We hardly need the scum to rally people to go kill anymore - just listen to the ignorant waiting to go and kill and die for them.

[edit on 3-7-2009 by Amagnon]

Bashing?

No!

More like poking them with a stick.
They collectively are the wealthiest location on the planet. They beat out the US as the largest consumer market technically. They should stand up as one and act as a world power.

Although I deny nothing about the possibility of the above mentioned agencies.
Shooting the girl was not part of some plot. Think for yourself. She was killed by an Iranian bullet fired by an Iranian. If I were you I would seriously consider taking some of your own advice.

Wake up to the propaganda people.

Iranian cleric says British Embassy employees will be tried

You have no clue about our situation. The EU is not a nation like the US, we are individual countries forming an union for shared interests: economic co-operation, maintain peace and hence, increase European shared prosperity. We have no military and we have learned from the past. The US is a young country, a young superpower and therefore making the mistakes the EU is not going to make. Americans are not aware of what we've gone through because they haven't fought a war in the homeland for ages.

Apart from that, the article I posted indicated an united stance on this issue, so I don't see why you are saying we should stand up united.

Last, we are not a superpower. Economically speaking we might be the world's mightiest, but we have no military that makes an union or country a superpower.

Really? Can you prove it or is everything a conspiracy in your mind?

Yeah, let us wake up and not believe or subject ourselves to your propaganda

I'm sorry but that just doesn't fly in my book.

We know all too well what Europe went through...

Remember thousands of Americans died fighting in "your wars". Hell many thousands are still stationed there...

The EU needs to step up to the plate and stop all the infighting and act as one. In the US we move as one even if there is a large minority who disagree. They can get their revenge in the next election.

You made a great point about having no military as a single unit but if you were to combine all your collective military's you would have the most formidable fighting force right up there with the US and Russia. So please let's look at it from another perspective.

Exactly.

Europe can be a superpower and should use her influence on an international scale, instead of the quasi-imperial mentality towards potential new members or client states.

Europe, for the record, probably has the power to deal with Iran with military means - if necessary.

Infinite, are you suffering from self-compassion again? ATS wouldn't cry for expulsion of Britain for detaining the Iranian embassy staff. Quite the contrary, I suppose most people would understand if there was some legit motive. Especially with the brutal Iranian reaction to the recent protests.