Fact 1. The Royal Navy is engaged under UN Mandate and with the permission of the Iraqi Government in operations pertaining to the prevention of smuggling in Iraqi waters.
Fact 2. The British sailors and Marines were abducted by Iranians inside Iraqi waters.
Fact 3. Iran has out the Sailors and Marines on tv.
So the UK was good enough to carry out its duties as part of the UN and yet when IRAN makes an incursion into IRAQI waters and kidnaps personnel engaged in legitimate UN duties - the UN does nothing. The UN does not immediately get in touch with IRAN and say ' that the illegal detention of the service personnel is considered an ACT OF AGGRESSION BY THE STATE OF IRAN AGAINST THE UN'. They should have, but they haven't. This opens up the question - why on earth are we putting our forces in harms way on behalf of the United Nations, if the United Nations are not willing to afford those (who engage in duties on its behalf) Protection. The USA, The UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are the teeth of the UN, without these forces it has NO BITE - I demand that the UN act to get these forces released.
I think we (in PL8) are all aware that putting captured military personnel on tv in this manner constitutes a WAR CRIME. Again the UN needs to act.
And last but by no means least -the TV broadcast shows 6 men and 1 woman eating - where are the remaining 8 personnel? Are those eating the people who Iran has managed to force to co-operate? Are the rest blindly and repetatively giving name rank and number to their captors. It is blindingly obvious that Leading Seaman Turney was under duress, that her manufactured statement and letter was obtained using foul means not fair. So what is happening to the people not on tv?
