Apr 05 2007
Questions now the sailors are released
I have kept my silence over the hostages in Iran whilst our sailors were still at risk, as has the Conservative party generally. As it seemed likely the government was going to use diplomatic means to seek to get them back it was vital that the Uk looked united, and that there were as few noises off as possible.
Now they are all safely on a BA flight to London we need to begin the inquiry into how it happened and how the government responded. The UK has been made to look weak and directionless in the crisis. 15 of our armed forces have been used as pawns in one of the most cynical propoganda manoeuvres we have seen for a long time. The world has been treated to endless pictures of British sailors apologising to the Iranian state and admitting guilt when the official government position has been that they were doing their duty for the United Nations and were seized illegally.
??There should be an immediate statement from the government to explain themselves. I am ready to go to Parliament today to hear it, but of course the government intends to keep us away from Parliament for another twelve days to prevent proper questioning on this or anything else
.The questions the government should answer include:
??1. Why was there no effective air cover or other support for the sailors on the?? search mission?
2. What were the rules concerning the communication between the mother ship and the boarding party?
3. Were the rules of engagement for our troops adequate, given the ease with which they were illegally apprehended?
4. What are the rules governing what they should say and do if they are taken hostage? What if the plan of the Iranians had been to put them on trial - the confessions then could have been very damaging. The damage was reinforced by the constant statements that they were being treated well.
5. Why was the UN so weak in supporting our troops who were acting on a UN mission under a UN mandate? Shouldn’t we expect more from the UN in such circumstances?
6. Why did the government start with firmer rhetoric, and then give the impression of watering it all down? If the intention was to try the diplomatic route, surely the government should have avoided statements in public and stuck to the line that it was taking all apppropriate measures and would make a statement when there was a result.
7. If the government saw it also as a propoganda war, why doesn’t it now do more to counter the success of the Iranians at getting over their three messages - we can take your troops hostage any time, we can tell the world through them that we are in the right,we can show we are magnanimous as well as powerul by releasing them if we wish.
8. How does this leave the issue of nuclear development by Iran?
9. Why did we bother to get the EU to condemn the Iranian action, when there was no intention to follow up??such a ??statement and when the UK’s position should have been that this was a UN issue,??not some means to give the impression that there is a common foreign policy at EU level?
10.How is the government going to protect our troops in future UN missions? What lessons have they learnt about communicaiton with search parties, and use of supporting power?
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John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
At the very least, yes. Well said.
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We’re paying through the nose for the UN and the EU. Wouldn’t that money be better spent on hospitals, education, the NHS and our depleted, under-equipped armed forces?
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Redwood: “Why was there no effective air cover or other support for the sailors on the search mission?”
John, you are talking as if Cornwall was the only allied asset in the Gulf. In fact Commodore Nick Lambert was the commander of the multinational force in the Gulf. He had at his disposal all the assets of the US, UK and any other members with a contingent in the Gulf.
Are you really suggesting Lambert was refused a request ( he was in command ) for tactical backup?
The question is was such an order issued? If not, why not?
With regard to point 9. It illustrates just how useless the EU is in circumstances where we need or want support, they have refused to impose sanctions on Iran, they produce the most pathetic statement on the issue. The EU is a mill stone around our neck, not an asset.
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11. How much training do our troops go through to resist such propaganda campaigns?
12. In the new media age, shouldn’t such training be a fundameantal training requirement?
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